The Community Clear-up on 15th March was cancelled because of a poor weather forecast, but a few members attended anyway, continuing clearance work on the path down to Park Street. They managed to cut, sweep and bag-up 51 sacks, as the photo shows, but there’s still plenty to do, so we’re going to meet again next Sunday, 22nd March, opposite 7 Lansdown Place West - CANCELLED. All welcome (and bring hand sanitiser, as well as sturdy footwear and strong gloves!).
LCA Coronavirus Community Guidance
North Somerset Planning Authority refuses application to expand Bristol Airport
Please click here to read the BBC report on the planning rejection
Please click here to read the letter written on behalf of LCA and FoBRA to Wera Hobhouse MP, expressing opposition to Bristol Airport’s expansion plans
And here’s the response from Wera Hothouse MP:
Dear Dr Bishop,
Many thanks for your letter, sharing the concerns of the Lansdown Crescent Association about the proposals to expand Bristol Airport.
As you may be aware, North Somerset Council recently made the decision to reject the planning application for the Airport's expansion. Given the urgency of the climate emergency, I very much believe that this was the right decision and include a link to my comments on it here: werahobhouse.co.uk/rejection_of_bristol_airport_expansion
You raised the very important point in your letter that the plans did not include sufficient infrastructure for public transport to reach the airport, instead including an additional 2,100 extra parking spaces. If the Airport is serious about reducing its carbon emissions, then it should be encouraging use of public transport, rather than private car.
A number of constituents have raised concerns over noise pollution from aircrafts, and I understand their frustrations, particularly when noise is late at night or especially disruptive. I have previously contacted the Airport so that they are aware of these concerns.
I recognise that flying is a part of life in a global world, however, the scale of the climate crisis means that we have a moral duty not to expand an industry that contributes to it. Innovation will play a key role in addressing the climate crisis, and aviation is no exception. Whereas the transition to electric vehicles is helping to reduce the impact of car travel on the environment, we do not yet have an alternative to jet fuel, and I believe we should support the aviation industry in the development of new fuels and, if necessary, new designs of planes.
However, while these technologies have not yet been developed, the aviation industry cannot be allowed to expand above its current size. In our manifesto, my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I put forward a number of suggestions for reducing the climate impact of flying, including reform the taxation of international flights and placing a moratorium on the development of new runways in the UK. I believe that the climate emergency is the biggest challenge that currently faces us and, with this in mind, I welcome the decision to reject expansion of Bristol Airport.
Please pass on my thanks to the rest of the Lansdown Crescent Association for getting in touch to share their concerns, and I hope that this response helps to clarify my position. If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
With best wishes,
Wera Hobhouse
Liberal Democrat MP for Bath
01225 307024
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods - LCA Report
On 28th January 2020, two of our Committee members, Robin Kerr (Chair) and Rachael Hushon (Recycling and Rubbish, FOBRA and Neighbourhood Watch) attended a meeting at the Guildhall .
Here is their report
Bill and Ben set to return soon
Our friendly rams, Bill and Ben, will soon return to the field for a well-earned rest, once the grass has grown sufficiently.
Consultation – LCA Response - November 2019
The council are undergoing the final stage of consultation for the clean air zone for Bath. This proposal has implications for Lansdown Crescent.
The council are proposing to introduce a class C CAZ with a traffic light intervention at Queen Square - traffic lights which sense NO2 levels at Gay street and subsequently control flows in and out of Queen Square. The unfortunate consequence of this option is that there is predicted to be displacement of traffic along Marlborough buildings and Cavendish road. Page 13 of the consultation leaflet (see link) details the displacement they expect: https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/bath-breathes-2021-overview
LCA are concerned that this will further increase rat-running along our Crescent, as much of Cavendish Road’s traffic impacts on Lansdown Crescent. We have worked with Cavendish Road, Cavendish Crescent and Saint James’s Square Associations and asked the Council to put in place measures to mitigate this displacement and hinder rat running in our area and along our Crescent.
LCA supports the CAZ. If the Class C CAZ doesn’t meet targets for environmental compliance then we shall support the Council in a switch to a Class D CAZ. We urge you to voice your concerns about the Queen Square intervention and the impact on Lansdown Crescent, by participating in the questionnaire https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ZJB7CHT.
Lastly, we shall be organising a meeting in the coming weeks to discuss how we can cut rat running on our Crescent (See below).
Clean Air Zone Consultation LCA Response - Meeting at St Stephen’s Church Foyer
- 7pm to 8pm, Friday 8th November 2019
The Council’s consultation for the Clean Air Charging zone for Bath has now finished. We await the results to be published soon.
Our Chairman, Robin Kerr, with Nick Bishop and Rachael Hushon participated in several meetings with the Councillors in charge of the introduction of the scheme as well as our Ward Councillors to ensure that the implications for Lansdown Crescent area were properly considered and any negative impacts were mitigated.
Most importantly for our area are the possible displacement effects which the traffic interventions at Queen Square are predicted to create via Cavendish Road (this is on top of the current rat running we already experience).
The Council are keen to help us protect Lansdown Crescent’s residential and tranquil nature (particularly given its special mention in Bath’s World Heritage Status) and are open to our becoming a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) akin to the Royal Crescent. This would mean we would protect our Crescent and it would no longer be used as a rat run for speeding cars or a cut through for Coaches en route to the Royal Crescent; but LTNs have only one vehicle entrance.
In conjunction with our discussions, residents from St James Square, Cavendish Crescent, Sion Hill and Cavendish Road are also seeking ways to reduce the speedy and unsafe rat running on Cavendish Road whilst hoping to get low emission hopper buses introduced to serve Bath Spa Campus and local residents up to Sion Hill. We want to support them in this initiative.
We invite you to attend a meeting to discuss the issues. If however you can’t make the date detailed above please don’t hesitate to email or phone. For the purposes of collating feedback contact Rachael at (Rachael Hushon | Email) or on 07917 323442.
BBC reports on Clean Air Zone
Lorries on Pavements
We’d like to remind all residents to ensure that, whilst undertaking building work on their properties, they should ensure that trades people observe parking regulations. Recently we’ve had delivery and construction vehicles mounting the pavement on the Crescent and at Lansdown Place East (see picture) . This is illegal, is a danger to pedestrians and risks damaging both the pennant stone pavement; and, more worryingly, is a risk to the vaults below the pavement. Our committee will pass on photographs of any offending vehicles to parking enforcement and to our Councillors.
Width Restrictions
After a lot of negotiation with our council and councillors, we are pleased to report that our area is now subject to a width restriction. You may have noticed the signs, the last of which was put up on Friday 3 January. The effect of this will be to restrict entry to Lansdown Place East and West, and therefore the Crescent and Upper Lansdown Mews, to vehicles narrower than 2m (6’ 6”) other than for access. So no more tourist buses or lorries taking short cuts! Any such vehicle that disobeys these signs will have breached a traffic regulation order so will be liable to a fine
Scaffolding at rear of 8LC
Dear Resident
We are carrying out refurbishment work on 8 lansdown crescent, we will be having scaffolding put up on the rear of the building on Tuesday 4th feb, this will mean blocking upper lansdown mews out side the rear of the double gates which access 7 lansdown crescent, we will put signs up at each entrance to upper lansdown mews to warn people of this on the day.
On Wednesday 5th feb we will have the scaffolders working on the front part of building. We will suspend two parking bays outside number 8 to avoid them blocking any traffic.
We appreciate your patience while we carry out these works.
Josh - Foreman in charge of site works
