Residents will be aware of the successful campaign in 2007 to save St Martin’s Garden Primary School from being moved to make way for supermarket development, on land which included the adjacent Hayesfield Playing Fields site. Many local Combe Down residents made their views against this very clear.

There is now a development proposal to include on the site of the previous Hayesfield playing fields only (between St Martins and The Link School on Frome Road) a “Medium” sized supermarket operated by Sainsburys, as well as a sports hall and clubhouse, a parade of shops, a nursing home and housing for the elderly.

I do not know what kind of consultation has been done to determin the need in this particular community for all these features of the development. There was a public consultation exhibition over Friday and Saturday last weekend. Roger and I intend to meet with the Agent of Storegap, the developers, and the Company can be contacted at:

 Storegap Commercial Ltd, c/o JBP, The White House, 6 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1PD.       Tel: 01179 073 400.

I am not much of a Supermarket fan, not even if they are medium size. I would rather see local community home grown shopping areas. It has been the colourful and varied areas of Bath and its shops which has contributed to its attraction for visitors and indeed residents. Supermarkets and chain stores tend to make towns bland and erode local character. I’d love to see more Farmers market style shopping areas, which offer excellent local area produce.

Don Foster has raised questions on the Odd Down proposal as follows;

“Whilst the developers have attempted to consider the needs of local residents, I certainly feel that many concerns need to be addressed before the plans go any further. “The Frome Road, already busy at peak times, such as school drop-off and pick-up, would only be added to with the arrival of a supermarket. There needs to be much greater discussion over any plans that might increase the traffic near the schools – especially if they were to introduce more traffic lights. 

“There also needs to be more consultation over whether or not local residents need a sports centre – the University is not too far, and nor is Culverhay

 “Finally B&NES Council and Somer Housing should be contacted to see if there is any need for the sheltered housing in the proposal.  “There is still plenty of work to do to produce a satisfactory plan – rather than developers simply ticking the boxes they feel will result in its success.”

Let us have your views.

Extra Early July News

In Hawthorn Grove, Combe Down, Friday morning July 4th,  around 20 local people demonstrated in favour of local 20 mph speed limits for Hawthorn Grove, Sedgemoor Road and Southstoke Road.

This was also the launch of the Lib Dems’ and Don Foster’s campaign for 20 mph speed limits in all residential areas. After all 48% of pedestrians in collision with a motor vehicle travelling at 30 mph will die, but if the speed is reduced to 20 mph deaths are reduced to 5%.

We have been trying to convince the Council for more than 2 years to provide these local speed limits, but even though local people have presented petitions to Council and money was allocated by local councillors sitting on the Bath South Local Committee, we are still waiting. The new Conservative administration abolished the committee and used the money for schemes elsewhere.

There is hope of funding for Hawthorn Grove and Sedgemoor Road, because there some money to start a scheme has been allocated and there is also likely to be a contribution towards a crossing by the Church when/if their St Andrews scheme for community facilities is approved. But for Southstoke Road and Bradford/North Road (after the long awaited pedestrian refuge is finished) there is nothing. We will continue to campaign for a speed limits in Southstoke Road and for Bradford/North Road to be made safer to encourage walking and cycling.

We will help residents in any of our local streets to campaign for speed limits if they are agreed that this will improve their environment. Please get in touch.