B&NES Council’s ‘Soft’ Safety Measures are a Deadend for Taxpayers

The B&NES Green Group is calling on the council to take action in prioritising road safety interventions in its Liveable Neighbourhoods initiative. Road calming measures alone aren’t making streets safer or healthier as promised; instead, they’re costly and raise safety concerns. Taxpayers are being shortchanged with the current ‘soft’ approach.

In one of the 15 Liveable Neighbourhood schemes, located on Charmouth Rd and Lyme Road in Newbridge, a trial for a one-way system has been approved. However, this one-way loop fails to ensure the safety of families walking, wheeling, or cycling to access Newbridge Primary School, thus falling short of addressing the Climate Emergency and Vision Zero targets for 2030. Several local residents have contacted Green councillors, expressing that these schemes are causing increased harm and confusion, and that the council have not listened to them. Despite the Labour group’s pledge to review the functionality of these Liveable Neighbourhoods through a ‘call-in’, they too have failed to fulfil this promise and instead remained silent.

Another example is the Mount Road Liveable Neighbourhood scheme, where through-traffic restrictions haven’t been implemented. Instead, the focus has been on expensive traffic calming measures, like installing a raised zebra crossing in front of Roundhill Primary School. While a zebra crossing does enhance road safety to some extent, it doesn’t offer the same advantages as a through-traffic restriction. The minor benefits it provides to pedestrians, wheelchair users, and cyclists aren’t enough to encourage a shift away from car journeys. Moreover, these interventions come with a hefty price tag, usually amounting to several £100k.

The Former Bicycle Mayor of Bath, Cllr Saskia Heijtjes, expressed concern regarding the decisions made by Cabinet Member Cllr Manda Rigby:

“Addressing climate change and social equality go hand in hand, including in transport interventions. School Streets and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods can hit carbon emissions and Vision Zero targets affordably. 

“But it means B&NES must stick to the Liveable Neighbourhoods criteria, not just splurge on pricey zebra crossings and one-way systems. These don’t make streets safe or enable walking, wheeling, or cycling.”

Cllr Joel Hirst, Cabinet Project Lead for Liveable Neighbourhoods, responded that a School Streets on Charmouth Road would have taken too much time to “work up” – but long-term, sustainable infrastructure are never quick-fixes.

When Cllr Saskia Heijltjes questioned why certain proposed Liveable Neighbourhood schemes lacked through-traffic restrictions, Cllr Joel Hirst explained that the schemes were developed as part of a comprehensive business case. He further clarified that the schemes would be evaluated based on their overall eligibility for the £4.7 million funding from the City Regional Sustainable Transport (CRSTS) Fund through WECA.

B&NES council has secured just £736,000 in funding for their Liveable Neighbourhoods programme from WECA to date. However, the council heavily depends on the additional £4.7 million to finalise the Liveable Neighbourhood plans.

According to the council’s website, the full business case for the 15 Liveable Neighbourhood schemes was expected to be submitted to WECA by winter 2023/24. It remains unclear whether this submission has taken place. Additionally, details of several Liveable Neighbourhoods, including Entry Hill, Snow Hill, Oldfield Lane, Pulteney Estate, Morris Lane, and Bannerdown Road, have not been shared with the public or councillors.

During this week’s Children’s, Adults, Health, and Wellbeing Policy Development, and Scrutiny Panel, B&NES Green Group Leader, Cllr Joanna Wright, observed that the current state of our public highway infrastructure significantly impacts residents’ fitness and overall public health. She requested a Joint Task Force on School Streets, adding, 

“The present B&NES delivery of public highway infrastructure appears to be an expensive choice that fails to deliver on the council’s own criteria. The BathNES Green group has repeatedly asked for a Bath circulation plan so that all residents can be clear on the strategy of ensuring that those who have to use motor vehicles can do so and that no expensive designs are delivered in places where they might be either ripped out or not viable. It appears we have very good policy in place, but no strategy, that works with WECA or ensures safe streets for everyone”

Cllr Saskia Heijltjes concludes,

“The Journey to Net Zero transport plan by B&NES sets a target of achieving a 25% reduction in car journeys and car miles driven by 2030. However, it remains unclear whether any progress has been made toward this goal, and there are no indications that people are driving less for short journeys. The absence of concrete data is concerning, and it’s a matter the Green Group urges to be addressed promptly.

 “We find ourselves in 2024, with less than six years until we reach the crucial milestone of achieving net zero emissions within B&NES by 2030. It’s imperative that we allocate our limited funding wisely. We must invest in interventions that genuinely enhance safety and promote healthier streets,” she adds. “This strategic approach is essential if we aim to encourage people to opt for alternative modes of transportation for short journeys whenever possible.”