Bath and North East Somerset Council has been awarded funding from the West of England Combined Authority to create a Liveable Neighbourhood for Walcot, which directly impacts Walcot and Lambridge residents.

The proposal calls for a bus gate on Camden Road near Fairfield Park Health Centre. This proposal was drawn up by officers based on consultation events held in Walcot and input from Cabinet Members and Ward Councillors. Even though this proposal will significantly impact many Lambridge residents, neither Cllr Joanna Wright nor Cllr Saskia Heijltjes have been consulted by the council for views on the impact this bus gate will have on Lambridge residents.

The BathNES Green Party fully support Liveable Neighbourhoods. We think that it is right that one is created on the East of Bath to help deal with through traffic.

As Ward councillors for Lambridge we have requested that the Council work with us to investigate how best to deal with the challenge of through traffic passing in and out of Lambridge & Walcot wards.

We know that there is significant impact of through traffic that comes through Lambridge from a study conducted with the University of Bath in 2017.

We have asked B&NES Cabinet Members to provide a circulation plan for through traffic across Bath. To date there is still no circulation plan.

To create Liveable Neighbourhoods requires a holistic vision of an area, that is not based on political boundaries, but on how traffic passes through the area.

The Council has selected areas of B&NES to have Liveable Neighbourhoods, which include measures like bus gates and bollards to prevent through traffic in residential areas. Snow Hill & London Road in Walcot is one area selected, but not Lambridge. However, the impact on the proposed bus gate on Camden Road will potentially cause an increase of traffic on the already congested residential streets of Lambridge.

The proposed bus gate will impact the entire community on the east of Bath. Lambridge residents were not invited to the earlier consultation events that resulted in the proposal of a bus gate in Walcot.

We are organising an event at the New Oriel Hall so that residents can give us their views. All residents are welcome to attend.

The meeting will take place on Wed 20th November at the New Oriel Hall from 6pm to 7.30pm. We have invited Cllr Manda Rigby to hear your views.

Cllr Rigby will make the executive decision to deliver the Walcot Liveable Neighbourhood.