A new direction for our community

Oldfield RooftopsNext Wednesday the Council’s Cabinet will decide on two new policies which will affect the future character of Oldfield Park.

Over the past decade, local residents have been concerned about the significant increase in investors buying family homes and turning them in to Homes in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

This has meant that many local people have been excluded from finding a home in the area – either to buy or to rent. The Cabinet will decide whether to introduce a Planning Policy (Article 4 direction) to limit the number of HMOs in any given area to 25% of the houses. In practical terms this will mean that no further properties can be converted to HMOs in most of Oldfield Park, however all those currently in use as a HMO can remain as such.

There are good investors and there are bad investors. Generally, bad investors do not care for the people and community from which they profit. The second new policy is to tackle the bad investor, so a new licensing scheme for HMOs is proposed which will improve the safety and accommodation standards for people living in HMOs.

The policy will also set minimum standards for the external upkeep and management of the properties – particularly for garden conditions and waste management.

The papers for the Council’s Cabinet meeting can be found here (Items 12 & 13): http://democracy.bathnes.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=122&MId=3648&Ver=4

Will Sandry

More trains at Oldfield Park?

Oldfield Park StationNext week, the Council’s Cabinet is due to approve business case funding for the Metro West project. This is a joint project with the other West of England Authorities, which aims to provide enhanced local rail services for the West of England.

In our area this would mean more local services calling at Oldfield Park and Bath Spa. Taking the Metro West project forward could lead to a half hourly service at our local train stations. At Oldfield Park this would mean double the current number of trains. This would be a real benefit to those living and working in the West of Bath – making it easier to travel and helping to reduce road congestion and pollution.

Councillor Will Sandry said “Anything we can do to increase the number of train services to and from Oldfield Park is a benefit to our communitiy and will help protect the future of the Station, and the success of Moorland Road shopping area.”

Linear Park and The Two Tunnels Greenway

two tunnels opening

Less than a week to go! I’m very excited about the opening of the Two Tunnels project.  Part of it runs through the Linear Park, but is it still the Linear Park or is it now the Two Tunnels Greenway?

Running from East Twerton to Bloomfield it cuts through Oldfield Park and the Moorfields Estate, but unites the community around it. Living in the most densely populated part of Bath, this has been the little strip of countryside on our doorstep since the 1970’s – but what has the Two Tunnels project done for us?

We have lost and we have gained

The major loss for me is the rural feel, the tranquil, and slightly muddy in places; slightly overgrown route now feels a lot more urban with the tarmac path – it’s a lot harder to get away from the City.

This loss is outweighed by the gains. We now have a traffic free park thanks to the reinstatement of the bridges over Monksdale Road and Dartmouth Avenue, we also have much greater accessibility for wheelchair and push chair users and cyclists. From next Saturday of course, it will be a lot easier to get away from the City with an almost level, traffic free short cut to the real countryside; the beautiful green belt to the south of Bath, and the national cycle network.

Linear Park

Whilst welcoming the Two Tunnels Project and the benefits that it has brought us, I perceive the Linear Park section of the Greenway will be the most used. Whilst this is fantastic, it also has the potential to cause conflict between the different users and their different needs and expectations.  For some it will just be a small part of the Two Tunnels Greenway route, for others it will be the Linear Park.

So whatever brings you to the Linear Park and, as is custom in all parks, please do consider the needs of the other park users.

Amazing and Magical

Finally, I would like to express my admiration for the dedicated work of the Two Tunnels Group. What they have achieved is amazing and even a little magical. Looking outside the confines of the Linear Park, “the idea in a pub” is going to be for the long term benefit of our communities – both inside and outside Bath.

Will Sandry

tt bridge

The most impressive (and traffic free) gateway to Oldfield Park!

Will and David go Pukka

Will and David have taken out an advertisement in Pukka Bath which will be delivered to households in the south of Bath over the coming days.

pukka bath small

Cllr David Dixon said: “The Internet and social media is a great way of communicating with residents but there are still a large number of people who aren’t connected. Our advert in Pukka Bath lets our residents know how hard we have been working on behalf of the community and provides our contact details.”

The Bath Student Rip-off

Some students in Bath will pay up to £150 more than others in letting agent fees this year.

Figures compiled by Oldfield Liberal Democrats show that many letting agents charge exorbitant fees to process applications by students to live in shared accommodation in the City.

Cllr Will Sandry said: “The student house hunt for Autumn 2013 starts this week and, I urge students to check out the non-refundable fees charged by the different letting agents in the city. You could end up paying £150 more than you need to.

To my mind these administration fees are hard to justify as most Agents charge the landlords for processing student applications too.

Sharing a home for the first time should be fun and exciting, but to avoid the common pitfalls, be sure to check out the information on house sharing produced by the Student Community Partnership.”

Related Story: Cllr Will Sandry calls for a national regulation scheme for Letting Agents.

Students – Rate your rental

RATE-YOUR-RENTAL The Student Unions at Bath and Bath Spa Universities are running a survey which asks students in private rented accommodation to rate their experience.

Cllr Will Sandry said: “I very much support this survery. The quality of some private sector home rentals in Oldfield Ward is poor and anything that helps highlight bad landlord practices is a good thing.”

The survey is open until 3rd February and can be found here:   https://survey.bathstudent.com/rateyourrental/

Further background information is available here: http://www.bathstudent.com/rateyourrental/

Free warmer home check-ups for elderly and disabled

Click to Visit Website

Click to Visit Website

A brand new service provider funded by Bath & North East Somerset Council offering practical services supporting elderly, disabled people of any age, and vulnerable people to support them to live in warm, safe, and secure homes is offering free home check-ups in the run-up to Christmas and into the New Year.

 

West of England Care & Repair is now providing Home Improvement Agency services to residents in partnership with the Council in an initiative funded by the Department of Health. They offer practical help services such as small repairs, minor home adaptations and housing related advice including support to make choices about where to live.West of England Care & Repair can help on most housing issues from repairing a leaking tap, to replacing a bath with a walk-in shower to re-wiring your house.

Residents can also find out more about help available to keep warm at home and prepare for severe winter weather by contacting the Council Home Energy Team on 0800 082 2234.

Advice and support on applying for grants and benefits for housing work and help fundraise for clients on low incomes is also available on 0300 323 0700 or visit www.wecr.org.uk

Pedestrian Safety Improvement – Oldfield Lane

We are very pleased to announce that a “Give Way” has been added to Oldfield Lane at its junction with Walnut Drive and that a “false pavement” has been painted to improve safety for pedestrians and drivers on this narrow road.

Cllr David Dixon who developed the improvement in conjunction with the Council’s Highways officers said: “A pedestrian improvement here was a clear community priority. I was pleased to have been able to use some of my Ward Councillor’s Initiative funding to make this simple but effective improvement.”

Last chance to have your say on Housing

The two consultations being run by the council about Homes in Multiple Occupation in our community close on Friday 30th November.

Consultation 1 – Planning Policy – Whether 25% of HMOs should be the maximum permitted density in any given area. You need send an individual, personal email mailto:hmo_spd@bathnes.gov.uk

Counsultation 2 – Licensing Existing HMOs – Should the Council make landlords have a licence for small HMOs with 3-5 occupants? Complete the consultation online here: http://tinyurl.com/cabh7fl

Further information available about both consulataions: at www.bathnes.gov.uk/hmo