Friday 23 August 2013

Redland Park Litter Pick update

The litter Pick that I have been organising with the council and Curo will take place at 2pm and hour before the fun day.

Meeting place outside Cost cutter shop Newton Road

Time 2pm

Please come and join me and other residents if you can.

Tuesday 20 August 2013

Bath City take on Eastleigh


Tonight is Bath City's first home match of the season. 
Bath city won on Saturday, away at Bishops Stortford on the seasons opener, and tonight they play Eastleigh at home. apparently Eastleigh are every bookies favourite to romp away with the title (they also won their first match of the season).
Why not go along and support city tonight and encourage them to an even better start than they already have and dent the prospects of Eastleigh.



Monday 19 August 2013

Twerton toilets update

Residents will have noticed that the toilets have remanded open whilst we negotiate with a private sponsor for these toilets .

Councillor Gerry Curran has had initial talks on this matter that seem positive, but nothing is secured at the moment.

As those who have used the toilets in Twerton will have noticed these toilets are in urgent need of modernisation and we have t be realistic as to what we are able to achieve in the short term and security of use is also and important matter to ensure that criminal activities don not take place.

We have become aware that a debate may be held in the council with regard to the council closure of toilets program.

It needs to be pointed out however that the Council can not alter the program as it was an issue agreed by Council in a budget debate and we believe that the only safe way to secure public toilets in Twerton is through private sponsorship.

By Councillor Tim Ball

Sunday 18 August 2013

Redland Park Fun Day plus

A fun day is being put on for residents of Redalnd Park for Wednesday 28th August to take place at Pennyquick Playing fields from 3pm till 6pm.

The Fun day will be primarily for the residents of Redland Park and is being organised jointly between Curo and Time Bank Plus who are introducing a new worker into the area to encourage residents of the estate to take part in the time bank ethos.

In the light of this I have organised a litter pick in conjunction with the council on the same day starting at 2pm from the bus shelter at Pennyquick View to cover the Redland Park estate please come and join me if you can.

Residents will also be able to make comments on what plans Curo have for the area and what improvements they would like to see made including the location of the new litter bins that Curo have promised us that they are going to install.

Many stalls are being organised with advise and information about Welfare reform and Universal credits and how this will affect you.

A few weeks ago I attended the meeting that decided to put this event on and I would like to pay credit to Curo, Time Bank Plus, and the council officers that have also helped bring this forward in a very short period of time.

At the fun day their will be many items for the children including the young at heart such as a bouncy castle and competitions and fun things to do.

So if you have the time on your hands, need some advice or just want a bit of fun the this one is for you.

Wednesday 14 August 2013

Linley Close

Curo are going to undertake remedial works to all the fire doors in all 3 blocks of flats in Linley Close.

This is in line with a requirement of Bath & North East Somerset Council to bring them into line with the latest safety standards.

In order to carry out the works Curo will be placing 3 units storage and waste in the car park at Linley Close garrage block while the works are being carried out. 



Tuesday 13 August 2013

Morrisons High Street Twerton

We have a further planning application from Morrison's for the display of 2 externally illuminated fascia signs, 1 externally illuminated projecting sign and 5 window vinyls

Application reference: 13/02937/AR received on 09/07/2013
Planning Portal reference: PP-02755354

if you want to know more about the application or wish to make a comment on the application then please follow the link below.

HMO planning application Highland Road

We have a new planning application for the change of use of 20 Highland Road to a house of multiple occupation.

The application this is in line with the councils new article 4 directive that requires planning permission for the conversion of a domestic dwelling to a HMO.

The definition very briefly is 3 or more persons living in the same address that are unrelated in a regulated zone.

 The application states a change of use from a domestic dwelling (C3) to a house of multiple occupation (C4)

Application reference: 13/03005/FUL received on 15/07/2013
Planning Portal reference: PP-02746676

If you want to know more about the application or wishes to make a comment then please follow the link below.





 

Friday 9 August 2013

St Michael's Junior School Twerton

I am pleased to be able to tell readers that special needs children and St Michael's Junior School in Twerton are to have more equipment to help with their learning.

I have been able to make a donation of £490 to the friends of the School to buy specialist education equipment that will help many young people at the School, this has been made through the councillors initiative fund.

The money will add to the money that the Friends of the School raise through events that they organise and take part in during the School year with Children of the School.

A great deal of credit has to be paid to these volunteers who spend much of their free time putting others first.

I am always pleased to be able to help a forward looking School with many young energetic staff.

I have a small amount that I am still able allocate to projects in Twerton as has councillor Gerry Curran.

If you know of any small projects that needs some help then please let us know.


By Councillor Tim Ball






Thursday 8 August 2013

Better Busses for Twerton ?

It has been noticeable in the last few weeks that the condition of the buses on the number 5 Route Twerton has improved and the buses with steps on seem to have disappeared.

Although First have not replied to the complaint that was submitted about the state of the buses it seems that they have taken some belated action.

Lets hope that the condition of the buses continues to improve and that they run a service in the area that is fit for purpose.

They seem to forget the promises that they made to residents of Bath when they became a commercial service all those years ago, in that the fleet would be constantly updated.

In the case of Twerton and the Number 5 we live in hope and some times in despair.


Wednesday 7 August 2013

19 new flats proposed for Lower Bristol Road

We have a planning application for a Prior approval request for change of use from Use Class B1 to Use Class C3 for the creation of 19 flats on the Lower Bristol Road.

Application reference: 13/03294/ODCOU received on 26/07/2013

If you wish to view the application or make any comments then please follow the link below.


This site is on the Lower Bristol Road and is one of the last commercial buildings as you leave Bath towards the turnpike.

Freeview Road House Sub division planning application

We have at last got a planning application for the Subdivision of existing property at 9 Freeview Road to form 2 separate dwellings.

Application reference: 13/02482/FUL received on 12/06/2013

If you would like to view the application or make any comments then please follow the link below.


The current condition of the property is completely unacceptable and i hope that this will resolve this matter.

by Councillor Tim Ball

Sunday 4 August 2013

Redland Park investigative walk around.

I spent a good day on Thursday walking around Redland Park with Curo officers and the councils cleansing team.

It was a good visit and we identified several issues that need to be dealt with.

I was rather shocked to hear that a cleansing operative had been in Redland Park on Monday of this week and removed 38 full bags of litter that had accumulated.

Curo have again been asked to provide litter bins in this area as much of the area is their responsibility.

The issues that we found were loose kerb edges that need to be reinstated or removed on some of the parking areas.

Curo have agreed to get their gardening and Landscaping team in to cut back the overgrowth that is coming from the edges of residents properties and remove tree saplings that have become rooted and are causing a problem.

It was noticed that many residents have started to tidy their gardens but there is a hardcore that still refuse to deal with their overgrown gardens or leave old furniture rotting outside.

We have agreed to have a crackdown on these properties in the next few months in order to get the estate back into good order.

By Councillor Tim Ball

Saturday 3 August 2013

Taking a precautionary line on 'Fracking'

The issues of shale gas exploration (often called 'fracking') and coal bed methane have been very much in the public eye lately. B&NES Council is no exception.

At its meeting of 11 July, Council considered a motion on this issue. The main thrust of the motion is to express concern over the risks that fracking could pose to the Bath hot springs, local bodies of water and the local environment generally.

The motion goes on to call for an evidence-based report on these issues including information about what powers the Council might use to control and prevent such works.

Speaking in the debate, many Councillors expressed their opposition to fracking generally. Beyond the protection of the hot springs (which is paramount), our Councillors raised environmental concerns relating to water pollution and extension of our dependence on fossil fuels.

Read the Full story

Friday 2 August 2013

Economy Upadate

An Economic update has been produced by the Liberal Democrats who run Bath & North East Somerset Council for the local area.

Councillor Tim Ball has published the information on his personal web site follow the link to see the update.

Bathnes Economy update

Twerton Toilets

The Toilets in Twerton that had been identified for closure in the councils budget have drawn quite a bit of attention in the last few days with a demonstration taking place by a lady from Larkhall.

Twerton Councillors have been working to try to find a private sponsor for these toilets and have been in talks with several businesses who we hope will take on responsibility for their upkeep.

Council budgets have been tight for a number of years now and will continue to be so for a number of years to come so it is important to secure the safety items that the community want a and private sponsorship is important to ensure that this happens.

We have asked that these toilets remain open until we have concluded our talks with businesses who we hope will take on the Twerton Toilets.

Many towns and cities now have their toilets run by sponsors in the business sector so this is not a new idea of having toilet blocks sponsored.


Thursday 1 August 2013

Can't afford your water Meter Bill read on

The WaterSure scheme is available for certain customers with a water meter. It allows them to have their bills capped. This is to make sure that these customers don’t cut back on how much water they use because they are worried about how they will pay their bill.
To qualify for help under the WaterSure scheme, you or someone living with you, needs be entitled to receive one of the following:
  • council tax benefit
  • housing benefit
  • Income Support
  • income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Working Tax Credit
  • Child Tax Credit (except families in receipt of the family element only)
  • Pension Credit
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
In addition, you need to either:
  • be responsible for three or more children under the age of 19 and in full-time education living in the property, or
  • have (or someone living in the property must have) a medical condition which requires significant additional use of water. Examples of medical conditions include weeping skin diseases (such as psoriasis), Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
If you qualify for WaterSure, you will pay no more than the average household bill for your company (XLS), even if you use more than the average amount of water.
You will not qualify for WaterSure if you use a garden sprinkler system or have a swimming pool.
If you think you are eligible for WaterSure, you will need to apply through your water company.
More information on benefits, including those listed above is available from Directgov.

Thanks to Lib Dem Councillor Steve Beasant for this information.