Lucklands Road pavement

I have asked the council to inspect the surface of the pavement on Lucklands Road as a number of residents have complained that the surface makes it difficult to push buggies up there and it's also dangerous for those with impaired mobility.

Cleaning up the Rec

I have asked the council to remove the fly-tipped mattress and garden waste that has been left by one of the entrances into the Rec from Southlands.

I have also requested that the dog mess is cleared up from around the entrance to the children's playground.

Moss

I have asked the council to send someone to clear the moss from the pavement on Beresford Gardens - as you can see from the photograph, it's quite unsightly, and when it rains, it will become slippery.

Grit bins

I have requested that the grit bins on The Weal and Purlewent Drive be re-stocked.

If you notice any grit bins that are empty, please e-mail councilconnect@bathnes.gov.uk or call 01225 394041

More information on Council Connect can be found here: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/contactus/Pages/councilconnect.aspx

Weston Lib Dem Surgery - Saturday 15th January

Michelle will be at Pinicchio's Day Nursery on Saturday morning from 10am-12pm.

No appointment is necessary - just come along and have a cuppa!

Changes to bus timetables in Weston

There have been a few changes to a couple of the routes that run though Weston from January:

The no 14 bus, operated by Faresaver, now has a revised Monday-Friday timetable. Details can be found here:

http://www.faresaver.co.uk/timetables.php

The no 17 service, operated by First, has had some changes to the Sunday and Bank Holiday services to improve punctuality. Details of these changes can be found here:

http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/southwest/bristol/timetables/timetable.php?day=3&source_id=2&service=17&routeid=1798001&operator=3&source=sp

Next PACT Meeting

The next Weston and Newbridge PACT meeting is to be held on 8th February 2011 at St John's Hospital, Combe Park at 7pm.

If you have something to say about what goes on in our community then why not go along and have your say and help shape the priorities for action for the community as a whole.

The last Weston and Newbridge PACT meeting that was held at WASPS produced the following priorities.


Agreed 5th October 2010

1. Speeding vehicles on Lansdown Lane
2. Vehicles contravening the ‘One way’ system and inappropriate parking on High
3. Anti-social behaviour on High Street, Weston

Happy New Year

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone in Weston a happy and healthy 2011.

I will be continuing to work hard in Weston in the coming months, and I will be calling on residents over the next few weeks to find out more about any problems or concerns that they may have.

Have a great year!

Michelle

PACT meeting minutes

The minutes of the Newbridge and Weston PACT meeting (Partners and Communities Together) held on 8th June are now available.
You can read them at http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/information/documents/cache/PDF/Document4738_229556.pdf

Advice Surgery

New in Weston from July is a monthly advice surgery. Terry and Michelle will be at the Scout Hut (Pinocchio's Day Nursery) on the High Street on the third Saturday of every month. These advice surgeries are open to any residents of Weston who wish to obtain information and advice, make a complaint or enquire about any of the services that the Council provides.

You don't need to make an appointment to attend these surgeries - just turn up on the day. The first surgery will be held on Saturday 17th July at 10.30am.

The Weston 2010 Open Garden Event

The 2010 Open Garden Event will be held on Sunday 13 June from 1.00pm to 5.00pm
Entrance £5 on the day (£4 in advance)
Entrance Tickets are on sale at Kit Johnson & Weston Fruit Stores, High Street Weston. On the day Entrance Tickets can be bought at the All Saints Centre & at any of the Gardens.
THE GARDENS
Apthorp Weston Road - Lunches & Teas
94 Broadmoor Lane - Teas
21 Brookfield Park
15 Combe Park
39 Combe Park - Teas
119 High Street
2 Harcourt Gardens
19 Harcourt Gardens - Teas
33 Lucklands Road - Ice Creams & lollies
24 Vernslade
Weston Lawn Lucklands Road - Teas
Also at Apthorp - Ploughman's Lunches from 12.30pm, Jazz Singing at 2.00pm & 3.30pm,
Weston Village Gardening Club Stand and Club Plant Sale.

You can find out more about the Weston Village Gardening Club at their excellent website www.westonvillagegardeningclub.co.uk

Next PACT meeting Tuesday 8th June

The next PACT meeting (Partners and Communities Together) will be held at 7.00pm at the Weston Methodist Church, Kennington Road, Lower Weston.

PACT gives you the opportunity to influence what happens in your neighbourhood. It is a mechanism whereby neighbourhood issues, identified through local meetings, are taken to a partnership panel, where courses of action are agreed.

Current public priorities agreed 9th February 2010

1. Traffic management issues - Traffic speeds on approach to pedestrian crossing, lack of signage advising of elder pedestrians, consideration of 20 mph “Hospital Zone” limit – Combe Park.

2. Traffic Management Issues - Traffic speeds on approach to pedestrian crossing, and in the one way road system along with general pedestrian safety - High Street, Weston.

3. Traffic management issues - abuse of double yellow lines either side of entrance to “Tesco” car park and of disabled bay – High Street, Weston.

You can find out more about the PACT Weston beat at www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/LocalPages/BeatDetails.aspx?BeatID=13

A personal note from Don on the coalition

"Taking the decision to work with the Conservatives was not easy. I have fought against them for my entire political career. Nonetheless, when it was explained to the parliamentary party the deal we had been offered, not one of us felt able to turn it down.

I fought this election on Liberal Democrat policies: fairer taxes helping lower and middle-income earners; extra investment in schools; a new green, sustainable economy; and reform of the political system, including an elected upper house.

All these policies, and many more, are included in the coalition agreement we have signed with the Conservatives. After well over half a century outside of government, Lib Dem policies are now going to be implemented. We have seats around the cabinet table and real power.

Of course, we have had to compromise on some of our manifesto points, and in some areas we will still be able to oppose proposals in parliament. For example, we will still be arguing that we do not need the like-for-like replacement of Trident.

The Lib Dems have long argued for proportional representation, which would regularly lead to coalition government. At this election our discredited system has provided us with a hung parliament. We could have walked away and refused the compromise, but this would have weakened our position on proportional representation for future elections. Proving that coalition government can be strong, stable government will prove to sceptics that this can be done, and that coalition governments in the future are nothing to be afraid of. The alternative would have been a Tory minority government. A deal with Labour simply wasn’t on the table.

Finally, I know despite this that many of you might be uneasy about doing a deal with the Conservatives. I fully understand your point of view. I hope that, like me, you are able to conclude that we have done what is right for the country, but also that we now have the issues and principles we have fought for many years for actually being carried out in government".

You can read the full coalition agreement at www.libdems.org.uk

Planning applications registered in March & April

App Ref: 10/01280/FUL
Registered: 19th March 2010
Expiry Date: 14th May 2010
Location: 80 Brookfield Park Upper Weston Bath BA1 4JJ
Proposal: Conversion and extension of existing dwelling to provide a block of 4 apartments (Resubmission).

App Ref: 10/01133/FUL
Registered: 26th March 2010
Expiry Date: 21st May 2010
Location: 3 Duncan Gardens Upper Weston Bath BA1 4NQ
Proposal: Enlargement of existing dormer to rear of roof.

App Ref: 10/01365/REN
Registered: 30th March 2010
Expiry Date: 25th May 2010
Location: 158 Southlands Upper Weston Bath BA1 4EB
Proposal: Renewal of application 07/00664/FUL (Erection of a two storey side extension after demolition of existing store)

App Ref: 10/01641/FUL
Registered: 14th April 2010
Expiry Date: 9th June 2010
Location: 8 Purlewent Drive Upper Weston Bath BA1 4AZ
Proposal: Provision of a rear balcony and a pitched tiled roof over existing two storey side extension to replace existing flat roof

App Ref: 10/01560/FUL
Registered: 15th April 2010
Expiry Date: 10th June 2010
Location: 3 Broadmoor Vale Upper Weston Bath BA1 4LP
Proposal: Erection of a two storey rear extension

App Ref: 10/01734/FUL
Registered: 26th April 2010
Expiry Date: 21st June 2010
Location: 12 Cranwells Park Lower Weston Bath BA1 2YD
Proposal: Erection of a two storey side extension incorporating a garage following demolition of existing single storey side extension.

App Ref: 10/01775/FUL
Registered: 4th May 2010
Expiry Date: 29th June 2010
Location: 17 Purlewent Drive Upper Weston Bath BA1 4AZ
Proposal: Erection of first floor rear and side extension.

Details of all these planning applications can be found online at www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathNES/environmentandplanning/planning/planningapplications/default.htm

Weston post office consultation begins

Consultation on the long-term future of Weston post office begins today for 6 weeks, finishing on 22nd June.

Post Office Ltd is proposing a move to a new site in Weston, alongside the current Premier Stores at the other end of Weston High Street to the current branch.

Bath MP Don Foster said, “It is great news for Weston that Post Office Ltd has found a new site at the heart of the village to guarantee the long-term future of the branch. The post office is an important part of the local community. I know that local traders in Weston have suffered since the post office closed, and they will want the new branch open as soon as possible.”

This is a positive step forward for Weston, the long-term future of the post office is key for this area.
Maintaining the service in the heart of the village is crucial, and I hope that residents will support this proposal and that the service is able to open as soon as possible.

Secondary school consultation - public meeting dates set

The dates for the public meetings, which form part of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Secondary school consultation, have now been set.

The meetings form part of the wider consultation where parents, teachers and pupils have the chance to have their say on proposals outlined in Bath and North East Somerset Council’s Secondary Review.

Dates for public meetings are as follows:

Keynsham
Tuesday 11 May, Wellsway School, 7pm
Tuesday 18 May, Broadlands School, 7pm
Wednesday 26 May, St Keyna Primary School, 7pm

Bath
Tuesday 12 May, St Mark's C of E school, 7pm
Wednesday 19 May, Oldfield School, 7pm
Thursday 20 May, Culverhay School, 7pm
Tuesday 25 May, Guildhall, Brunswick Room, 7pm

Timescale
Consultation – began on 31 March 2010 and will end 28 May 2010

Decision on proposals – Cabinet will make a decision on the proposal on 21July 2010.

How to give feedback on the proposals
Consultation booklets which give details of the proposals have been distributed to all schools and also to wider stakeholders in Bath and Keynsham and are available online.

Everyone with an interest in the education of our young people can comment on the proposals by email, letter or online. For more information visit www.bathnes.gov.uk and navigate to the School Consultation documents through the ‘have your say’ section on the homepage.

Overhanging trees in The Weal

Following recent doorstep conversations in The Weal some residents expressed concern about the trees overhanging the road, pavement and in some cases front gardens.
In the autumn gales some of these branches will fall and the consequences may be serious.

I shall be lobbying the Council to deal with this issue and remove branches which they consider dangerous or potentially dangerous.

As far as I know the trees are not Council property but the Council does have a duty of care towards persons and property using The Weal which is a public road.

Now we know what the Conservatives are up to in Eastfield Avenue – nothing

I have had a reply to my letter to Charles Gerrish (Conservative Cabinet Member for Customer Services) querying the inclusion of a statement in the Conservative newsletter that “A one-way system on Eastfield Avenue is being explored” (See my blog dated 20th March).

According to his latest letter, the Council “…..did not suggest that a one-way system had been indefinitely ruled out or that the Council was closed to the possibility….”
This is the oldest trick in the book – never say never, that way the Council can get away without doing anything but still pretend that they are exploring / considering / evaluating / thinking / investigating / etc, any particular subject.

In other words, the answer to the three possibilities a), b), or c) raised in my blog is:
c) Conservatives are being economical with the truth in their newsletter and have absolutely no intention of exploring the one-way system. They just want to sound as though they are doing something.

Pot holes in Lucklands Road

The Council is working it's way through the backlog of road repairs in Bath but I have now asked the Council to raise the priority of the work involved in repairing pot holes at the lower end of Lucklands Road, Weston.

This road has some of the worst examples of pot holes that I have seen in residential streets anywhere in the country. In fact, the whole of the surface at this end of the road is in a very poor state and needs urgent action now before it resembles a road from a third world country.

Sections of the road have been sprayed so presumably there is a plan to repair the road in due course but it is the priority which I am asking the Council to consider more closely.

I'm surprised that Weston's Conservative Councillors do not seem to have the clout to get this work prioritised.

Election well under way

The General Election is now well under way with Lib Dems out in force across all wards in Bath talking to residents on the doorstep, listening to their views and putting forward our Lib Dem proposals.
We have been out canvassing in Weston and will continue talking with residents right up to election day.

If you are able to help in any way - delivering leaflets, helping out at the Lib Dem office - you can contact me at terry_randall@btinternet.com or contact the Lib Dem office at www.bathlibdems.org.uk/pages/campaign or telephone 01225 316316.

You can read or download the Lib Dem manifesto at www.libdems.org.uk/our_manifesto.aspx

You can find out more about the election in Bath by visiting the Council's website www.bathnes.gov.uk/elections or telephone 01225 477333.

If you are eligible to vote but have not yet registered, you have until Tuesday 20th April to do so. Details on the Council's website.

You can also apply for a postal or proxy vote - the deadline is also Tuesday 20th April.

If you would like to help the Lib Dem effort by putting up a window poster or by having a stakeboard in your front garden, please let me know - terry_randall@btinternet.com, or telephone 01225 426149 or 07521 363046