Opposition Councillors in B&NES have tabled an official challenge, or ‘call in’, to last week’s Cabinet decision to press ahead with the East of Bath Park and Ride.

The call in was signed by Councillors from all opposition political parties on B&NES Council (Lib-Dem, Labour, and Green) and it will mean the decision will be brought to one of the Council’s watchdog committees of Councillors for further scrutiny in public session.

Following this, if the call in is upheld by the panel, the Cabinet will be forced to reconsider their decision within ten working days. However, if the call in is dismissed, the original decision will be implemented.

Councillor Alison Millar (Bathavon North, Lib Dem), who will be the lead Councillor on the call in, commented: “We are challenging this decision on a wide range of different grounds which the Conservative administration failed properly to consider before signing off on the Park and Ride last week, and which render that decision unsound. This call in is one of the few powers available to opposition Councillors to hold the Cabinet to account and force them to prove their case.”

“Failures in the way this terrible proposal has been handled include: inaccuracies and omissions in the report supplied to cabinet; the stakeholder consultation, which was very poorly constructed and which they ultimately ignored; muddled language in the recommendations; and the lack of tangible evidence justifying this project overall.”

“Of particular concern is the huge public outcry which has occurred since the decision. In the last few days, several prominent individuals who live in Bath have added their voices to express their concern. Surely this should be setting alarm bells ringing? It’s not too late for the Cabinet to step back from the breach; to decide to preserve the green belt for the purpose for which it is intended, and to focus its efforts on producing effective solutions to the congestion and pollution problems of this city.”

Councillor Joe Rayment (Twerton, Labour), added: “I truly hope that the scrutiny panel which assesses this call in request will look very carefully at our arguments and the strength of public opinion, and councillors will ignore party loyalties for the good of our area.

“It is vitally important that this decision is not taken lightly – given the irreversible nature of concreting over a meadow – and it is right that the Cabinet should think again.

“Labour are steadfast in their opposition to the plan as approved, and we will continue to work with Liberal Democrats, Greens and even rebel Conservatives to ensure that construction work never begins on this ill-conceived project.”Reacting to the call-in, Councillor Anthony Clarke (Conservative, Lansdown), said: “In all the years the Lib-Dems ran the Council, they failed to take any meaningful action to improve traffic and transport in the city. So it’s a shame that, alongside Labour and Green Councillors, the Lib-Dems are now trying to block any attempts to deliver much-needed improvements to Bath’s transport infrastructure. “For too long, Bath has been let down by stop-start projects and a lack of investment in its transport infrastructure. “That’s why, in 2014, councillors from all political parties came together and agreed upon a comprehensive Transport Strategy for Bath that included new and expanded Park and Ride provision. It’s therefore disappointing that Labour and the Lib-Dems have decided to abandon working cross-party for the long-term good of the city and have instead returned to opposing much-needed investment in Bath’s transport infrastructure.“The Lib-Dems’ latest stance is particularly surprising, given the significant amount of time and money they spent on the project when they were running the Council.” Commenting on the need for an East of Bath Park and Ride, Councillor Tim Warren added: “A new eastern Park & Ride is an important part of our wider plan to improve transport, tackle congestion and support the growth of our local economy. “We have followed a robust process to assess the need and demand for an eastern Park and Ride, and looked exhaustively at all the various site options in deciding upon our preferred site. We have taken on board all the comments received, and will go to great lengths to ensure the Park and Ride is sensitive to its surroundings and screened from view. “Bath is set to see significant economic growth in the coming years, but with these new jobs will come increased traffic, unless action is taken now. Alongside other measures such as improved rail services, more cycling provision, and an A36-A46 link road, an eastern Park and Ride will play an important role in helping address Bath’s well-known transport issues. “It’s for these reasons the Park and Ride has received wide support from local business organisations, residents associations and transport groups.”