It's not dead it's just resting.

We are a little concerned that many people feel that the Bath Transportation Package is ‘dead in the water’ due to the Government’s recent announcements of financial cutbacks,……………this is NOT so.

The Government will complete a ‘Spending Review’ in October, and it is unlikely that any decision will be made before then on whether B&NES will succeed in qualifying for any Grant Money from the Department for Transport.

VeracityBath will continue to keep our council honest on this, however sometimes it can prove diffiicult -

• Despite continuously asserting from the beginning that all elements of the BTP are absolutely indivisible and interdependent, B&NES continue to make ambiguous and disingenuous statements on this matter. This principle has been reinforced as one result of our legal actions, however we cannot take our eye off the ball, particularly as the validation for the Eastern P&R, in terms of Green Belt planning requirements, is the BTP scheme as a whole.
• Despite being pressed for assurances that all BTP preparation spending will be suspended until the results of the Government spending review become clear, they state that they have “ ……. taken action to minimise the council’s exposure in these uncertain times”. Not what we’d call a satisfactorily transparent answer.
• Despite a summing-up statement from our legal action – “….. there was absolutely no prospect of the Council as applicant being in a position to deliver the Batheaston proposals other than as part of the BTP as a whole which depends upon public funding being secure for the whole from the DfT.” , B&NES now state that “…. your (VCB’s) assumption that the DfT represents the only potential source of funding for this project is flawed”.   Again, another example of their muddying of the waters. We intend to find out exactly what that means in terms of whom they are misleading here.
• Despite B&NES’ fine words regarding their responsibilities regarding Bath’s World Heritage status, and the impact that the BTP will have upon it, the silence has been deafening since we have started asking awkward questions.
• Despite the open-ended uncertainty, the Sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of hundreds of people regarding the Compulsory Purchase Orders on their properties, continues to threaten.

There is absolutely no question that there should be a public debate regarding Bath’s traffic infrastructure and planning.

Issues like air-quality, parking, bus services, HGV access, and all aspects of on and off road street management, are all subjects that should be addressed ……...............…. transparently and openly.

We urge all our supporters to approach their local Councillor(s) to ascertain the stance that they will take on the run-up to next year’s local election.

Not all Conservative Councillors support the BTP proposals, and perhaps not all LibDems are against – if these issues are important to you, perhaps you need to find out where your Councillor stands.

Compulsory Purchase Orders Public Inquiries postponed.

http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/Transport-package-inquiry-scrapped-Government-spending-crackdown/article-2292876-detail/article.html

CPO objectors have today been informed by the Inspector’s Programme Officer that the Pre-Inquiry scheduled to be held next Monday 14th June and the Public Inquiry set to be held on 1st September 2010 have both been postponed.

This obviously makes life very difficult for B&NES, as their schedule is now blown out of the water, and takes the whole affair into the run-up to the Local Election next May. ...........
Make of that what you will.


The full text of the message received is set out below -

“The Secretary of State for Transport has issued a Statement today, indicating that the Department for Transport (DfT) will play a full part in the Government's spending review, which is being undertaken in view of the urgent need to tackle the UK's record budget deficit. This spending review will be reporting in the Autumn and only once it has been completed will the DfT be in a position to identify those major investments that can be supported.



“Steps are therefore being taken to help avoid unnecessary expenditure, whilst the Government considers its transport priorities. The Statement makes it clear that Ministers will postpone decisions on scheme orders and public inquiries relating to schemes which require DfT funding, unless alternative funding sources are available. As the Bath Transportation Package requires DfT funding this means that the Public Inquiries, scheduled to commence on 1 September 2010, have today been postponed.


“In consequence, the Pre-Inquiry Meeting scheduled for Monday 14 June 2010 is also postponed.


“The Government will aim to provide a firm indication on the way forward later this year once the spending review is complete.”

You can help.

Many readers will be aware from Public Notices published in The Bath Chronicle, that B&NES Council has now made Supplementary Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) concerning land they require for the Bath Transportation Package (BTP).

The Programme Officer for the Inspector has advised as follows:

“The Supplementary CPOs are for the accommodation works, connected with the scheme, which should have been submitted under S240 of the Highways Act (temporary acquisition) but were in error included in the main (permanent) CPOs. The Council have said that they will accept any relevant objections made under the original CPOs as objections to the relevant Supplementary CPO."

These latest CPOs require any objections to be submitted to the Secretary of State by Friday 25th June 2010, which is after Monday 14th June - the date already scheduled for the Pre-Inquiry to be held.

This is an excellent opportunity for anyone who previously missed the chance to make their voices heard on the subject of the Transport Package CPO for the London Road bus lane, and most readers of this site will be aware that there are no shortage of very good reasons to object.

Objections should be in writing and mailed to:

The Secretary of State for Transport
Government Office for the North East
Local Authority Orders Section
Citygate
Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4WH

Our colleagues at http://www.newbridgematters.blogspot.com/ are encouraging people to attend this Pre-Inquiry and show the strength of feelings on this.

Wonderful support at our fundraiser ....... and what we're up to.

We would like to thank everybody for their magnificent support. 

Rest assured that we are continuing with the fight to stop B&NES' ill conceived Bath Transportation Package.

We mustn't assume the government will pull the plug on it, so keeping 'our' case in front of the relevant people is one of our main jobs at the moment ......... in other words, make it easy for them to throw it in the bin.

The daily spending of local tax-payers money by the council is a massive gamble on their part and totally irresponsible given the present financial situation.

£4m and rising.

Our other approaches are, as we have said before, lobbying the relevant authorities on the subject of our council's cavalier handling of Bath's World Heritage status. Please see previous postings.

Another subject that is becoming increasingly relevant is that of the Compulsory Purchase Orders.

The £6m spend on this is to be the subject of a Public Inquiry in September.

There is a Pre-Inquiry next week - please see

http://www.newbridgematters.blogspot.com/

for more info on that ......... plus please see our posting above.

We appreciate your support - don't stop - we won't get anywhere by staying quiet.