Paul Crossley1

Bath Communities Partnership is the delivery board for an Single Regeneration Budget grant from the SW Regional Development Agency. The funding is targeted at the SW corner of Bath and our ethnic minority populations. Over the time it has supported some very good schemes and now it is coming to the end of its funding program over the next year. There are several applications in for consideration. The whole process is complex and beaurocratic in my view and it has made it difficult for groups to really engage with. At the last meeting we considered a range of good bids and there are several more ready for this final year.

One problem a lot of this process generates is the mindset of government that always wants new projects and is not prepared to consider continuation funding. We are suffering from that and also recently I supported a bid to the Big Lottery fund which was turned down because it was deemed to be continuation funding. Many of these projects serve or support communities that find it difficult to attract support and which take a long time to build up trust and expertise. I have raised this concern with my MP Don Foster and asked him to raise it in turn with the Lottery. Lets seee what they say!! 

Another 2 Southdown planning application for comment: planning_28_June.doc

The Government's bid to force large volumes of housing on everyone is starting to cause concern. There is a need for housing but the need is not more and more expensive houses - it is for houses that families can afford to buy or rent. Land values are so high round Bath that the cheapest houses sell for over £100,000. The Regional Spatial Strategy is looking to build 1500 houses on the SW of Bath. A new pressure group has started up called Campaign Against Urban Sprawl. So the debate is started.  With the Government  designating all our gardens as brownfield it has increased the pressure on infill enormously.  In Bath on our one substantial brownfield site - the Western Riverside we are looking to build nearly 3000 units at a very high density. The arguement here is on the issue  of height.

So we all agree that we need affordable housing for social rent and for our young families to be able to buy. But its no to infill, no to height and no to incursion into the green belt. Something somewhere has to give. 

Issues raised by residents this week - complaints about the litter around Sainsbury's in town, traffic speed in Southdown Road and footpaths blocked by overgoring hedges or parked cars. Usual crop. 

As Deputy Mayor - church parade to St johns hospital - one of the nice things about being a charter trustees is attending a variety of churches in a variety of denominations across Bath. St John's Hospital has a lovely little chapple and this is always a good service.

Then tonight attended the American Museum summer party and drew the raffle prize winners. The American Museum is a fascinating museum attempting to bridge understanding between America and the UK. For the July 4 party this year they have an American Civil war enactment. It is set in absolutely beautiful surroundings. The all new Heritage display is really good and interactive. There is also an exhibition called the Dollar Princesses with some amazing dresses on display for the fashion buffs.

American Museum with officers tent in front ready for the civil war historic re-enactment on July 4 

Southdown_Monday_25_June_2007_0.doc

Culverhay School website link

Also today was the regular Southside Interagency which is a networking of several groups working for the community who share information and updates with each other. Present: me, Methodist, CVS, Timebank, Surestart and the Council. We also met the new Deacon who will be replacing Deacon Joan when she retires. Deacon Steph is just finishing her training in Bristol and will start with us on Sept 1.  

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Modified on June 25, 2007 at 11:56 PM

Well our single status nightmare has finally finished with all unions signing up to a collective agreement. At our Infant school we now have to manage the fall out around backpay and the fact that some jobs have taken quite a pay hit. There is protection built into the agreement but its not an easy process. It is not made easier by the knowledge that up and down the Country Councils and schools are still trying to complete this legislation. Equal Pay for Equal Work is a principle we all agree on. However I think the Governement could have provided more support to implement its legislation at the local level.

Family breakups have many knock on effects. Currently we have one young lad who is climbing trees and systematically breaking branches and stripping bark in a couple of trees in one of our open spaces. Trees are very important part of Bath's landscape. Southdown has the lowest tree cover of any part of Bath and so we do not want to loose any. However there are sometime deeper issues behind problems that need resolving. The role of a Councillor is indeed varied.

As the Deputy Mayor attended the Somerset Schools Folk Dance Day in front of the Wells Cathedral. It was a great day with over 80 schools from historic Somerset with over 1800 youngsters dancing. Sadly there was no school from Bath but St Johns from Midsomer Norton were there so I joined them in the procession along with the Vice Chair of Bath and NE Somerset Cllr David Bellotti.

On Sunday I attended the Bath Mencap annual service of celebration at St. Saviours Church in Larkhall. It was an inspiring service with a lot of particpation from the congrgation. Last year as Leader of the Council I was also chair of our Learning Difficulties Partnership Board. Our authority was a bit slowing in setting this up but it is now working well. Following the election I was not sure whether I would keep this role. Outside bodies and artnerships are taking a long tome to adequately resolve as the Council wants to also reduce the number of places it is on. I now know I will be remiaining as chair of theis partnership which is something I am very please about as these are special people. In Spetember we will be opening our new special school which we started planning for in 2002. It will replace 4 old facilities with a brand new school taking young people from the age of 2 to 18. It will be a fabulous facility   

This week we had our AGM for the Southdown CSAG. We have been going four years and we have always run it so that all voices are heard and listened to. When we started off the main issues were drugs and antisocial behaviour. Over the four years we have been able to crack down on drug dens and the focus has moved relentlessly towards traffic issues.

With the arrival of PCSOs (police community support officers) CSAGs (community Support Action Groups) seem to be going out of favour with the police to be replaced by PACTs (police and communities together) - {who dreams up all these titles :-) }. At our AGM we were advised without warning that our CSAG was to be replaced by a PACT by our police sargent. I will go and attend a couple of the new PACTs being set up elsewhere to see how they work. There are a lot of questions to be asked as to who runs the new pacts and who organises the meetings etc etc - the main complaint was that no consultation was given in advance.

So at our final CSAG for Southdown the issue was traffic related problems. Currently though the real issue is a group of five young boys who are out of control and committing a lot of petty burglary. We know who they are - we just have to get evidence that will stand up in court.

Planning - at the latest planning committee the application for a new house at 78 Mount Road was approved. Both myself and Dine Romero spoke against. At least we have achieved a substantial downsizing of the property since the original application. The basic problem is though that government rules are really forcing overcrowding into residential garden space.

latest application for comments please:-

planning-june14_application.doc

As Deputy Mayor went to the American Museum for the official pre launch of the RUH forever friends NICU £4.5M appeal which is being officially launched next month. Already over £600K has been pledged. A great start. If you are ever in Bath the American Museum is well worth a visit.

Case work - getting a service medal for a RAF resident involved in active service in Jordan, Egypt and Oman in the 1950s - litter cleared - hedges cut - weeds cleared - neighbour dispute and of course traffic and parking. 

The Whiteway Road is a very busy road which is more or less a southern bypass for Bath by default. Our slowdown sign has finally arrived from the manufacturers. Hurray.

Slow_down__Paul_and_Dine__07.06.07.rtf

The Haycombe Cemetry is one of the best in the country and we have recently completed £800K of investment to upgrade the crematorium and enable us to provide a service to all who wish. Modern life means we need to be able to cater for our larger citizens. I also think that in these days as a society we do not show enough respect to funeral corteges and those grieving for the departed. Over the last few years I have tried to get the junction at the entrance signalised so that a whole cortege can enter or leave the cemetry uninterrupted. The highway engineers say this cannot be done on such a major road. Still I am trying again. Since the free bus passes we also have far more visitors taking the bus to the cemetry. These visitors take longer to cross the road and so traffic lights would help. At present we just have islands in the middle of the road. I heard that in Portugal some of their lights are used to slow traffic and so if a car is speeding towards the lights it switches to red to stop them. I think that is a great idea. But again our highway engineers said no. I shall keep trying.

Haycombe_Cemetery__Paul_and_Dine__07.06.07.rtf

In my blog I have mentioned the Roundhill several times. The Council has received a bid to buy a small access strip to enable new building work. Dine and I are against setting any sort of precedent to sell small parts of this special area for any reason.

Roundhill__Paul_and_Dine__07.06.07.rtf

Last Wednesday as Deputy Mayor I went all to All Saints for the 50th anniversary service of the Friends of the RUH. Our local hospital has an amazing community volunteer suupport network. It is great to see such committment from so many people for so many years. The Chair - Tessa Berridge - was stepping down after 15 years as Chairman.

Last Sunday was the Mayor's Civic service in the Abbey. An altogether more formal affair. I preferred the informal service at which we had another great choir from Bath singing - The Jane Lilley Singers.

On Tuesday spent time at the Blagdon Park Community Centre having a cup of tea at the weekly get together. Usual complaints - litter, weeds and anti social behaviour. The cakes were great and the chat good humoured and fun.

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Modified on June 18, 2007 at 11:01 AM

Our regular Southdown surgery restarted this month on Saturday after a two month lay-off for elections. Issues raised covered the need for Somer to improve a couple of the local playareas, development proposals for the Methodist Church, litter and parking.

Somer are the major housing trust locally and the playareas in Roundhill Park and Rosewarn Close need some attention and repair. During the election we had a petition from the residents of Roundhill Park organised by several children on the poor state of the playarea. We are seeking a meeting with Somer to prioritise its repairs on the parks in our ward.

We have been campaigning against traffic speeds for quite a while now. We have had one Slow Down 30MPH sign installed on Englishcombe Lane. It has prooved very successful in getting drivers to check their speed. However the second one scheduled for Whiteway Road still is only a post without the sign put up. Apparently the factory producing them cannot keep pace with the demand for these signs. Hopefully we will get the signpost completed shortly.

 On Sunday the Bath Charter Trustees held the annual Civic service in the Abbey. We had the girls choir singing. The Abbey has a choir for boys and a choir for girls. However the adult section is male only. Tradition I am told. The team at the Abbey make real efforts to ensure that it is part of the community and is well used in addition to its main focus as a place of worship. It was one of the venues for the opening night of our International festival.

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Modified on June 3, 2007 at 11:43 PM