BANES Liberal Democrat council leader accidentally sent an email warning about “political opponents” to all of his political opponents on the council.
The email sent by leader Cllr Kevin Guy warned that opposition councillors were trying to “spread misinformation and attack the administration” in a weekly email intended for local Liberal Democrats.
But alongside major party donor Baron Paul Strasburger and local Lib Dem MPs, the email also copied to a mailing list for every councillor on the council.
One Green councillor said the email was an attempt to “smear” those holding the administration to account.
A member of the Liberal Democrat administration admitted the email had been sent “in error” but defended its claims as accurate.
Mr Guy’s email began with updates about his work in the last week before addressing the controversy around a new cycle lane in Bath’s Royal Victoria Park (RVP).
Roadworks on the controversial £2.35m project for a contraflow cycle lane in Royal Victoria Park began on October 19 but by October 22, the council halted the work admitting it had missed a major objection to the scheme due to “technical and administrative oversight.”
Walk Ride Bath who campaigns for and promotes cycling in the city raised personal safety concerns about putting the cycle path through a park, yet their nine-page long objection to the scheme was not read at the council.
Now the council’s director of place management has revoked the formal traffic regulation order (TRO) so that the council can consider the objection.
In his email to his Liberal Democrat group, the leader wrote: “The RVP project should be a really good news story with improvements to lighting, pavements and crossings, as well as a cycle route aimed at giving pedestrians and cyclists their own safe routes.
“Unfortunately, our political opponents are using this project to spread misinformation and attack the administration.
“We’re going to see more of this as we approach the election, so please do rely on and highlight official sources of information. Please don’t amplify our opponents’ campaigns.”
Green councillor, Saskia Heijltjes, who has been a critic of the scheme, said: “It is a serious accusation for the leader of council and former deputy mayor of WECA to suggest that questions on the process to spend public money is “disinformation”. […] His comments are disingenuous and appear to want to smear anyone including those holding this administration to account.”
The cycle lane through Royal Victoria Park is not only opposed by the Greens. 84 percent of the 261 people who responded to a consultation on the scheme were against it alongside almost 3,000 people who signed a petition against it.
The £2.35m scheme would see some parking removed so that a new contraflow cycle lane can be installed along part of the one-way 10mph road that loops around the interior of the park.
The project would also see a new zebra crossing installed on neighbouring Park Lane, resurfaced pavements and new accessible crossing points in the park, and new lighting.