B&NES PCT fails to spend over 85% of allocated money to carers

National charities the Princess Royal Trusts for Carers and Crossroads Care have revealed that government money for carers hasn’t been spent to increase support for carers, as intended.

Nationally, the government allocated £50million of new money for carers in 2009/10, and 80% of this money has not been spent as intended. In Bath and North East Somerset, the situation is worse, with under 14% of the allocated money being spent on carers.

Bath MP Don, who spoke at the local Crossroads AGM last Friday, said,

“Carers are the unsung heroes of our society. Over half give up work to care, and 33% are in debt. Yet they provide a service which is worth £87billion per year to the state.

“It is therefore very disappointing the Bath & North East Somerset PCT have chosen to spend money allocated for carers on other projects, with over 85% of the allocated money being spent on areas other than caring.

“The government must also take responsibility for the fact that this money isn’t reaching its intended target. They must put pressure on PCTs to spend this money on helping our carers.”

Council must act to replace number 12 bus – Foster

Bath MP Don Foster is calling on Bath & North East Somerset Council to find a new operator for the number 12 service, which has been axed without warning by First Bus.

Don said:

“It is disappointing that at a time when we are trying to encourage more people to use public transport that First Bus are once again putting their shareholders ahead of the public.

“The Council must now work to find a new operator for the 12 route, which is vital not just for those in Southdown, but also those who have to travel to Haycombe Cemetery.”

Bus service changes in the Bath area from 29 November

More changes to local bus services:

“I am writing to give you early notification of some service changes that we are planning to make in the Bath area and Wiltshire.

Over recent months the changes in the wider economy have meant that less people are travelling. To reflect this and better match our resources to current demand, we’re making some changes to local bus services from 29 November.

Buses between Chippenham and Bath will be changing following requests from customers and careful analysis of actual travel patterns. The services will be:

Service 231 – running every hour from Pewsham to Chippenham, following the existing route through Corsham and then to Bath.
Service 232 – running every hour, again from Pewsham to Chippenham, but following the current route of service 233 in Corsham, before continuing to Bath.

As a consequence, and due to low customer use since its introduction in February 2009, Service 233 will no longer run. There is no change on Sundays.

Elsewhere, we’ve aimed to minimise the impact of these changes on customers by where possible, concentrating on individual journeys where there are easily accessible alternative options. Several services will see a slight decrease in overall frequency to reflect the fall in demand.

We will no longer be operating Service 12, which runs between Bath City Centre and Whiteway, on a commercial basis on Monday – Saturday from 29 November due to low customer use. The tendered journeys on Sundays and Public Holidays will be unaffected for the time being. Bath and North East Somerset Council is considering options to provide a possible replacement service for the rest of the week.

Buses between Midsomer Norton and Bath via Peasedown St John will be changing with a bus running every 20 minutes rather than every 15 minutes at off peak times on Monday to Saturday. Services 173 (Bath – Wells), 178 (Bath – Bristol) and 184 (Bath – Frome) will all run hourly at off peak times.

The timetables of services 178 and 184 will be changing to ensure an even frequency, with most journeys on Service 184 leaving Bath 5 minutes later and 10 minutes earlier from Frome. The timetable of Service 173 and services on Sundays will not be changing.

Other changes include:

Service 2 – Combe Down – Ensleigh: Following customer requests, the journey leaving Ensleigh at 1832 will be extended to Combe Down rather than terminating at the City Centre. Two other journeys from Combe Down will leave slightly earlier: the current departure at 0722 will leave at 0719 from 29 November, and the bus departing at 0735 will leave five minutes earlier at 0730. Two morning journeys to Ensleigh will no longer run due to low customer use. These are the journeys leaving the City Centre at 0742 and Combe Down at 0825.

Service 5 – Bus Station – Twerton: Following customer requests to improve punctuality, the frequency of buses at off peak times on Monday to Friday and all day on Saturdays will be changed to run every 15 minutes rather than every 12 minutes. This will allow for congestion along the route especially on Lower Bristol Road. The stop at Lower Bristol Road, Twerton Arch will no longer be served due to safety concerns. The nearest alternative bus stops are at Lansdown View or at the junction of Shophouse Road and the High Street.

Service 13 – Foxhill – Bathford: To improve overall punctuality, the frequency of buses on Monday to Saturday will be changed to run every 15 minutes rather than every 20 minutes

Service X39 – Bath – Bristol: In line with customer demand, on weekday mornings, buses from Bath Bus Station between 0700 and 0900 will run every 15 minutes instead of every 12 minutes. Buses from Bristol Bus Station between 0800 and 1000 will also run every 15 minutes. Buses will continue to run every 12 minutes throughout the day at off peak times.

Service 179 Bath – Midsomer Norton (via Timsbury, Farnborough and High Littleton): At peak times on Monday to Saturdays, this service will be changing to run between Bath and Farnborough only. This affects three morning journeys and one afternoon journey – leaving Midsomer Norton at 0636, 0708 (0718 on Saturdays) and 0901, and the journey leaving Bath at 1730. Customers wishing to travel between Farnborough and Midsomer Norton at peak times may catch service 178. There are no changes at off peak times.

Service 234 – Chippenham – Frome: One journey currently leaving Chippenham Bus Station at 1625 (Mon – Sat) will leave 5 minutes later at 1630 to enable students at Chippenham college to catch the bus.

We plan to announce this to our customers shortly with on bus posters and leaflets. Information about these and other changes in Bristol, Weston and Somerset will also be available on our website from tomorrow.

Timetables will be available approximately two weeks before the change.

All changes are Monday to Friday unless stated.

Kind regards

Justin Davies
Managing Director
First Bristol Somerset and Avon

Open Bath park & ride on Sundays

Earlier this year Don Foster met with local business owners and discussed plans to boost the Bath economy during the recession. After this meeting Don formed his “8-point plan”, which included opening park & ride sites on Sundays.

Don has since met with Justin Davies, Chief Exec of First Group, who said they would be interested in running the park and ride buses on Sundays. Bath & North East Somerset Council indicated in May’s ‘Recession Action Plan’ that they would look to offer this service, but haven’t announced any further information.

Don said,

“Sunday is now a full trading day in Bath and opening our park & ride sites on Sundays will help to encourage shoppers into the city.

“It’s such an obvious thing to do, and would show our local businesses that we are serious about helping the city economy.

“The Council should at the very least be looking to implement this for a properly advertised trial period.”

You can support Don’s campaign by signing the petition at http://ourcampaign.org.uk/bathparkandride

Service changes in the Bath area from September 27

Today, all Councillors received this letter from Justin Davies – the Manageing Director of First Bus in this area:

I am writing to let you know about a number of changes that First is making to bus services from September 27.

In Bath, the main changes affect services for university students with the introduction of a new Service 419, and changes to timetables to offer better journey options.

The timetable of Service 18 (University of Bath – City Centre) will change slightly to ensure that there are evenly spaced departures in coordination with Service 418. An additional early evening journey is being added in, giving students greater opportunities to travel.

Following a request from Bath Spa University, the Monday – Saturday timetable of Service 418 (University of Bath – City Centre – Bath Spa University) is changing slightly so that all arrivals and departures from Bath Spa University leave 10 minutes earlier. An additional early evening journey has also been added into the timetable, giving students more opportunities to travel.

I am pleased to announce that from 27 September a new Service 419 will run between the University of Bath and Bath Spa University operating during the morning and evening peak hours. This will provide a direct link for the student halls of residence on the Lower Bristol Road. Buses will follow the route of Service 418 in the main, but will run along the Lower Bristol Road rather than Windsor Bridge and Newbridge Road, giving students in the area more opportunities to travel. Service 410 will no longer run. Customers may catch services 18 or 418 alternatively.

There are also minor changes, mainly on Monday to Saturday, to services 2, 5, 17 and 234 to improve punctuality and reliability. Please click here for more information along with details of changes in Bristol, Weston, Wells and Somerset:
http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/southwest/bristol/service_changes/

Yours sincerely

Justin Davies
Managing Director
First Bristol Somerset and Avon

Conservatives refuse to try for hostel cash

Conservative politicians on Bath and North East Somerset have refused to re-open negotiations with the Government to try to secure funding for a hostel for the homeless in Bath.

Government funding for the hostel scheme was withdrawn in May due to concerns about timetables and deliverability. However, having made direct contact with the Homes and Communities Agency, Councillor Will Sandry (Liberal Democrat co-Shadow Cabinet member for healthier communities and older people and Liberal Democrat Councillor for Oldfield), was in a position to propose re-establishing dialogue with a view to reapplying for funding.

Cllr Sandry’s amendment was rejected by the Conservative administration of B&NES Council, although a smaller, local package of funding was adopted unanimously.

Councillor Sandry commented:

“My proposal offered the Cabinet member the opportunity to review the project, re-engage with the HCA and bring in local homelessness organisations, such as Julian House and others, on to the new project team.

“The money allocated by Council tonight was welcome, but it can only provide an incomplete solution to the complex needs of homeless people in Bath.

“Even though my proposals were unsuccessful on the night, I hope that the Cabinet member will reflect on them and, for the benefit of some of those most at need in our community, implement them.”

Questions over resignation of PCT Chief Executive

Councillor Loraine Morgan-Brinkhurst, Liberal Democrat co-Shadow Cabinet member for healthier communities and older people, has put the Council Leadership on the spot over the sudden resignation of the Chief Executive of B&NES PCT, announced this week.

Cllr Morgan-Brinkhurst said:

The merger of B&NES social services with the Primary Care Trust is one of the biggest structural changes facing the Council. This is a long process which is only part way through.

I am very concerned that we have only just lost the Council’s social services Director due to the merger and then, within three months of her leaving, we hear that we will be losing the other key officer in the local health service within the next six months.

“I am concerned about the uncertainty this may cause and I am not reassured by the answer I received from the Leader of Council.

The PCT Chief Executive, Rhona McDonald, steered us through this the beginning of this merger; we’re not there yet so we need a steady hand at the tiller – who knows what icebergs are ahead?

Don backs Live Music Bill

Bath MP Don Foster is backing the Live Music Bill put forward by Lib Dem Peer Lord Clement-Jones. Don has also signed a petition on the number 10 website, calling on the government to change laws which came into place as part of the 2003 Licensing Act.

The Live Music Bill aims to revive live music by:

• Creating an exemption from licences for the performance of any live music in a pub or similar venue

• Reintroducing the rule allowing up to two performers to play live music anywhere without the need for a licence

• Enabling hospitals, schools and colleges to perform live music without the need for licences

Don said, “When the licensing laws were changed in 2003 we were promised an explosion of live music, but in reality many small scale events have been stifled by bureaucracy.

This Bill will not only make it easier for local musicians to get a gig, but it will help small venues who cannot cope with the cost of applying for a license.

It is time that common sense prevailed, and small venues, hospitals and schools were allowed to host live music without having to cope with an expensive, bureaucratic nightmare.

Good news from the Police: Crime fall, detection and satisfaction up…

We have recently had our monthly newsletter from Superintendent Gary Davies who is the most senior police officer in Bath and North east Somerset. He states in his newsletter that:

-8.3% crime reduction compared to last year
35.3% detection rate
86.5% customer satisfaction rate

This is good news and Superintendent Gary Davies focus on improving the level of satisfaction of those who use the police service is working. Local the police have made a number of changes which include introducing a local phone number for victims to ring, the role of a victim advocate who contacts victims to make sure their needs are met, as well as working on a cultural shift by my staff to be more victim centred. As a result safisfaction levels have risen between July 2008 to July 2009, as outlined below:

Burglary: From 89.7% to 97.1%
Racist Incidents: 77.8% to 82.8%
Vehicle Crime: 75.8% to78.5%
Violent Crime: 78.4% to 82.6%
Antisocial Behaviour: 65.1% to 70.0%
Overall: 81.6% to 86.5%

It is very pleasing to see such improvement and the police plan to focus on the follow up service for antisocial behaviour .

The 97.1% result in satisfaction with our response to burglary is excellent, buy providing excellent follow up services to victims of burglary does not take away what an awful experience it is. This needs to be alongside the obvious task of trying to catch those responsible.

Finally is is excellent news that the overall crime detection rate at 35.3% remains the highest in the Force and is now third highest in the comparison out of 15 other similar areas across the country.

Proposed expansion of car club scheme to Canterbury Road

The Council is proposing to install a new Car Club parking bay at various locations in the city including on Canterbury Road (adjacent to 56 Winchester Road), here in Oldfield Park.

These bays will be for the sole purpose of parking and storage of cars connected with the Car Club Scheme. The Car Club bays will be subject to a Traffice Regulation Order, and parking will not be permitted for any vehicles not contected to this scheme.

Local residents have 15 days to comment or object to these proposals. You can email your comments or objections to parking@bathnes.gov.uk by 21st August 2009.

Other locations for new bays include: Bathwick Hill, Kennington Road, St. Michael’s Road, Sydney Buildings, Sydney Place, The Circus, Triangle East, Vane Street and St. James’s Square.