Good Neighbours

Love your neighbourIn and around Oldfield Park this week most of us – long standing residents and new members of the community alike have new neighbours nearby.

We live in a diverse community and the vast majority of neighbours get on well. Sadly at any time, and in any community there can be misunderstandings between neighbours about issues such as noise, bins, trees, hedges and parking to name but a few.

We’ve set out our top tips for getting on well with your neighbours, with advice in the unlikely event things don’t go as smoothly as you might want.

Introduce yourself to your new neighbours:

  • Take a moment to think about what the needs and expectations of your neighbours might be.
  • You don’t have to become best friends (or fall in love), but starting out on good speaking terms will set the foundation for a happy home for each household.
  • If you’re new to the area use the opportunity to ask your neighbours their advice about the local community – waste and recycling days, local shops, takeaways, or going out recommendations.

If you believe your neighbour’s behaviour is anti-social – and it stops you enjoying your home:

  • Speak with your neighbour.
  • Explaining the issue and why you are not happy is always the best plan.
  • Wait and see what your neighbour does to put things right, but if you’re not happy…

Speak with your neighbour again

  • Keep calm, try a different approach, and explain why you’re still not happy.
  • Wait and see what your neighbour does to put things right, but if you’re still not happy…

Contact Council Connect

  • Tel: 01225 394041 (office hours service) or email council_connect@bathnes.gov.uk
  • Explain the problem. Council Connect will direct your call or email to a department who should be able to help.
  • If you are a student living in the area; or you believe that the neighbour being antisocial is a student please mention this to Council Connect.  Council Connect are able to ask the Student Community Partnership‘s Community Co-ordinator to advise and assist you both.

Let’s enjoy Oldfield Park’s fantastic community, this year, next year, every year, and all year round.

Extra Dog Poo Patrols for Linear Park

Linear Park Warning Aug 13Will and David have received complaints from members of the local community about recent heavy dog fouling in specific areas along the Linear Park.

Cllr David Dixon has asked the Council’s Dog Warden service to increase their partols in the park.

Notices have been put up to remind dog walkers to be responsible whilst using the park and to provide all residents with contact details for the Dog Warden.

You can learn more about the Council’s Dog Warden service by following this link.

A new dawn

new dawnFrom today it becomes illegal to convert a family home in to a Home in Multiple Occupation (HMO) within the City of Bath without planning permission.

The Council has set a planning policy which means that if there are already 25% of homes in an area in use as a HMO, planning permission will be refused. In practical terms this means there can be no new HMOs in Oldfield Park.

Cllr Will Sandry said: “This is great day for our community. A strong, sustainable community that can grow and flourish needs a mix of housing types and tenure; one type of use must not be allowed to dominate.

This brings to the end a long campaign to protect the community where I love to live. Cllr David Dixon and I have worked hard on this issue, as did former Councillor Shaun McGall. I must also thank all Liberal Democrat Councillors on B&NES Council – without their support this new policy would never have been delivered.”

For detailed information about this new policy please visit the Council Website:  www.bathnes.gov.uk/hmo

To review all the news stories for this long running campaign please visit: http://oldfield.mycouncillor.org.uk/categories/HMO%20Housing%20Issues/

Top Tip for Students

moving out poster 2012University of Bath and Bath Spa University students can now use their NUS card to access the Council’s Recycling Centres instead of getting a separate Recycling Centre Resident’s Permit.

Cllr David Dixon said: “I want to make it as easy and straightforward as possible for students to manage their waste and recycling as they move away for the summer. When the Vice Chancellor’s office at Bath Spa University contacted me via twitter about this, I was keen to implement immediately. This simple measure reduces administration for the Council and enables students as easy access to the recycling centre as all other B&NES residents.”

Cllr Will Sandry who is also Chairman of The Student Community Partnership (SCP) said: “This initiative is very welcome; many landlords use waste left behind in properties as a reason to withhold student deposits. Being able to use their NUS cards to access the recycling centres is a great benefit to the students in our community. It builds on the work of the SCP who are just completing their summer moving out campaign to help students best manage their household waste and recycling.

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

HMO investors beware

hmo investorsIf as expected, the Council confirms the Article 4 direction removing permitted development rights to change a family home into a HMO from 1st July 2013 you may find yourself with a property you can’t develop.

Despite these changes being widely known to estate agents, some are suggesting that historical (but not current) HMO use of the property means that it can be used as a HMO without planning permission. This is incorrect.

If a property is not currently in use as an HMO you will need to apply for planning permission to use it as a HMO from 1st July 2013. Visit the Council’s advice pages on HMO’s for further information. www.bathnes.gov.uk/hmo

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.”