B&NES Council’s Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel for Communities, Transport and Environment will be reviewing the recent decision made by the Cabinet for a Park and Ride site to the East of Bath. The decision will be discussed at the next panel meeting on Thursday, 23rd February which starts at 2 p.m., at the Guildhall, Bath.

This item of the meeting (known as a ‘Call-In’) will consider the process leading to the Cabinet decision, taken on 25th January. The cross-party panel will consider reasons for the decision and the Call-In request, before recommending one of three options: the Cabinet should reconsider the decision; the Cabinet should proceed as agreed, or it should refer the matter to the full Council to carry out the role of the panel in reviewing the decision process (if this option is chosen, the final decision would still reside with the Cabinet).

The Call-In follows a decision by the Cabinet to consider which site should be promoted as a Park and Ride East of Bath. The Cabinet resolved to note that both sites F and B could deliver the required outcomes for a Park and Ride site to the East of Bath.

2. Refuse that site F with 800 or 1,200 spaces should be promoted as the preferred site.

3. Authorise: a) That site B with 800 spaces should be promoted as the preferred site for a new Park and Ride East of Bath based on the advice in the report, but subject to satisfactory arrangements for the purchase of the site and agreement from Highways England on access.

b) If site B is not deliverable for the above reasons, within a reasonable timescale, then site F should be progressed.

4. Delegate authority to the Strategic Director (Place), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport, to make all necessary arrangements to implement the above, including, as necessary, the appropriation of land under Section 122 of the Local Government Act 1972.

5. Approve all necessary expenditure to enable the site to be secured and request the development of a full business plan for appropriate executive approval.

6. Fully approve an additional £500,000 to support delivery of the next steps.

Subsequently, thirteen councillors formally asked for the Cabinet Member’s decision to be reviewed – or called-in. Some of the reasons for the call-in include concerns with how residents were engaged during the consultation process, insufficient consideration of the conclusions from the Policy Development and Scrutiny Inquiry day into alternative integrated transport solutions; too much weight placed on the report from the Local Development Framework Recommendations and that the Cabinet report was misleading, incomplete and inaccurate.

At the public meeting, the Scrutiny Panel will receive a statement from both Cllr Anthony Clarke (Cons., Lansdown), Cabinet Member for Transport, and from Alison Millar on behalf of Councillors who requested the call-in.

The Panel is also keen to hear from local people and stakeholders who have a view on this issue. Members of the public wishing to speak at the meeting should contact: 01225 394458 by 5 p.m. on 20th February. Full details at: www.bathnes.gov.uk in the ‘Council and Democracy’ section.

More on the reaction to the call-in on Page 6 of The Journal this week.