Campaign to sell transport shake-up begins

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Council chiefs today began a battle to win over hearts and minds for a package of transport projects aimed at cutting congestion.

A three-day exhibition aims to persuade people of the merits of new park and ride sites and a rapid bus transit scheme.

Bath and North East Somerset Council hopes that the display in the Guildhall will reassure people in the city about the impact of the Bath Transportation Package, which could cost £58 million.

Authority leader Cllr Francine Haeberling said she wanted residents to work with the council rather than against it. And she said that she had received letters from people urging her to "get on with" schemes such as a new park and ride site at Bathampton and a segregated bus system through Newbridge.

 There is opposition to both plans as well as to the expansion of Newbridge park and ride.

Residents in Bathampton will stage a demonstration outside the Guildhall on Saturday at 2pm in protest at the 1,400-space park and ride scheme for Bathampton Meadows.

But Cllr Haeberling (Con, Saltford) said: "It would be helpful if people worked with us to say what they want rather than just saying no. "I am getting people writing in and saying 'get on with it, we want it.'"

The council is relying on around £54 million of Government funding for the work, which also includes new bus lanes. It says that money could be lost if the plans are changed, and it argues that the route of the controversial Bus Rapid Transit scheme - including a former railway line between Brassmill Lane and the Western Riverside - has been earmarked for more than eight years. It is proposing to submit the schemes together in a planning application before the end of the year.

Council transport cabinet member Cllr Charles Gerrish (Con, Keynsham) said: "It's time to give people the full facts so that all residents can see it as a whole. "This will benefit the whole district. "Doing nothing is not an option - we need to take action to address this. "Hopefully the information at the exhibition will dismiss some of the myths that are being spread about."

The council says congestion caused partly by the 27,000 people who drive in and out of the city to work each day already costs the area £50 million a year. It says a projected 19 per cent increase in population and 26 per cent growth in jobs will aggravate the situation to crisis point in the next two decades. It wants to make a start on the first work in 2010, with completion by 2012.

Cllr Gerrish said the possibility of the planning application being called in for a public inquiry by ministers had been factored in to the timescale.

The exhibition launched today runs from 10am to 6pm tomorrow and from 9.30am to 5pm on Saturday.

Full details are on the website www.bathnes.gov.uk/stopgridlock

Read this article on the Bath Chronicle website.