Bath and North East Somerset Council has voted to create a Bath City Forum, though councillors have expressed their disappointment that it will be purely an advisory body.
Lib Dem Councillors expressed their disappointment that the forum will have no budget or spending powers.
Councillor Dine Romero (Liberal Democrat, Southdown), Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, commented: “The Bath City Forum is the result of a working group the Liberal Democrats started in 2014.
“We have long been concerned that Bath does not have the same level of representation as communities in North East Somerset.
“The proposal put before us tonight was far too timid; a body with no budget or spending powers, whereas we want to see proper devolution decisions to a Bath level.
“This is why we voted against the final resolution. The Liberal Democrats will still work constructively to make this new Forum a success, but we are disappointed with the result of a year’s deliberations.”
Councillor Paul Crossley (Liberal Democrat, Southdown), who proposed an amendment calling for some concrete powers to be given to the Bath City Forum, added: “To my mind, it’s essential that the Forum should be more than just a talking shop; it should be given some substantive work to do.
“So I’m disappointed that the Conservatives were not brave enough to accept the Forum potentially growing in scope in the future. This is a missed opportunity.
“The Bath City Forum we have ended up with is better than nothing, and we will participate fully, working to make this a successful body.
“I hope that we will get some really enthusiastic co-opted members who will help prove that it can be a useful and relevant body.”
