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Journey to Net Zero: public consultation January 2022

Residents of Bath

Bath City Centre is a vibrant and dynamic area. Its economy and residents rely on the efficient movement of goods in and out of the city. But this must, and can, be done in a way that does not affect the quality of life or the urban environment. 

Through more efficient use of road space, we can create better connected, healthier and more sustainable communities. Public areas become desirable destinations, not just thoroughfares, easily accessible by sustainable modes of transport, making more vibrant and liveable places.

Progress so far

A number of projects are already in place which will improve air quality, health, wellbeing and community in local neighbourhoods within Bath.

  • Bath's Clean Air Zone, operational since March 2021, is already having an impact on air quality in the city. 
  • Active Travel schemes are in development to improve connectivity and safety for people travelling by bike, scooter and on foot. View recent public consultations on schemes in Upper Bristol Road and Beckford Road. 
  • Phase 1 of our Liveable Neighbourhoods projects are underway, with a recent public consultation to gather views on what measures we can introduce to rebalance public space and reduce the dominance of cars in 15 areas within Bath and the wider district.
  • We have been working alongside the police to improve security within the city centre by reducing vehicle access to well-used public spaces and buildings. Whilst the primary objective is security, these changes are in line with our Liveable Neighbourhoods strategy.

Current challenges 

Public streets are places where people and communities should be able to connect and interact – but the level of vehicle access in Bath has traditionally been at the cost of more sustainable modes of transport.
Bath’s road network occupies a large proportion of the city’s public space, but is dominated by vehicles. Many of the historic roads and structures, such as Cleveland Bridge, were not designed for the heavy goods vehicles or volume of traffic that we have to manage today.

Cycle parking in the city centre is limited, and as such, is often full. More on-street bike lockers and places to securely leave bicycles will help relieve this current challenge.
A gradual decline of Bath’s streets and public spaces, as a result of the increasing dominance of vehicular traffic, has resulted in a sometimes tired and cluttered city centre which can be difficult to navigate on foot, and risks undermining Bath’s success as a city.

What you've told us

In response to our consultation in early 2021, people felt the most important solutions to create improved places to live and work in Bath were reallocation of road space, a network of key routes and removing traffic from the city centre. 
Around half of respondents said that reducing Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) is important. The most supported ideas were reducing road freight in the city centre and implementing zero emission last-mile delivery services. View more detailed information on these concepts on the section for businesses. 

What the new plan means for you

Our vision

We want to create better-connected, healthier and more sustainable communities, through more efficient use of road space.

Enjoying Bath on foot

  • If we reallocate road space to people on foot, this benefits trade in nearby shops.
  • An increasingly pedestrian-focused city centre will create a vibrant and liveable location for people to work, shop and live. Maintaining disabled access, and routes for bus, taxi, bike and scooter will ensure that Bath is a destination for all.

Sustainable access

  • We will improve travel into the city along key corridors by sustainable modes of transport, making it much easier to enjoy all parts of the city, regardless of where you live.

Transforming our approach to vehicle use

  • Car clubs will provide temporary access to a vehicle when needed, at a reasonable price. This will encourage people people who don't currently own a car that it's unnecessary to buy one.
  • Cars in Bath spend 96% of their time parked, rather than in use. As a result, their impact on neighbourhood streets is disproportionate to the use value that owners get out of them. We aim, through the growth of car clubs, to encourage some existing car owners to switch to using a car club, so removing parked cars from the road.
  • Both on-street and off-street electric vehicle charging will support the transition towards electric vehicles, making this more convenient than the current trip to a petrol station that most owners have to make.
  • The provision of off-street electric vehicle charging locations at community and transport hubs could facilitate more local economic activity, with people potentially going to local shops and cafes while vehicles are charging.
  • We recognise the significant economic benefits of tourists arriving by coach in Bath. We plan to better manage routes and parking for coaches, to reduce their intrusion upon the city’s environment and the lives of residents.

Reducing the impact of deliveries

  • A rail freight facility would have the potential to remove a significant number of heavy goods vehicles from road corridors into the city, providing space for other modes, including travel on foot, by bike, and by bus.
  • Consolidation centres will reduce the need for heavy goods vehicles to enter the city. Instead, they can unload deliveries onto smaller light goods vehicles or e-cargo bikes, rather than driving through central areas. This will improve road conditions and air quality, and reduce the cost of deliveries.
  • E-cargo bikes and other zero emission last-mile delivery services will provide easy access to the city centre and other hard-to-reach areas.
  • Through working with businesses, we plan to manage larger freight movements and deliveries to avoid rush hour times. This will reduce road congestion, making deliveries quicker and more efficient for businesses and their customers, and reducing travel times for all peak-time road users.

Find out more

To learn more about parts of the plan which will benefit you in particular, you may want to explore the following sections of the plan.

Themes

Future projects