Priorities
Every year at the AGM, CARA members identify and vote for the top three issues to prioritise in the coming year. The CARA committee undertake to act on these issues throughout the year.
Progress to report on these issues will be updated here continually throughout the year.
Details of CARA work on previous Priority Issues can be found in our Archive
PRIORITY ISSUES 2020-21
At the CARA AGM on 9th July 2020, no decision was made to change the current priorities for the next year.
Those priorities, therefore, remain:
Traffic Management, Parking, The Circus lawn (care and maintenance) and Public Realm.
Traffic Management: Buses in the Circus
On Wednesday 6th May between 7am and 8am. B&NES Council (B&NES) is testing a two-way bus route in Broad Street. This will necessitate some buses entering The Circus area during the test (rather than going up to Lansdown P&R to turn around) We are told that there is no intention that it will be a permanent route, but only on Wednesday to facilitate the test. CARA's Committee has agreed to the test on this basis and also requested (again) that the yellow boxes should be repainted at the George Street junctions with Broad Street and Gay Street, to ensure better traffic flows and thereby reduce pollution.
More Resident Parking Places secured
CARA recently secured additional parking spaces in the CARA area which introduced ‘Central Permit Holder Only’ bays in The Circus across the whole of the West terrace (adding 9 more spaces). These will operate Monday to Saturday between 8.00 am and 7.00 pm. We continue to argue the case for more ‘Resident Permit Parking’ spaces to ensure that residents are not disadvantaged relative to other resident zones.
Did you know? In addition to parking in all on-street resident parking bays and all on-street pay & display bays within the Central Parking Zone, Central resident permit holders are also permitted to park in Charlotte Street Car Park between the hours 5.30 pm to 10.00 am free of charge.
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods for Bath - An Expert Briefing
On Tuesday 28th of January, Councillor Clyde Loakes gave a talk to a packed audience at the Guildhall on the transformative work on transport that he spearheaded in his London Borough, Waltham Forest. He has succeeded in transforming their transport system, encouraging a transition from busy commuter driving to a low traffic area, highlighting public transport, walking and cycling.
Click here to read the full report
transcribed by Rachel Hushon, Chair-elect, Lansdown Crescent Residents Association
Ward Councillor Empowerment Fund (WCEF)
CARA Bulletin 046 - 10 November 2019
Ward Councillors across Bath and North East Somerset are to be allocated £2000 each to support projects that help improve the lives of residents in their local community. Schemes such as planting trees, organising community litter picks, improving village hall facilities or even community events could benefit from some of the £118,000 set aside in the WCEF.
Projects must meet at least one of the council’s priorities:
• address the climate emergency
• deliver for local residents
• focus on prevention
• give people a bigger say
Do you have a project or idea that you believe CARA could apply for funding towards?
If so, e-mail Richard Brown on mailbox@rbrown.co.uk with fuller details.
A LOW TRAFFIC NEIGHBOURHOOD
CARA Bulletin 045 - 30th October 2019
CARA is seeking members’ views on your appetite for the introduction of a Low Traffic Neighbourhood in the CARA catchment area. Members will be aware of B&NES Council's plans for the implementation of a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) within a significant area of central Bath (https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/latestnews/final-consultation-bath’s-clean-air-zone). The CARA catchment area is included within the designated proposed CAZ and, as part of the CAZ public consultation process, CARA has responded to the Council's detailed proposals with our own observations.
We are told that, over time, the Council will give on-going consideration to additional methods and approaches to further improve the air quality and general traffic management in Bath. Indeed, the Council has an appetite, as evidenced by a number of its recent declarations, to be receptive to 'overtures' that may assist. It is keen to achieve its legally obligatory targets (in terms of air quality improvement) and to support initiatives which might more generally improve the 'environmental condition' in Bath, especially for residents.
There are, of course, no guarantees that our Council would accept any specific method or mechanism to enhance our neighbourhood’s environment but we have been encouraged not to ignore opportunities to initiate improvements.
One solution – a Low Traffic Neighbourhood
One route to significantly enhancing local air quality and traffic management relates to the introduction of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN) within appropriate catchment areas. An LTN, already successfully introduced in some areas of the country, may be defined as:
“Groups of residential streets, bordered by main or distributor roads (the places where buses, lorries, non-local traffic should be) where ‘through’ motor vehicle traffic is discouraged or removed. There are lots of ways you can make a low traffic neighbourhood but the main principle is that every resident can drive onto their street, get deliveries etc but it is harder or impossible to drive straight through from one main road to the next”.
In respect of CARA, an LTN would encompass all of the roads within the CARA catchment area i.e. the area bordered by George Street, Lansdown Road, Julian Road and Crescent Lane.
CARA is aware that at least three other Bath residents associations are assessing the merits of introducing LTNs into their own catchment areas to enhance air quality and traffic management issues over and above any improvements which may result from the Council's implementation of its CAZ policy, scheduled to be implemented no later than 2021.
The Council is so supportive of LTNs that it has arranged a public meeting on 29th January with a keynote speaker who has successfully introduced an LTN within his Council area. More details in January.
Website: www.carabath.com E-mail: carabath@hotmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/carainbath/
What are the benefits of an LTN to CARA members and other local residents?
CARA’s Committee sees a number of benefits. We believe that the most important are that an LTN would:
• Reduce traffic volumes materially improving the ‘offer’ to residents and their visitors. Specifically, to eliminate rat-running vehicles and destination drivers seeking vacant parking spaces.
• Facilitate B&NES Council’s efforts to reduce air pollution benefitting LTN residents.
• Significantly increase resident-only parking on our streets.
• Encourage ‘active’ modes of transport such as walking and cycling.
How would we consider an LTN?
The CARA Committee would commence a review to assess, in some detail, the feasibility of introducing, at some future stage, an LTN into the CARA catchment area.
Certainly, for such a feasibility study to be worthwhile, it would involve a number of interested and active committee members spending a not insignificant amount of time and resource in such a project. Such a review undertaken correctly with, for example, appropriate consultation with all interested 'stakeholders' (including through ‘consultative workshops’) is likely to take at least a number of months, as a minimum timescale.
Additionally, on appropriate occasions, involvement of at least representatives of our immediate neighbouring residents' associations and maybe others will also be important in order to effectively manage any 'collateral' impact that an LTN might have on their own catchment areas.
Your questions about access and egress locations, methods of control, traffic management and funding the LTN are all valid. The Council has its own specific views on these points. We will work with our local Councillors and the relevant experienced Council Officers to achieve the optimum solution for all residents in our CARA catchment.
Have your say, please
The CARA Committee, by way of this Bulletin, seeks your opinion whether there exists an appetite for us to commence a review to assess the feasibility of introducing, at some future stage, an LTN into the CARA catchment area. Please kindly respond to one of the two options below:-
Option
1. Yes, I believe that it would be worthwhile to undertake a study to assess the feasibility of introducing a Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme within the CARA catchment area and am, in principle, in support of the concept.
2. No, I do not believe it would be worthwhile to undertake a study to assess the feasibility of introducing a Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme within the CARA catchment area and do not support the concept.
Please respond by 21st November by e-mail to Richard Brown of CARA on mailbox@rbrown.co.uk • Indicate your preference for Option 1 or Option 2. • Share any other comments, questions or suggestions that occur to you about a CARA LTN.
UPDATE on Parking and Traffic Management
20.08.19
In the CARA Bulletin dated 6 August, we advised that B&NES Council has given notice that it intends to introduce ‘No Parking at any time’, governed by double-yellow lines, on halfof the ‘inner’ ring of The Circus (between no.2 and no.15).
This proposal came as a surprise to CARA and we therefore sought comment from our members on their view of the proposal. We thank all those who have responded, either directly to B&NES and/or to the CARA Committee.
It is apparent that, whilst many people favour restrictions on non-residents parking in the ‘inner’ ring of The Circus, there is clear concern that the proposal will lead to a loss of valuable residents’parking spaces. As a result of members’ feedback, CARA has adjusted its response to:
“CARA objectsto the proposal to introduce ‘No Parking at any time’ in halfof the inner part of The Circus (from no.2 to no.15). This reflects our view that the proposal will lead to:
1. No material reduction in ‘destination’ parking traffic in The Circus area.
2. No material improvement in air quality.
3. A loss to residents of c.15 car parking spaces for use on weekday evenings/Sundays.
4. No material improvement in the ambience/heritage views in and across The Circus.
However, CARA does support B&NES Council in its initiative to address parking in The Circus by recommending the removal of the Sunday parking exemption in The Circus. This would mean that parking in ALL of the inner Circus would be prohibited from 8.00 am – 7.00 pm i.e. the same as Monday – Saturday. CARA believes that this would have the following benefits:
1. Parking provision for residents (and, in turn, non-residents) would remain permitted in the evenings/nights i.e. from 7.00 pm to 8.00 am. However, no parking would be permitted during the day. This would be very clear to all motorists. If possible, the overnight parking should be for Residents only.
2. There would be a material improvement in the ambience/heritage views in and across The Circus on a Sunday. Currently, The Circus – one of Bath’s premier architectural assets – resembles a car park on a Sunday. The removal of car parking on a Sunday would allow residents/non-residents/tourists to better appreciate the views across The Circus.
CARA further believes that this recommendation should form part of a broader traffic management package in The Circus area, which could include a Low Traffic Neighbourhood.”
UPDATE on Parking and Traffic Management
06.08.19
B&NES Council has given notice that it intends to introduce ‘No Parking at any time’, governed by double-yellow lines, on half of the ‘inner’ ring of The Circus (between no.2 and no.15). For further detail of the proposal, please visit:
https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/streets-and-highway-maintenance/roadworks/permanent-traffic-order-notices/19-006-various.
CARA is supportive of plans to restrict parking in the ‘inner’ ring as it will help to:
1. Reduce traffic volumes, particularly on a Sunday, from non-residents using our residential area for free parking.
2. Reduce air pollution. Once non-residents understand that our residential area is not a source of free parking, there should be less traffic that circulates looking for parking spaces.
3. Reduce late night noise from revelers who park for free, returning to their cars late into the evening or very early the next day, after with some of their party alcohol-fuelled, often shouting, slamming car doors, accelerating away, waking residents, especially children or the elderly, who then find it hard to return to sleep.
4. Reduce parking congestion. Given the expected lower level of non-resident traffic, there should be less competition to residents for on-street parking spaces.
However, CARA supports a full parking prohibition, rather than the ‘half’ currently proposed by B&NES, as even limited parking availability will serve as a ‘destination’ parking option for non-residents.
What is your view? If you would like to comment on the proposal, either:
Write to B&NES Council, or e-mail transportation@bathnes.gov.uk.
Please respond by August 22nd and quote the reference 19-006.
E-mail Richard Brown of CARA on mailbox@rbrown.co.uk.
CARA will respond to the proposal but would like to know what you think so that we can best represent the views of our members. Please respond by August 16th.
Did you know...? In addition to parking in all on-street resident parking bays and all on-street pay & display bays within the central parking zone, Central resident permit holders are also permitted to park in Charlotte Street Car Park between the hours 5.30 pm to 10.00 am free of charge.