Additional safety railings are to be fitted along part of the River Avon in Bath, following a recent review by the multi-agency River Safety Group after the death of Sammuel Amin in September.
The Environment Agency will erect temporary railings this week down the left-hand side of the sloped riverside pathway leading down from Green Park Road, ahead of permanent railings being installed by Bath & North East Somerset Council from mid-January 2015.
The River Safety Group regularly reviews safety arrangements along the River Avon to help ensure the protection of the public and respond to issues accordingly.
This latest safety measure has been added to a programme of works planned by the River Safety Group in the new year – after the Group reviewed the circumstances around the death of Sammuel Amin in the River Avon, in September, and recommended that some form of barrier should be installed along this section of the tow path.
Councillor Paul Crossley (Lib-Dem, Southdown), Leader of Council, said: “As a member of the multi-agency River Safety Group, Bath & North East Somerset Council is to install permanent fencing on this pathway from 19th January, 2015.
“In the interim, we’re grateful to the Environment Agency for also taking action to put in a temporary fence prior to Christmas. This should act as a barrier to help prevent any future incidents of anyone accidentally leaving this path.
“As part of the River Safety Group we are continually working to improve safety along the River Avon to ensure that the measures already in place – and those new ones that are being implemented – make it as safe as possible.”
The proposed fencing, along with other actions initiated by the River Safety Group, was referred to at a recent pre-inquest hearing, at which point the Coroner stated that she did not have any further recommendations to make at this time but that she would keep the issue of safety on the River Avon under review.
The River Safety Group has been formed to provide an effective, multi-agency response to safety issues along the River Avon in Bath and North East Somerset.
The Group is made up of representatives from Avon and Somerset Police, Avon Fire and Rescue, the Environment Agency, the Canal & River Trust and Bath & North East Somerset Council.
It is also supported by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
The Group works closely together to share information and best practice between the organisations and deliver safety improvements in a consistent and co-ordinated way.
The River Safety Group reports into the Strategic River Group which considers all issues relating to the river corridor in Bath and North East Somerset.
For more details of recent River Avon safety work, please visit: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/latestnews/safety-along-river-avon.
1 Comment
Marc Lynn
Thursday 18th December, 2014 at 11:49If you can’t keep to the foot path..don’t use it, especially when drunk