Bath Urban Extension

FAQ - other issues that need to be taken into account

2008-05-03T20:23:00.012+01:00

Question - What else will the council take into account in trying to make a decision ?

Answer - As well as transport links and density of housing, the council will take into account how communities link together.

What it won't want to do is have seperate communities. There will be a need to integrate the old and the new.

It will take into account areas where bats fly, they are a protected species and their habitats will need to be protected.

It will want to have a say on design, all there areas we have been told to look at are sensitive areas.

Pictures - More Twerton

2008-05-03T20:20:00.003+01:00

Pictures Twerton A4

2008-05-03T20:17:00.002+01:00

Picture from Old Fosse Road

2008-05-03T20:15:00.003+01:00

Pictures - Pennyquick

2008-05-03T20:04:00.005+01:00

FAQ - Issues

2008-05-03T08:11:00.005+01:00

Question If we have to build all these houses will there be any new money for roads ?

Answer - No, the point of the urban extension is that it is cheap, it will cost the government nothing. Any roads or other infrastructure will have to be funded from within the development or from the council tax.

Question How are they going to improve Pennyquick, if houses are built there ?

Answer - We don't know, we haven't welcomed this urban extension, the government wants it in place.

Question -Is this the same for the Wellsway or the A367

Answer - Yes

FAQ - Could the Council Oppose the plans

2008-05-03T07:58:00.005+01:00

Question Could the council oppose the plans

Answer - We could oppose them, but the only place we can do this is the courts. This runs the risk of a large bill as there is no guarantee of success.

If a developer puts in a plan in an area that the council disagrees
with, the person that has the final say is the government.

In planning there is a right of appeal for the developer if turned down to a government inspector. This is the same team that recommended that we build the houses in the first place.

If the council plans where the houses go, we can retain a little bit of control.

Question is this fair ?

Answer no it isn't but that is what happens

FAQ Search Area

2008-05-03T07:54:00.004+01:00

Question - what is the search area ?

Answer - The search area is from the Cross Keys pub in Combe Down righ round and including Carrs Wood in Twerton.

This is the fields around Sulis Meadows, around Odd Down Park and Ride, along Old Fosse Road, along Rush Hill, both sides of Pennyquick to the Globe, and along the A4 to Bath, both sides.

Question Is this not beautiful land ?

Answer Yes, it appears the Government inspector didn't care just look at the housing numbers.

FAQ - House density

2008-05-03T07:48:00.002+01:00

Question What about housing density ?

Answer Housing density is important, higher density means less land is used, however it can mean smaller gardens. It can mean more stories on a house if there are flats. One of the issues the council will have to decide is housing density.

Sulis Meadows is around 45 houses per hectare

Interesting article from the Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2002/jul/31/urbandesign.architecture

FAQ - Why the South of Bath

2008-05-02T20:32:00.003+01:00

Question Why the South of Bath ?

Answer The majority of Bath is surrounded by green belt including the south of Bath, it just happens that the rest of the area around Bath is designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty AONB.

Question Why is this area not AONB ?

It is just as beautiful as other areas, an in places more so, it appear it was just never designated.

FAQ - Why an Urban Extension

2008-05-02T20:25:00.002+01:00

Question Why are we looking at an Urban Extension for Bath

Answer The council has been directed by the South West Regional Assembly under instruction from the Government to explore an Urban Extension for Bath. If you want to read the guidance from the Regional Assembly the full report is contained here.

http://www.southwesteip.co.uk/downloads/FinalSouthwestEiP.pdf

Purpose

2008-04-30T18:52:00.001+01:00

The purpose of this blog is to communicate what is happeing with the Bath Urban Extension. Comments will be moderated, but this is just to remove spam, any non defamatory comments whether they are critical or not will be published.