Two senior women Councillors are calling on Bath & North East Somerset Council to do more to help women feel safe whilst out walking at night.

Cllr Sarah Bevan and Cllr Karen Walker (Independents, Peasedown St John) – both former Chairwomen of the Local Authority, say more needs to be done to ensure women aren’t at risk from abuse on our streets.

In particular, they are asking for the lighting at Odd Down’s Park & Ride to be improved and extended into the midnight hours.

Cllr Sarah Bevan said: “All women, and indeed everyone, has the right to feel safe and secure when they are walking the streets at night.

"As part of a cross-party group of women councillors looking at the issue of night-time safety, Cllr Karen Walker and I have called for the lighting at Odd Down Park & Ride to be extended.

"The current lighting cut off time of 9.30 pm just isn’t acceptable when people are able to collect their vehicles much later.”

At present, lighting at the Odd Down Park & Ride is on from 6.15 am until 9.30 pm, with no lighting at all on Sundays. Drivers are able, however, to access the site to collect their vehicles at any time.

Cllr Karen Walker added: “If a woman is collecting her car at midnight after working late, she’ll be doing so in the dark. The safety of women on our streets is paramount, which is why we want the Council to take action on this issue.”

The Peasedown St John Councillors are calling for one of two options:

the current lighting arrangements to be extended until 1am, with Park & Ride lights also switched-on during Sundays, or

new environmentally friendly lighting to be kept on 24/7

Both Councillors were awarded Suffragette Spirit Awards in 2018 by Amnesty International for their work on championing and speaking out for the rights of women who are marginalised and discriminated against.

Bath & North East Somerset Council, in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard, has been looking at ways to ensure women are safe on our local streets.