Fighting fund

To further the progression of justice regarding the Bath Transportation Package, of which the Newbridge park and ride extension is part, the time has come to seek legal advice on judicial review. We have joined forces with other campaigners across Bath and negotiated extremely favourable rates with a leading London lawyer and barrister who have a vast experience in this area.

Of course this costs money!

Please help us raise our share by donating whatever you feel comfortable with. We have set up an account for this purpose, and all contributions should be made payable to:

Account name: Newbridge Matters
Sort code: 30-90-54
Account number: 32158668
Bank: Lloyds TSB
Name: include your name for reference purposes
Currency: Sterling only

Please e-mail through your name and address details to receive a receipt and refund in the unlikely event we receive an excess of funds.

For further information please e-mail us.

Thank you for your support.

Update on CPO objections

It has been reported in the local paper that the Government Office for the North East has received 160 letters of objection to the compulsory purchase orders relating to the BTP.

We are now waiting for B&NES to make contact.

You couldn't make it up!

Bath resident, Carlo Ambrosino, recently lodged a legal challenge against B&NES' officers on the grounds of the common law offence of Misfeasance. This pertains to questions regarding the first vote at the DDC meeting on 8 July 2009 where Councillors voted 6-5 against the Newbridge planning application. Mr Ambrosino had written to the Council asking for details of the legislation that allows them to ignore the vote. As the Council have refused to reply to this correspondence, yet continued as though there was a legitimate answer to the enquiry, technically various officers have committed the common law offence of Misfeasance in a public office.

The court case was due to be heard on 16 November 2009. However, B&NES neglected to send a representative to defend the Council's standpoint claiming later that they did not need to attend. This opinion clearly differed from that of the Judge as a hearing was re-scheduled for 20 November 2009. Mr Ambrosino was unable to make this meeting, however, the Council's barrister did and apparently attempted to persuade the Judge to hear the case anyway. When asked why a B&NES' representative had failed to attend the original court case, the barrister replied that the Council didn't feel it was necessary as there was no case to answer.

The Judge has now set a provisional date of 4 December 2009 with double the previous time allocation.

Bath Heritage Watchdog's website contains further details and there is also a report in the Bath Chronicle.

Roll up, roll up...

The Newton St. Loe Conservation Group is holding a public meeting to inform and raise awareness about B&NES' urban extension plans for 2000 new houses between Twerton and the Globe roundabout. For some background information please refer to our post below, headed 'Nothing to say?'.

The details are as follows:

Date: Tuesday 3 November 2009

Place: Corston Church

Time: 7.30 p.m.

All welcome.

CPO objection e-mail

Due to the postal strike, the Government Office for the North East has said objection letters to the BTP CPOs may be e-mailed through. Click here to open a new e-mail message pre-addressed to the designated contact.

Please refer to the post below for guidelines.

How to object to a CPO...

As mentioned in the post dated 24 September 2009 headed 'Time's running out' B&NES Council has to complete and purchase the land under compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) before the next round of the funding application.

B&NES Council has, to date, spent at least £3.5m of local taxpayers’ money on the BTP. In addition, it will need to find in excess of £7m to implement the CPOs. There is no guarantee this money will be recovered as the central funding has not been confirmed. This is a complete waste of money on an unsustainable proposal that will only add congestion and pollution to our City. Click here to read B&NES' information on the different CPOs.

We have compiled some information on how to object which may be viewed here. Please note: these guidelines are not intended as legal advice. For those who wish to object, this must be done in writing and arrive at the address given before Friday 23 October 2009.

Anyone can raise objections as a non-statutory objector. Those whose land is under a CPO, and those whose property value will be adversely affected by work carried out on CPO land are classed as statutory objectors and have the right to speak at any CPO inquiry if they wish.

Same old, same old...

It has just been announced through GoSW that the Secretary of State will not be holding a public inquiry into the Newbridge or Bathampton planning applications.

This is obviously disappointing but not unexpected. Today's report in the Chronicle on line quotes Dave Jones, GoSW planning manager, from letters sent to Bath Council as saying:

“The Secretary of State has considered carefully .... relevant planning issues raised by this proposal. He acknowledges that this application has raised issues of controversy both from the representations received by B&NES Council and those persons who have taken the trouble to write directly to him.

However, he is satisfied that the planning issues raised do not relate to matters of more than local importance or amount to regional or national controversy, which would be more appropriately decided by him rather than the local planning authority.

He has therefore concluded that the application should be decided by B&NES Council.”

No controversy? We think not!

It does pose the question - which government body is willing to act impartially of behalf of the people?