Proposed BRT route must surely be dead

Responding to the decision of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Development Control Committee to defer the decision on the proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route, and Newbridge park & ride extension, once again, Bath MP Don Foster has said that the scheme must surely now be dead.

Don said, “If only the Conservative Council had listened to what I said at a Council meeting in September, and what Liberal Democrat Councillors have been saying for months: more work was needed into alternative routes, and residents needed to be involved in the process.

“The Council did not heed this advice, and with the proposed-BRT route twice having failed to pass through planning it is time for the Council to go right back to the beginning.

“The Conservatives have mismanaged this process, and could well be putting the government money at risk. Had they taken onboard my comments last autumn, then this would not be the case.”

New planning application

We are now going to publish all of the planning applications that are received by Bath & North East Somerset Council each week for your information and for you to be able to comment upon.

We have just on application this week and that is for the Erection of new dwelling on site of car park at 166A London Road West Lower Swainswick Bath if you would like to view the application and or make a comment then please follow the link http://planning.bathnes.gov.uk/PublicAccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=KKWX34CTKL000

Thank you

We would like to thank the residents who we met on Friday evening for giving us such a warm welcome when we called on them as part of Don Foster's team.

We are following up on requests for information from some people and fro particular problems that others have raised. We will be calling on many more residents in the coming weeks and months but if you need to contact Don Foster or a member of the team then please phone on 338973 or write to Don Foster MP 31 James Street West Bath.

A few of Don's team out on Friday 3rd July

Baby unit appeal breakthrough

It is good news that the Royal United Hospital has been able to put up the extra cash to enable the new Special care baby unit to be built this year.

The appeal still needs to raise another £1.5 million but this is a huge step forward. Many families in Bath have benefited and we know that they will be delighted with this good news.

To read the full story follow the link HERE

Anger on Julian House funding decision

The Government have axed £2.5 million of funding for a new hostel facility for homeless people in Bath.

The Homes & Community Agency had demanded an ‘aspirational design’ considered by the Council to be far beyond the requirements of a new hostel facility and beyond what could be afforded. The result of this slowed the process to the point where the Homes & Community Agency decided the Council was unable to meet the timescale previously agreed.

As part of the Places for Change Project, the Council explored a number of different sites for the new facility undertaking detailed viability assessments on two of these sites. The Government demanded the project be completed by mid-2011 which allowed three years from inception to completion.

"The circumstances relating to the loss of this funding would seem to be another example of the lack of a 'can-do' attitude for which this Council leadership has previously been criticised. It's unfortunate that the Cabinet member failed to broker a compromise with the Homes and Community Agency within the set timescale."

Twenty is Plenty

Many people have been telling us that they feel that traffic goes to fast on our local streets and causes a danger for pedestrians.

Lambridge Liberal Democrats and local MP Don Foster launched a petition calling for a Twenty Miles per hour speed limit on all residential roads in our City.

Why not join us in this call by signing our Twenty is Plenty petition by following this link http://ourcampaign.org.uk/twentyisplenty

Christmas market must benefit local businesses, suppliers and people

Bath Lib Dem MP Don Foster has today written to the Chief Executive of Bath Tourism Plus, Robin Bischert, questioning the tendering process that led to the catering contract for the Bath Christmas Market being awarded to an Oxfordshire company.

Don has asked for a list of the criteria that were used to make the decision, as well as how much weighting was given to each issue.

In the letter, Don says, “[I am] extremely concerned about both the procedures adopted and the outcome.

“…what does seem very clear is that the key determinant in the decision was a financial one rather than - as I would have hoped - a range of issues including how the various proposals would best help the local economy.”

The group of Bath businesses who missed out on the contract have called into question the fairness of the tendering process. Don has addressed this issue in his letter, saying,

“It has been suggested, for example, that while the local bid team were expected to provide full details of the menus to be available at each of the 6 chalets, Supreme Sausages bid did not include such detailed information.”

Bath MP Don has called for the Christmas Market to benefit local businesses, suppliers and people as, “After all, the purpose of the Christmas Market was to act as a driver for the local economy. If we merely get a lot of businesses in to the centre of Bath yet allow the jobs and supplies to come from outside Bath and the profits to flow out of the city, the benefit is minimal.”

The Lib Dem MP has also written to Supreme Sausages Managing Director Paul Garrish to ask for reassurances that local suppliers will be used as widely as possible, and that local people will be given the chance to staff the catering chalets.