Our next Committee meeting will be taking place on Thursday 22nd September at 6.30pm at Widcombe Junior School.
Councillor Manda Rigby will be coming along to this special meeting to discuss the issues surrounding democratic representation in the City of Bath which many of our members have a keen interest in. We have had some interesting questions put forward which we will send to her. As previously agreed if you have additional questions on the evening Manda has offered to take those questions away and provide follow up answers if she doesn't have the full details to hand.
Because we will spend most of the evening discussing this issue we will keep agenda items to a strict time limit on this occasion. Therefore both our planning and traffic groups have prepared detailed reports (see attached) which should provide thorough updates, we will have some time if there are pressing questions relating to these. In addition updates for the two additional items discussed at the last meeting (the Entry Hill Bike park and the High Common/Approach Golf course) are attached. Both are at a stage where no further discussion should be required until more information becomes available.
Rachael
Chair
Entry Hill Update 22/09/22
It has been 18 months since the public announcement of BANES preferred bidder for the Entry Hill site - Pedal Progression and we are still waiting for the planning application to be submitted by BANES leisure department. The planning application is now expected to be submitted in November 2022 - with a pre-planning application imminent. A Freedom of Information request was submitted to BANES with reference to the Contaminated Ground Survey and Phase II Contamination Report which was carried out in 2021 on the Entry Hill site for Bath Bike Park. The request for this report has been denied by Bathnes leisure officers with reason stating the report is in draft form. The Entry Hill site is former unregulated landfill which we understand holds commercial, industrial and household waste. This is a concern for residents. The latest BANES public engagement results for Bath Bike Park from Spring 2022 have been published on Pedal Progression's website and the results conclude that the cafe, nature area and the walking/running trails will be the most supported leisure activities at the Bath mountain bike park. Through Freedom of Information we have received the funding breakdown of the mountain bike park project (accurate November 2021) which includes Pedal Progression's full financial contribution to this project and further funding that is required - I am happy to share this information with any interested parties.
Entry Hill Update 22/09/22 It has been 18 months since the public announcement of BANES preferred bidder for the Entry Hill site - Pedal Progression and we are still waiting for the planning application to be submitted by BANES leisure department. The planning application is now expected to be submitted in November 2022 - with a pre-planning application imminent. A Freedom of Information request was submitted to BANES with reference to the Contaminated Ground Survey and Phase II Contamination Report which was carried out in 2021 on the Entry Hill site for Bath Bike Park. The request for this report has been denied by Bathnes leisure officers with reason stating the report is in draft form. The Entry Hill site is former unregulated landfill which we understand holds commercial, industrial and household waste. This is a concern for residents. The latest BANES public engagement results for Bath Bike Park from Spring 2022 have been published on Pedal Progression's website and the results conclude that the cafe, nature area and the walking/running trails will be the most supported leisure activities at the Bath mountain bike park. Through Freedom of Information we have received the funding breakdown of the mountain bike park project (accurate November 2021) which includes Pedal Progression's full financial contribution to this project and further funding that is required - I am happy to share this information with any interested parties. The former golf course site on Entry Hill has naturally transformed into a pocket suburbian meadow and is currently being utulized by running groups, dog walkers, leisure walkers of all ages, community groups and artists. We do hope that the Entry Hill green lung continues to provide a community space for all. I will continue to update FoBRA.
Katina Beckett
Update on the High Common/Approach Golf Course Tender 22/09/22
BANES Council confirmed on 11 August that:
1. Decision made to move to Stage 2 of the procurement process;
2. The process will be a Single Cabinet Member decision (Cllr David Wood);
3. 13 suppliers expressed interest, with 7 submitting response to engagement questionnaire;
4. £30k will come from Parks Improvement Fund (which has £100k in fund) and can be utilised by the contractor to get kiosks and site operational;
5. Min £10 – 15k also required to bring greens and irrigation up to standard;
6. Procurement cost an additional £18k;
7. No mention in documents published that High Common/Approach Golf Course is a park with free and unrestricted access for all;
8. No reassurances given regarding no chemical inputs in line with other parks in Bath;
9. Under consultation, document states that meetings have taken place with ward councillors and that conversations had taken place with local RAs (there has been one Zoom call which lasted one hour);
10. The Council notes that there is risk of a legal challenge.
Sylvia Sinclair