Conservative councillors on Bath & North East Somerset Council have called for a rethink of plans to create Liveable Neighbourhoods, saying they’ll make some parts of the city “unliveable”.
The proposed introduction of Liveable Neighbourhoods is part of ongoing work by the Liberal Democrats to help tackle the climate emergency by reducing an ongoing reliance on cars.
A key part of the policy is delivering Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), groupings of predominantly residential streets that restrict through traffic.
Although supportive of the principle of LTNs, the opposition Conservative Group on B&NES Council has issued three main objections to the local authority’s approach.
They are:
- The negative impact on people with mobility problems and businesses in Bath
- The displacement of traffic to areas that are already congested
- The unnecessary restriction on residents’ freedoms
The Conservative councillors have highlighted concerns raised by some residents that Bath’s topography would make the aims of the strategy, to increase walking and cycling, “more challenging”.
Echoing concerns raised by the Federation of Bath Residents’ Association, the Conservatives say that Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods, rather than encouraging people out of their cars onto bicycles or walking, can displace traffic onto main roads that are already busy, and which are also residential.
In sending traffic on longer, more circuitous routes, and adding to congestion, pollution levels could become more concentrated and increase in some areas.
The Conservative councillors claim the “limits on movement are an unnecessary and as yet unjustified restriction on residents’ liberties to drive around the place they call home”.
They also say the Liberal Democrats have “not sufficiently demonstrated that this loss of freedom, which contributes to a liveable city, is a price worth paying”.
Cllr Paul Myers, Leader of the Conservative Group on Bath and North East Somerset Council, said: “The Lib Dem Administration’s Unliveable Neighbourhoods plans could have serious impacts on residents and businesses in Bath.
“Although Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods have seen some success in other parts of the country, the overall picture nationally is mixed.
“There is no guarantee we will see similar successes in Bath, with its unique geography, and it’s clear that the consequences haven’t been properly considered.
“With the displacement of traffic, barriers to mobility for residents and businesses and resitrictions to personal freedom, we do not support the roll-out of these Unliveable Neighbourhoods.”
Speaking last October, following a consultation on plans for the Liveable Neighbourhoods, Councillor Joanna Wright, joint cabinet member for Transport Services, said: “If we are to improve air quality and meet our climate emergency targets by 2030, we need to create better conditions for walking and cycling so people rely less on their cars.
“Liveable neighbourhoods will help us to not only achieve this, but also to support local businesses by improving our community spaces and creating lively residential areas where community pride is fostered.”
