Paul Crossley1

This last week Councillors from Southdown and Twerton launched an on-line petition to make Culverhay a co-educational school. Bath has one co-educational non-denominational school then 2 boys schools, 2 girls schools, 1 Anglican school and 1 Catholic school in its secondary mix. We have tried to get Culverhay co-educational before but the Government always turned us down in the past inorder to keep equality between boy and girl schools. What other city has such a mix!! So we are starting up our campaign again and hopefully this time will also be able to pursuade the Government to grant the change. Our petition web can be seen at CulverhayCoed

The parents, staff, governors, LEA, local Councillors and above all the boys and girls in the area want a co-educational community school to serve our area. Lets make it happen this time. 

At the end of school term Southdown Infants held a Thankyou service in which the children said thankyou to everyone who helps the school. It was a really nice service. In September I will be starting my 17 year as a governor of the school.

Our local Credit Union has recently changed its common bond to be co-terminus with the area of Bath and NE Somerset Council. At the last board meeting I applied to join one of the sub committees and so am on the Funding committee. Credit unions come in all shapes and sizes. Ours is quite small but with the recent enlargement of its bond area and more collection points starting up we can also hopefully grow and provide a good service to people who normally find banks difficult and loan sharks often the only alternative.

Our latest e-news can be seen at Southdown_enews_for_July_23_07.doc

Today, with Dine, went to Culverhay Bath SPA Uni annexe to meet a senior director to discuss the parking impact on local residents caused by their teaching expansion into Culverhay school. Bath SPA uni is one of the best teaching universities in the country and has a fabulous campus at Newton Park. However its outreach for PGCE courses for mature students is causing parking problems for us.

We explored several ideas - spreading their curriculum from the two peak days to a more even spread over the week; encouraging car sharing and making better use of the bus routes. So part of the issue in the autumn for the new intake is to get more awareness about bus routes.

Then onto Rosewarn Close to check out the latest flytipping incident and arrange to get it removed. The weekly waste service was in the Close when we got there so had a chat with the driver and crew about the litter and waste problems we have in Rosewarn Close. Then onto Roundhill pPark wher we have a playarea that is not being well maintained by our Social Housing company.

Last week we met with the Highway engineer at Whiteway Road. The meeting had been scheduled several weeks ago to discuss the traffic safety issues of the road. Then just a few days earlier we had our 6th fatality in as many years. Probably no amount of safety measures would have prevented the latest accident but nevertheless the raod needs some work on it to improve safety. The Council has just been given a raod safety grant and we are lobbying for it to be spent on this road. We also spent time looking at the entrance to the cemetry, which is also on the Whiteway Road, to improve the safety for people and cars entering and leaving.

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Posted by: PaulCrossley    in: My entries

Modified on July 18, 2007 at 10:41 PM

The supermarkets seem to be driving all the independent garages out of business as well as making life difficult for all manner of local shops. Here in Southdown on Englishcombe Lane our local garage was purchased by a 'developer' for conversion to a 'local needs shop'. Most people think it will be a Tesco Express. However having got planning permission the agents have done precious little and now the site is getting vandalised and covered in grafitti.

I have written to the agent calling on them to get on with the job and do the conversion. We certainly do not want a derelict site in the ward. To be fair the agent responded quickly to assure me they will be progressing the application shortly. A case of watch this space I think.

At lunch time welcomed a German Choir that is visiting our Bath Silver Ring Choir into the Mayors Parlour and gave them the history spiel on the Mayoralty and introduced them to the main chamber. At the end they all sang me a lovely American Musical song. Our debating chamber doesn't often ring to sound of sweet harmony and song!! 

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Posted by: PaulCrossley    in: My entries

Modified on July 18, 2007 at 10:50 PM

7/7/7 is meant to be a lucky day. Apparently the wedding industry is packed out with happy couples getting spliced today across the world. I hope they all have happy marriages.

Dine and I had our usual surgery today and issues raised included playareas, dropped kerbs, overgrowing vegitation, our local Roundhill and an abandoned car. After that as Deputy Mayor I opened the Moorland Infant School fete and judged the fancy dress competition. Although the school is in another ward a large number of the parents and grandparents knew me and came up to discuss planning issues, local shopping parades and as ever in Bath, parking. The head was very pleased with the day.

After this my second Deputy Mayor engagement of the day was prizegiving at the British Heart Foundation's annual Dragon Boat racing festival in Bath. There is a Dragon Boat company in Wales that provide two boats and all the backup services required. Each boat has 16 oars men and women and one drummer. 13 teams took part with the favourites '17 Sombreros' from Bristol getting through to final for the 6th time in 7 years. They had won their previous 6 finals but this time came up against the mightiest team in Bath - IPL - in their first final. A very close race saw Bath squeek home as victors by less than a second. Bath and Bristol are great rivals - so it is always good to win. 7/7/7 yes a lucky day.

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Posted by: PaulCrossley    in: My entries

Modified on July 18, 2007 at 10:38 PM