Bath & North East Somerset Council’s cabinet is set to decide on whether to progress and fund a number of Liveable Neighbourhood schemes to enhance communities in the area.
The Liveable Neighbourhood schemes involve reconsidering road space to create outdoor spaces where people can relax and want to spend their time.
A range of measures, including vehicle restrictions, traffic calming, residents’ parking zones and electric vehicle charging, will be used to reduce the dominance of motor vehicles in residential areas, although people will still be able to access their homes by car.
The schemes are part of a wider programme of works aimed at reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality, enhancing road safety, and promoting healthy lifestyles, by encouraging the use of sustainable transport.
A report to the B&NES cabinet, on 23rd June, says that the council has so far received 48 applications for Liveable Neighbourhood schemes across the district.
These have been assessed and proposals that include low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) and school streets/safe routes to school (SRTS) have been prioritised for provisional funding and delivery.
Councillor Sarah Warren, deputy council Leader and cabinet member for Climate and Sustainable Travel said: “Liveable Neighbourhoods will breathe new life into residential areas by creating nicer spaces to socialise in, and increasing social interactions between neighbours.
“They are also an important part of our plan to tackle the climate and ecological emergencies by reducing car use for short trips, and will improve health and wellbeing across the area.
“The idea is to provide fairer access to residential neighbourhoods, creating healthier outdoor spaces for everyone to share, as well as vibrant local high streets where people want to spend time and money.
“Communities are really getting behind the idea and it’s great news we’ve received so many applications.”
Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan, which was approved in October 2019, recommended a major reduction in car use and the Liveable Neighbourhoods schemes are part of efforts to fulfil this.
The report says that many of the LTN applications, particularly in Bath, are adjacent to similar proposals. Therefore, some schemes have been linked to deliver wider benefits.
The cabinet has been recommended to approve an initial 15 schemes be progressed and provisionally allocate £2.2m funding for their development and delivery over the next two financial years.
Phase One schemes to be considered are:
- Mount Road (Southdown);
- Great Pulteney Street/St Johns Road area (Bathwick);
- Whitchurch & Queen Charlton (Publow with Whitchurch and Saltford);
- Circus/Lower Lansdown/Marlborough Building/Royal Victoria Park/Cork Street area (Kingsmead & Lansdown);
- Oldfield Lane & First/Second/Third Avenues;
- Walcot Phase 1: London Road, Snow Hill, Kensington Gardens and adjacent roads (Walcot);
- Church St & Prior Park Rd (Widcombe & Lyncombe);
- Chelsea Road (Newbridge);
- Entry Hill (Widcombe & Lyncombe);
- Southlands (Weston);
- Morris Lane/Bannerdown (Bathavon North);
- New Sydney Place (Bathwick);
- Edgerton Road/Cotswold Road (Moorlands);
- Temple Cloud;
- Lyme Road/Charmouth Road (Newbridge).
If approved, residents, businesses and local organisations will be consulted and encouraged to work with ward members to help inform the development of schemes with preliminary designs prepared in the autumn.
These will then be subject to further public consultation before detailed designs are drawn up and the schemes implemented.
To read the report, visit: https://democracy.bathnes.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=122&MId=5971.
