The Better Bath Forum

red-arrowPast meeting

Thursday, 3 December, 18.00 for 18.30
St Michael's Church, Broad St, Bath BA1 5LJ

Outer Bath - Spreading the Jam in the Doughnut

> Initial bulletin and information (posted) > Conclusions of the discussion (posted) > Proponent's response (below) > Comments on the response (below)

red-arrowProponent's Response

Proponent:

Responses to the Conclusions of the BetterBath Forum meeting on 3 December 2009: Development needs of outer Bath
 Conclusion 1
The Council should take account of the points set out below in considering the responses to the Core Strategy Options Consultation.
Conclusion 2
The Core Strategy needs to recognise and promote the distinctive identity of local communities within a comprehensive framework which protects, enhances and where appropriate regenerates the World Heritage Site and its surrounding landscape.
Conclusion 3
Successful local communities are people-centred. They need:
  • High quality urban design, with housing at sufficient density to make local services viable, but not so dense as to exacerbate social problems
  • Local shops, post offices, schools and other services accessible on foot and by bicycle rather than by car
  • ‘shared space’ on the roads for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles, and an overall 20mph speed limit
  • A range of leisure facilities for all ages
Conclusion 5
Before the consultation period closes, the Council should publish a simple explanation of the projected housing need, distinguishing between social rent, intermediate housing and market housing and explaining how much of the projected need results from in-migration. This explanation would help people to respond sensibly to the proposals for housing growth.
Conclusion 6
Robust and effective planning policies are needed to implement the Council’s stated objective of regenerating brownfield sites before permitting any urban extension in the Green Belt. The Council should make clear how it intends to achieve this objective.
Conclusion 7
Planning policies need to accommodate alternative sustainable and low-cost means of meeting housing need, for example by expanding the provision of residential mooring facilities where this can be done without adverse impact on the environment.
Conclusion 8
The Council needs to carry out a thorough review of traffic management and parking controls across the city so as to free up the flow of public transport.
Conclusion 9
The Council should work with First Bus and other service providers to review the scope for a circular bus route around the outer areas of the city.
Conclusion 10
The proposed levels of growth will lead to huge pressure on the finite supply of land within the District. The Core Strategy will need to set out the criteria for reconciling the tensions between competing demands for land for food production, new housing and employment, and production of energy.
 
B&NES Response to Conclusions 1 – 3 and 5 – 10
 
Many of the points raised go to the heart of the Core Strategy and will be considered by the Council along with the other comments received alongside the consideration of the results of other relevant evidence and studies.    The current timetable schedules the draft Core Strategy to be ready by autumn 2010.  
It is therefore premature to respond to the specific BetterBath Forum conclusions at this stage because these decisions will made through the process of drafting the Core Strategy over the next few months.   However, once agreed, the Council's response to all the key issues raised will be made publicly available. The draft Core Strategy is due to be published for public consultation at the end of 2010.
 
 
 
Conclusion 11
The two Universities should provide a statement explaining the reasons why they need to expand student numbers, and how adverse effects on local communities will be mitigated.
Response from Professor Frank Morgan, Vice Chancellor of Bath Spa University
I would like to make the following points:
  1. Student numbers have expanded at Bath Spa University over the last 20 years for the same reason that they have in most universities: government policy is for there to be more opportunities for all young people. Bath Spa University is a publicly-funded organisation and is subject to the policy of government and its agencies. It is certainly the case that the University is an autonomous legal entity, but we are subject to the sticks and carrots of government policy and these have been applied to encourage and enable expansion.
  2. However, even government policy cannot override the realities of the situation at Bath Spa University. Our main site at Newton Park is close to capacity. Indeed our current proposals for development at Newton Park are in order to increase and improve facilities rather than to increase capacity.
  3. Future expansion or, indeed contraction is dependent on government policy which will be greatly influenced by the effects of the recession and the growth in public sector borrowing. The University does not expect a great increase in numbers in coming years and in any case would wish to locate increasing numbers of students at partner FE colleges, eg Bridgwater, Weston, Swindon etc.
  4. I made reference above to our plans to improve facilities for our students. These plans are essential because of the growing number of such projects being delivered by competitor institutions and the growing expectations of each generation of students in the light of substantial increases in tuition fees. Our proposals are directed at Newton Park and these include substantially increasing the numbers of on-site student residences. These plans are in their early stages; we have yet to draft a formal planning application. There will be full public consultation and I would hope that the local community will see the sense in what we will be proposing. [Editor's note: This consultation included an exhibition at the University, the material from which is available on the University's website at http://www.bathspa.ac.uk/public-consultation/.]
  5. The University works with the local authority and also by applying its own resources to minimise any negative effects of the numbers of student residences in the residential districts of Bath. I would however be doing the students of this University a disservice if I did not emphasise that I believe there are very considerable economic, social and cultural advantages to the community by having a substantial and responsible student body living in the area.
 
Despite several requests the University of Bath has not yet replied to BetterBath’s request for a response to Conclusion 11. 
 
Conclusion 4
The BetterBath Forum should consider holding some of its meetings in local communities, rather than the city centre.
Response from Jane and Henry Brown, BetterBath Forum
When we took stock of the first year’s operation of the BetterBath Forum in late 2008 we asked whether our supporters would be likely to come to meetings held outside central Bath. The responses indicated clearly that most people preferred a central venue. However we will continue to consider all the options and will look for opportunities to hold a meeting outside the city centre on a subject which seems likely to be of local as well as general interest.

red-arrowComments

Re Conclusion 11: The current student population of the University of Bath is approximately 13,000 of whom an estimated 5,000 live in the private sector. Unlike Bath Spa University, the University of Bath does not accept that its main site is close to capacity. Indeed, in its 10-year Masterplan, currently with B&NES for endorsement, the University anticipates an increase in student numbers of up to 5,000 by 2020, recruiting lucrative overseas students if Government funding dries up. In the same period, the University proposes to double the existing number of student beds on the Claverton Down campus, built during the past 40 years, by providing an additional 2,358 beds within 10 years. This would therefore require building at four times the historical rate. Residents have been pressing B&NES to negotiate a workable student housing for years now. It is essential for this World Heritage city that already hosts one of the very highest proportions of students per head of population in the UK.
Posted: 13-02-2010 by Chris Beezley

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