At a meeting of B&NES Council on the 11^th September 2008 Liberal Democrats called for an ad hoc debate on the Cabinet’s treatment of residents during last week’s Cabinet meeting, using the 10-minute debate rule in the Council’s constitution.

The Conservative Group however refused to allow the debate to take place.

Dozens of residents made a particular effort to attend last week’s Cabinet meeting to protest against the Cabinet’s adoption of compulsory purchase powers for the Bus Rapid Transit route; however the Leader of Council refused to allow a proper debate and prevented ward councillors and residents from speaking.

Once again the Conservatives have shown they are frightened of debate – what have they got to hide?

This Cabinet meeting was another bad day for democracy locally. In our view it put this Council and therefore all of us as members in a bad light.  The Cabinet should make a public apology to residents, and should convene a Cabinet debate to allow open debate, rather than hiding behind the O&S process.

With the reduced numbers of meetings there are now fewer opportunities for us to represent our residents.  The Leader of Council seems to change the rules on who may and may not speak at Cabinet according to her whim.

The Cabinet meeting at which Cllr Caroline Roberts (Lib Dem, Newbridge) was prevented from speaking and at which no debate took place, was completed in just over one hour.  When this issue is debated at overview and scrutiny on September 25^th residents and councillors will give this subject the debate and time it deserves even though, as the decision makers, this should be the duty of the Cabinet.

One might wonder whether Councillors and residents should waste their time attending Cabinet meetings in the future if it is only to watch the Cabinet rubber stamp decisions.

Bath MP Don Foster is continuing his call for 20mph zones to be implemented in the city’s most residential streets.  Liberal Democrats across Bath have been pushing for safer speeds on these roads to provide safer communities.  Residents have also been calling for these limits, as evidenced by recent campaigns in across the city.  Don Foster said,

“Residents across Bath know that their streets are unsafe at current speeds and are joining our ‘Twenty is Plenty’ campaign. 

Don was delighted that three Liberal Democrat Councillors visited Portsmouth, where this scheme has been implemented.  They have found out valuable information, and perhaps most importantly, that the scheme is so popular – people want it. Parents no longer feel safe letting their children out to play, and residents are increasingly sick of ‘rat run’ drivers.  The Council needs to understand that these zones aren’t just needed next to schools; they need to be across the majority of our residential roads.  Currently it seems as though there needs be a serious accident before the Conservative Council is prepared to even look at the issue.  We deserve better than that.  The Liberal Democrats have been campaigning on this for our area and so far we have met with a stone wall from the Conservatives.  What Portsmouth has shown that this is easy to implement and is popular.  While the narrow Victorian streets of Portsmouth lend themselves particularly well to the lower limit, there are still numerous roads in our authority where 20mph limits would be sensible.

You can join the Lib Dems calling for 20mph limits by visiting http://ourcampaign.org.uk/twentyisplenty

Thanks to sustained presure from commuter groups, local councillors and councils, and MPs include our own Don Foster, First Great Western is to pay for more trains and better passenger compensation after poor service on lines to Wales and the West Country.

The Swindon-based train operator agreed the £29m investment package the Government issued a remedial notice against train company for breaching its franchise agreement. Extra drivers and guards will be recruited to resolve a staff shortage. Last month, the company came bottom of a passenger satisfaction league table and a Bristol rail user group staged a fare strike protest. FGW has announced that five extra 3-carriage trains will be leased for the troubled Cardiff to Portsmouth service. Compensation for delayed passengers next year will increase by half, on top of the doubling of compensation already announced for this year.
There will be extra discounted tickets available, better information systems and £4m will be spent on staff training.

Lib Dem Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker MP said:

First Great Western services have been a disgrace in recent months and the Government is right to take action. The company can in fact think itself fortunate that it has not had its franchise removed entirely, particularly as it has now admitted to misreporting figures. The remedial plan which has been agreed with the Government represents a final warning for the company and any breach of this will qualify as a default and the contract will indeed be terminated. I welcome the passenger benefits included in this package, including the 500,000 extra cheap off-peak tickets, the extra rolling stock for the Portsmouth to Cardiff line, the refurbishment of Thames Valley commuter trains, and the provision of better passenger information. But the company must now deliver on these promised improvements. They have a last chance to get it right.

Cllr McGall would like to thank all those local Oldfield Park commuters who have emailed him with the comments and stories about the poor service on the line servicing Oldfield Park Station. We need to keep up the pressure on FGW to ensure they keep their eye on the ball and offer commuters a service fit for the 21st century.