Shaws Way

Please remember that Shaws Way is closed tomorrow 23rd July for essential repairs to the road surface, the condition of which has become very bad.

We are pleased that this work, that we requested earlier this year, is now being carried out  .

Poolemead Road

We are pleased that the dangerous section of footpath on Poolemead road by the Centurion that we highlighted some time ago has been repaired.

We are still however reminding the council that other areas that we have reported are still waiting to be done.

Pennyquick View

After a walk around with Curo on Monday we noticed this overgrown area alongside the fields with brambles and weeds that are out of control.

We have asked that the council cut this area back as it is not only unsightly it is also quite dangerous for people with visual impairments that would not see the brambles.

We would hope that the council would sort this out quickly.

Redland Park

We have asked that the paving area behind 161 Redland Park is repaired as soon as possible.

This matter has been going on for some time now with both the Council and Curo blaming each other for the work not being completed.

We have asked that both the council and Curo resolve this matter and get these essential repairs done as soon as possible.

As you can see the blocks have been placed in a tidy pile.

Fake Window Cleaner Warning

An article has been put onto the Bath Chronicle website today warning residents of a man claiming to be a Window Cleaner that is operating in the Twerton area and  trying to trick older residents out of money.

He claims to be employed by the Bath Chronicle and he was collecting money for cleaning their windows over the past 6 months, although this had not happened.

The full article can be found here.   

Whiteway Road Pennyquick Hill

Councillor Tim Ball asked several question at the new Conservative cabinet meeting last week with regards to the safety of this road.

Tim also made several suggestions to make the road safer that have received a rather uncommitted reply.

We will continue to pursue these issues.

M		Question from:	Councillor Tim Ball
Due to the dangerous nature of the Whiteway Road particularly the more commonly known section of Pennyquick Hill in Twerton Ward, And the amount of accidents that have taken place on this road over the years. 1) Will the cabinet member for transport reconsider the speed limit on this road to ensure that it is correct? 2) Consider enforcement of the current or reconsidered speed limit? 3) Give active consideration to colouring the road surface red form its Poolmead Road Junction to the Junction with Newton Road as has been done with other roads in the district to give warning to motorists that this is a dangerous road if you speed or overtake?
Answer from:			Councillor Anthony Clarke
1) There is no proposal to review the speed limit on Whiteway Road/Pennyquick Hill in the current approved programme of schemes 2) I have asked officers to review the accident records for the locations and advise whether the accident history justifies reconsideration of the speed limit. 3) There is no proposal to introduce coloured surfacing at Poolmead Road junction with Newton Road.  Coloured surfacing will be introduced only if the officer’s evidence indicates there is need for some form of Traffic Management work required at this junction.

Kelston View and North Way

Councillor Tim Ball raised formal questions at the Conservative Council Cabinet meeting last week concerning the condition of North Way and Kelston View.

We are a little concerned that the seriousness of the condition of Kelston View and North Way has not been taken very seriously and will continue to pursue this matter.

The questions and reply are given below.

M		Question from:	Councillor Tim Ball
Kelston View and North Way Over the past few months the condition of these two roads has become so bad that I have visited the area with Highways officers on several occasions. It seems that the whole substructure of both of these roads has become unstable and the concrete plates that form the road are cracking and in some cases have badly subsided and are visibly rocking. It seems that these two roads are in need of a complete restructure. 1) Will the cabinet member for Highways and Transport confirm that if officer reports identify that as I suspect a complete restructure of the road is needed make the sufficient funds available for this work to be done? 2) Will he also confirm that he will ensure that temporary repairs will take place with Immediate effect to return these roads to a reasonably safe condition? 3) Will he also acknowledge that as these roads are part of a Major Bus route that their condition should be kept in a condition that allows buses to operate with knowledge that the roads are safe for them to use and deliver the comfort that their passengers expect?
Answer from:			Councillor Anthony Clarke
1) There is an approved programme for Capital Improvement works for 2015/16.  Officers will assess the condition and if substantial reconstruction works are required, they will be considered for inclusion in a future programme of work. 2) Highway Officers have been asked to inspect the roads reported by Cllr Ball and undertake any essential safety repairs ensuring that the road remains safe and comfortable for all road users. 3) As above.

Planning Application - The Hollow

Really good meeting this evening with residents from Cotswold View and The Hollow discussing the latest planning application that has been submitted for 20 properties on the land below The Bath City Farm.

The previous application by Curo was withdrawn prior to a decision being made.

If you would like to make a comment on this application it can be found here.

We will be keeping you updated on the progress of this application, if however, you would like to discuss this with us, please get in touch.

Resident Survey - Update

Following our recent residents survey along Kelston View, one of the issues raised was the loss of the fencing along a stretch of The City Farm that has posed a safety concern.

Councillor Tim Ball and Sarah Moore
by the newly erected fence

We are pleased to see that The City Farm have now replaced this stretch of fencing making this footpath safer again.

We will continue to pursue the other issues that have been raised with us and hope to provide further updates over the coming days and weeks.

If you would like to complete our survey an on-line copy can be found here.

If you have any issues or concerns, please do get in touch.

Tea 'n' Toast = Twerton Village Hall

Held every Monday between 9.30am and 11.30am, why not pop along to Twerton Village Hall and enjoy Tea 'n' Toast.

Hot and Cold drinks, as well as Toast and biscuits are available and kids can go along and play.  It's a great chance to have a chat and meet with other residents in the area.

Donations of £2 are requested to help with the cost of the hall and a weekly prize draw is also held, with tickets just 20p.

For more information, call Tracy on 01225 344733.

Extra recycling collections this Saturday, 4 July

Bath & North East Somerset Council is putting on extra recycling collections tomorrow (Saturday 4 July) as it catches up with delays to the service caused by the exceptional heat.

While the Council’s Waste Management Team works to return collections to normal, residents are requested to leave their recycling out and are being reassured it will be collected as soon as possible.

On Wednesday this week, the Council announced that circuit boards in the compactors of the waste collection trucks were overheating as a result of soaring temperatures on the hottest July day on record.  This resulted in a reduction in the number of vehicles available to the Waste Management Service.

Bath & North East Somerset Council responded quickly by hiring in extra vehicles and has made modifications to its fleet to counteract the impact of the high temperatures. As a result of this swift action, collection crews were able to catch up with the Wednesday backlog by the end of Thursday.

The crews are working hard to keep on top of the collections and are staying out on the roads until later today to ensure that all general waste is collected. They will also be making additional recycling collections on Saturday to ensure they are back on track. If your recycling has not yet been collected then please leave it out. Collections may be made earlier or later than usual.

The Hollow - Planning Application submitted

As you may be aware a planning application that was submitted in 2008 to erect 30 properties on the land between The City Farm and Cotswold View was withdrawn due to public pressure.

We are aware that a new application has now been submitted to erect 20 properties on this area of land.

The full application can be viewed on the BANES Website here and comments can be made up until 30th July 2015.

We will be requesting that this matter is determined by BANES development committee when due for consideration.  We successfully opposed the 2008 application that was withdrawn by Curo due to widespread public opposition and difficulties with funding.

The Curo application was far superior to the current application, so therefore we believe that this application will also be rejected.

This land has been secured as important hillside, valuable open space and a recreational area in the emerging placemaking plan following a submission  by Councillor Tim Ball earlier this year.