21 September 2008

PUBLIC MEETINGS: COME AND HAVE YOUR SAY ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT FOR YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD!


The next PACT meeting for the London Road community will take place on Tuesday 23 September from 6.30pm.

Somer Housing’s proposed scheme for Longacre is still top of the agenda. There is mysteriously no publicity for this meeting and we are also told that no Somer representative will be present to discuss concerns from the Police, residents and local businesses alike because Somer have nothing to say at this stage! But there is still plenty to talk about… Come and make your voice heard with us!

Others issues and challenges for the London Road community will also be debated at this meeting. Everything from drug dealing and crime (two recent murders), pollution (the London Rd is the 3rd most polluted street in Britain!), road safety (3 serious accidents at Kensington in one year!), right down to: why has the Council taken away most of the litter bins along the London Road? Why are road works on London Road taking place at night not to inconvenience traffic, but at the expense of residents?...

Also some of you will have heard of the controversial BUS RAPID TRANSIT (BRT) proposals. This could involve the removal of front gardens, trees and green spaces outside Grosvenor and Kensington on the London Road, all to give space for a 24 hours bus route which will also involve no parking and no loading and unloading, possibly along the total length of the London Road!

Please note that the venue for the PACT meeting will be the Christian Centre at the bottom of Snow Hill (off London Road) and not the Riverside & Youth Community Centre.

Two additional meetings are also worth mentioning as each one will deal with the future of our community:

- The Council’s overview and scrutiny panel will be discussing the BUS RAPID TRANSIT scheme on Thursday 25th September at 10.00am at the Guildhall. Don Foster, MP for Bath is to speak at the meeting. Calling the council officials to re examine the plans for the BRT, Mr. Foster said “I am not convinced that adequate research has been carried out into alternatives. The consultation document is extremely unconvincing and confusing.” Anyone can attend or ask to speak. Click HERE for more details.

- The next meeting of the Better Bath Forum (Click HERE to access the forum website) will take place on Monday 13 October 2008 from 6.00pm (Venue: St Michael's Church, Broad St, Bath BA1 5LJ). The Better Bath initiative is to give opportunity to everyone to give their opinion about how Bath should be. The next meeting of October will specifically focus on transforming the public spaces in Bath, how to manage the way people & vehicles get around the city, maintenance of the streets… These are important issues for the future of the London Road which so far sadly has always been sacrificed for the sole convenience of access to central Bath!

Make local democracy work! Make your voice heard! It is time the London Road deserves better!