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AGM 28 November 2020

 

Report from Chairman and Committee

(also promulgated as newsletter)

 


Dear Riversiders


What a difference a year makes! Last November when we asked you for guidance on RCV priorities for 2020 we certainly did not foresee the extraordinary situation which hit the country and the world in the spring and continues to affect our daily lives as we move towards Christmas 2020.


Coronavirus

 

At the start of the first lockdown in March, RCV invited Riverside residents to join a roster of people who were willing to lend a hand to neighbours who might be struggling with food shopping, prescription collection etc or simply wanted a chat on the phone. We had a good response to this invitation. We were able to respond to a number of one-off requests and paired some people with longer-term needs with volunteers who could commit to providing regular assistance. We linked up with Compassionate Community, the Bath & Northeast Somerset hub for the voluntary sector, also known as 3SG. Over the summer we began to redirect people needing assistance to 3SG. And of course lots of informal support took place among Riverside neighbours, without any co-ordination being needed.


Sadly we were not able to hold our customary RCV Bring and Share parties this year, but we very much hope to rectify this in 2021!


Crest Nicholson

 

Progress on resolving the many outstanding issues has been depressingly slow. There are some reasons for optimism but there is still much to do. In the late summer responsibility for the Riverside transferred to Crest Nicolson South West whose Director of Customer Services is Mark Stadden. This led to an improvement in communication, but not as much progress on getting the work done as we would like. More recently Stuart Rathband has been appointed by Crest to deal with the outstanding issues. We wish him well with this important role.


Pinnacle

 

We have had regular meetings with Josef Fischbacher of Pinnacle Property Management who shares our frustration at the slow progress on Crest Nicolson issues. Generally speaking we consider that the site manager, Dennis Harris, and his small team do a good job on day-to-day management of the estate. We are pleased that new contractors have been appointed to manage the communal gardens and that residents have had an opportunity to get involved with management of the contracts.


Planning issues

 

Although many activities ground to a halt during lockdown, this is not true of the development sites immediately around the Riverside. We have commented on live planning applications or pre-applications for the Homebase site, the Regency Laundry site, the Dick Lovett sites and the waste depot site. We are also expecting to see a revised application for the Bath Press site. The common thread which runs through all the proposals is that they are attempting to squeeze too much into their locations and are too high and lacking in open space. I am grateful to Trish Fosbury who stepped forward early this year in response to our request for help in assessing these planning proposals. 


Traffic management

 

At long last the Destructor Bridge opened to motor vehicles in October. However the signage for the bus gate was incorrect, with the result that the bus gate could not be enforced. The signage has now been replaced and we expect B&NES to begin issuing penalty notices any time now. There has been some recent enforcement action against cars parking on the pavement in the Sovereign Point area. 


RCV is concerned that there is quite a lot of ad hoc parking outside the allocated areas and this may intensify as drivers seek to avoid the bus gate restrictions. We plan to take stock with Pinnacle in January to see whether more pro-active management is needed.


Charging for electric vehicles

 

There is a growing demand for charging points to be installed. This is likely to increase, but the cost will be regarded by some as prohibitive. Pinnacle have asked whether RCV could identify someone with an interest in this who could work with Josef to find the best way forward. If you are interested in getting involved please have a word with any of the committee members.


And finally…

 

We say goodbye and thank you to Victoria Alexander who has been such a constructive Treasurer and Membership Secretary for the last couple of years. She will be a hard act to follow! Thanks go too to Tony Swinnerton who is stepping down from the committee.


Jane Brown

Chairman

Riverside Community Voice

November 2020

RCV Newsletter April 2020

Dear Riversiders, 

As I write this newsletter on yet another beautiful spring day, it is hard to believe how the world has changed around us in just a few short weeks. Words and phrases we had never heard of (‘social distancing’, ‘self-isolation’) are now common currency and will have a permanent impact on our way of life.

Coronavirus

At the start of the lockdown RCV invited residents to join a roster of people who were willing to lend a hand to neighbours who might be struggling with food shopping, prescription collection etc or simply wanted a chat on the phone. We had a good response to this invitation – so much so that we have more volunteer helpers than requests for support. We have responded to a number of one-off requests and have paired some people with longer-term needs with volunteers who can commit to providing regular assistance. We have linked up with Compassionate Community, the Bath & Northeast Somerset hub for the voluntary sector, and have fulfilled requests from them. Like us, they have received many volunteers and have not yet been able to assign all of them. We may yet receive more requests from them. We are also in touch with Riverside Church which (in normal times) meets at Hayesfield Lower School in Brougham Hayes. They too have people who are willing to support in whatever way they can. And of course there is lots of informal support taking place among neighbours, without any co-ordination being needed.

If you volunteered in response to the RCV invitation and you haven’t heard from us, don’t worry. We may well call on you shortly. Alternatively, if you no longer want to be on the list of volunteers please send an email to chair@riversidecommunityvoice.org.uk and we will remove you from the list.  

Please keep an eye out for any vulnerable neighbours at this difficult time and if appropriate encourage them to seek help by emailing chair@riversidecommunityvoice.org.uk or calling me (Jane Brown) on 07977 156959.

On a lighter note, did you know that several of the Green Park Farmers’ Market stalls offer weekly online ordering and delivery to your door? Have a look at their website www.bathfarmersmarket.org.uk to see what’s on offer. A great way to add a bit of variety to your diet and support some of our local businesses.

Pinnacle

We are keeping in touch with the Pinnacle team during the lockdown. Although the office is closed the team are continuing to manage the refuse and recycling collections and the cleaning of the communal areas. Any safety inspections which fall due are taking place as scheduled and contracts are in place with local firms to enable a quick response to any urgent maintenance issues. Maintenance of the communal garden areas is also continuing. A new contractor is due to take over responsibility for maintaining these areas at the beginning of May.

The overnight security guard continues to be employed so that any problems which occur after dark can be dealt with promptly.

The seagull nesting season is approaching and we have asked Pinnacle to confirm with the contractor and B&NES that the deterrent programme will go ahead as scheduled.

There is no progress on the transfer of responsibility for the management of the Riverside estate from Crest Nicholson to Pinnacle. Scaffolding went up in mid March on several of the apartment blocks, just days before lockdown. We understand that this was so that contractors employed by Crest could carry out a detailed survey of the leaking roofs. Nothing has happened since and Pinnacle is maintaining its position – which RCV supports – that it will only agree to take on the overall responsibility once the leaking roofs and other defects have been satisfactorily resolved. We will need to press Crest for rapid action as the prospects of relaxation of the lockdown become clearer.

We miss Coffee#1 and CLASS and hope to see them back on site when the restrictions are eased. In the meantime CLASS are running on-line fitness videos and live classes.

Neighbouring developments

Although all seems very quiet at the moment, there is a lot of activity behind the scenes as developers seek planning permission for the brownfield sites round about us. The sites concerned include:

• The Homebase site. 20/00259/FUL. RCV welcomed the proposal to redevelop the site as a later life community but submitted a detailed objection (link) focussing on the excessive density, the unsympathetic colour palette, the impact on residents of the Albert Triangle, traffic management, lack of measures to deter gulls and the cumulative impact of all the proposed developments along the Lower Bristol Road. We understand that revised plans have been submitted which will address some of these concerns, but will reserve judgement until the revisions are published. RCV will continue to work closely with residents of the Albert Triangle who will be particularly affected by this development.
• The Dick Lovett site. This proposal has been published for pre-application consultation, to be conducted electronically because of the lockdown. This will be a mixed-use development (part residential Build to Rent, part purpose built student accommodation). This consultation includes the Mini site which was the subject of a separate planning application. The developers are Dick Lovett and Watkins Jones. RCV committee has met once with the consultants advising the developers and has requested a further meeting before the closing date of 9 May.
• The Waste Depot site 19/05471/ERES . This proposal is being brought forward by AEQUUS which is B&NES’ own property development company. The architects are Stride Treglown. It is a residential scheme to provide around 176 residential units plus commercial/community space between Upper Bristol Road and the river, where the recycling depot currently stands.
• Bath Riverside West. This is the large derelict area on the south side of the river between Midland Road and Windsor Bridge Road, where the gasometers were located. It was to be the second phase of the Crest Nicholson development. Now that Crest Nicholson is withdrawing from Bath, the intention is that the site will be developed by St William, a joint venture between the Berkeley Group and the National Grid which specialises in the regeneration of former gas work sites. At the moment it looks as if nothing is likely to happen quickly. The Bath Western Riverside Masterplan prescribes the broad outlines of the development so the scope for public comments will be limited.
• St Peter’s Laundry (Regency Cleaners). Pre-application consultation has been completed on yet another proposal for purpose - built student accommodation in the Lower Bristol Rd. We await a planning application.

This is a formidable programme of development and the RCV Committee would very much welcome some support from members as we work out how best to influence the Council’s decisions. We are concerned not just about aspects of the individual proposals but also about the cumulative impact of all this development on the congested Lower Bristol Road. We are not convinced that the Council’s transport planners are looking at the bigger picture. And we are worried about pressure on Elizabeth Park which will be the only significant green space in this area. So if you are interested in planning issues and could spare a little time to help us to participate effectively in all the consultations which lie ahead we would love to hear from you.

Social activities

We had hoped to have another Bring and Share picnic in early summer, but that will have to wait until current restrictions are relaxed. The same applies to the proposal to revive the RCV walking group. We will keep a close watch on the guidelines for social distancing and will aim to reinstate the proposals as soon as we can.

Finally, enjoy this glorious spell of weather, stay safe and don’t hesitate to let us have your views on the issues covered in this newsletter.

Jane Brown
Chair, Riverside Community Voice
April 2020                                                                                                                                          Top of Page 

RCV Newsletter November 2019     (Chair's report to AGM on 24th Nov)


2019 sees the completion of the Riverside development to the east of Midland Road. Block B40 (now named Noble House) joins Frederick House under the management of Liverpool Victoria. The future shape and scope of the management arrangements for the estate as a whole are becoming clearer. Until now we have had great difficulty in persuading Crest Nicolson to engage in detailed discussion about the management of the communal and public areas, or to take action to resolve outstanding issues. There are some very recent indications that momentum may be building within the company to resolve these issues and enable Crest to hand over management responsibility to Pinnacle. The RCV committee will need to keep up the pressure as we move into 2020. In the mean time we continue to have a constructive relationship with Josef, Dennis and the Pinnacle team.


Issues discussed in the RCV committee and with Crest and Pinnacle during 2019 include:

• Security : this will be an ongoing concern, but the presence of the security guard has resulted in a real reduction in anti-social behaviour

• Guidelines for managing Elizabeth Park: we offered Crest detailed suggestions designed to strike the required balance between making the park a welcoming public space and preserving amenity for residents. So far, there have been no complaints about misuse of the park, but the real test will come next summer

• Traffic management : we welcomed the new visitor parking spaces on Victoria Bridge Road, but have had great difficulty in finding out what will happen to the visitor parking spaces on Stothert Avenue when the Council adopts the road and the bus gate is installed. We will monitor the impact of installation of the bus gate and the opening of the Destructor Bridge to vehicles

• Gulls : another issue which will require on-going effort. We are working with Pinnacle, B&NES and Riverside residents to try and minimise the problems

• Trees: we were disappointed by the loss of the 3 trees around the Jenyns Seat, and then by the loss of 3 oak trees beside Royal View which were infested by the processionary oak moth caterpillar and had to be destroyed. We are assured that these will be replaced and will continue to press for this. More recently three trees on Stothert Avenue have been removed, supposedly to make room for the bus gate infrastructure. We will press for them to be replaced too, if necessary in a different location.

• Maintenance issues including planting along the River Path, paving in Longmead and Percy Terraces: Crest continue to tell us that these issues have been logged and will be dealt with as part of the handover of management of the estate. We continue to press for action.


Homebase Site : Several Riverside residents attended the public exhibition of Guild Living’s proposal to develop a retirement living complex, and we have stressed the need to do everything possible to mitigate the impact on Riverside residents during construction and once the complex is operational. The developers have invited residents of the Albert Crescent triangle and RCV to a meeting on 20 November. We will report on this meeting at the AGM.


Social activities : we ran two ‘Bring and Share’ picnics over the summer. Residents welcomed the opportunity to meet with neighbours and enjoyed a delicious variety of food and drink. Numbers at the second picnic in September were slightly disappointing and we will need to consider whether there is demand for two of these events per year. We plan to review the scope for other types of social activity in the light of feedback from the AGM. We will continue to support other one-off social activities such as the Dragon Boat races where these do not cause significant problems for Riverside residents.


RCV book group : Penny Lorenc, leader of the book group, writes ‘The book group is doing well, we had several people drop out for various reasons and it was looking a bit thin at one point. However we have two more potential members so it is picking up. Part of the problem is that if a group is made up of mostly retired people they are never here! So I would say we could possibly accommodate 2 more people at the moment if anyone is interested. Apart from that we are all enjoying reading some books we wouldn't have read otherwise and talking about them always makes them more interesting. We have all enjoyed reading some classics the most, such as John Steinbeck and Somerset Maugham. Most books give us plenty to talk about and we always enjoy having a glass of wine and comparing notes about living on the Riverside’.


Committee membership : we were saddened by the loss of Simon Hazell who died suddenly in April. Trish Fosbury (RCV chairman 2018) resigned as a committee member in February and Tony Swinnerton was co-opted to the Committee in the summer. Barry Henderson and Mike Roy are standing down at the AGM.


Jane Brown

RCV Chairman 

November 2019                                                                                                                                    Top of Page

RCV Newsletter August 2019

Dear Riversiders

As I write this newsletter the sun is beating down and Bath Riverside is basking in record-breaking late summer sunshine. Elizabeth Park is now fully open and it’s good to see people beginning to stroll through the open space and making use of the outdoor gym adjacent to Sovereign Point.  

We were very sad to discover that the oak trees beside the south west corner of Royal View were infected with an invasive caterpillar and had to be felled as a matter of urgency. We are assured by Crest Nicholson that these three trees and the three which are intended to surround the Jenyns seat in the centre of the park will all be replaced in the autumn. Your committee will keep a close eye on progress. The sunny Bank Holiday reminds us of the importance of providing some shade!
We have had useful update meetings with both Pinnacle and Crest Nicholson in the last few weeks. Crest confirmed that B40, the new block of apartments on Stothert Avenue, is on course for completion in the autumn. The whole block will be transferred to Liverpool Victoria who will manage the letting of the flats (as they already do for Frederick House).  

Completion of apartment block B40 at the corner of Midland Road and Stothert Avenue will make it possible for BNES to implement the Traffic Regulation Order which governs the opening of the Destructor Bridge to vehicular traffic and the installation of the Bus Gate which is designed to stop rat-running through the Riverside estate. Riversiders will remember the consultation which took place last autumn (see the slides here). We understand that when the Council adopts Stothert Avenue it intends to implement the scheme broadly in line with these proposals. In summary, the Destructor Bridge will be open for vehicles in both directions, but a short stretch of one-way (south to north) in Midland Road means that cars will be restricted to northbound journeys only along Midland Road between Lower Bristol Road and Stothert Avenue. The bus gate at the junction between Stothert Avenue and Midland Road is intended to prevent rat-running through the estate, as well as facilitating access for buses., and will be enforced by ANPR. Your committee will monitor these new developments closely, with particular reference to the impact on traffic and parking. We have flagged up concerns about the heavily used on-street visitor parking along the north side of Stothert Avenue. We have been told that these parking spaces will not be included in the area to be adopted by the Council and will continue to be managed by Pinnacle and Premier Parking.

There is still no progress on the western part of the Riverside development site (the area west of Midland Road), so Crest will no longer have a presence on site after this year. Pinnacle have been awarded the contract for managing the public spaces on the estate. Crest is required to make a payment (an endowment) to Pinnacle to cover the cost of upkeep of the public spaces into the future. We have begun discussions with Pinnacle and Crest about how this will work. This is a complex issue which will be a high priority for RCV during the autumn.

Other issues on the agenda for ongoing discussions with Pinnacle include 

• the gull problem (see the update report here)
• Security across the site
• How best to manage Elizabeth Park, the Scoop and the river path for the benefit of local residents and the wider public

We always welcome suggestions for other areas RCV should be looking at. Do get in touch using the contact form on the website or via twitter.

Dates for your diary

Sunday 15 September 13.00 to 15.00: RCV late summer picnic (between Royal View and Elizabeth Park). Do come along to meet your neighbours, and encourage other Riversiders to come too!

Sunday 24 November RCV AGM (time and venue to be confirmed). This is your chance to learn more about what RCV is doing and to influence the priority issues for the coming year.


Jane Brown
Chair, Riverside Community Voice                                                                                                         Top of Page
RCV Newsletter June 2019
Reflecting on the last few months, it struck me that there has been real progress on some of the issues which were causing considerable concern last year. In no particular order, these issues include

• Problems over boats mooring for considerable periods and causing disturbance for residents overlooking the towpath
• Skateboarders causing noise and damage along Elizabeth Parade
• Concerns about thefts of bicycles from the underground car park
• Problems over misuse of the visitors’ parking spaces
• The noise and mess created by the gulls
• Lack of visibility of the police

Of course none of these issues have gone away completely. The gull problems in particular will require years of effort, but the Harris hawks have been much more visible this year and the gulls certainly seem to object to their visits! The PCSOs are now holding regular ‘Beat Surgeries’ in Coffee#1 – why not drop in to the next one on 6 July to say hello?

We continue to watch the slow progress of Elizabeth Park and look forward to an official opening when the new public art work (currently screened from view in a large wooden box in the centre of the space) will presumably be unveiled. We assume that the three trees surrounding the new art work will be replaced and hope that the replacements will fare better than their predecessors.  

We understand that Crest Nicholson are hoping to hold the formal opening in July. In preparation, the RCV Committee submitted our suggestions for guidelines on the management of the park to Crest Nicholson and Pinnacle. We are looking to achieve the right balance between encouraging lively and active use of the space and respecting the amenity of the residents. We look forward to seeing how far Crest Nicholson and Pinnacle have accepted our suggestions.

It’s good to see Coffee#1 welcoming a wide range of customers, from the youngest to the oldest, local residents and those from further away. We continue to hope for a restaurant in the vacant unit in Royal View. Riverview Court on the other side of Victoria Bridge is nearing completion and also includes a plan for some sort of café or restaurant. It will be interesting to see what happens there.

At the other end of Elizabeth Park, the CLASS Boutique Fitness studio, on the ground floor of Sovereign Point, has now been open for four months with 66 classes per week, open daily. Their in-house Vital Cafe serves healthy foods, snacks and drinks and is open to all, not just fitness folk! They’ve just announced a new tiered pricing structure with membership starting at £37 per month and special Upper Class sessions which cater to the specific requirements of the over 60s. In fact they offer anyone over 60 one month’s free trial to see if it’s something you’ll like. Why not pop in to see what it’s all about?

The paddleboards and kayaks operated by OriginalWild from the bottom of the Scoop are another colourful addition to Riverside. All these are helping to establish Riverside as an attractive destination as well as a great place to live.

A couple of reminders: if you have a parking space in the underground car park don’t forget that you need to collect your new car park passes from the (very smart!) new Pinnacle site office in Palladian. We understand that once the underground car park has been completed a similar exercise will be rolled out for the on-street parking spaces.

Don’t forget the Bring and Share picnic on Sunday 30 June 13.00 to 15.00 between Royal View and Elizabeth Park – a great place to meet your neighbours! We hope to see all RCV members there – and do encourage non-members to come along too.


Jane Brown
Chair, Riverside Community Voice                                                                                                   Top of Page

RCV Newsletter March 2019

As I write this newsletter powerful gusts of wind are battering the newly planted trees at the western end of Elizabeth Park. It’s good to see the planting taking place but let us hope that the weather will be a bit more welcoming as spring unfolds.

The last few months have been a period of consolidation for Riverside Community Voice as well as for the Riverside estate in general. It’s good to see Sovereign Point being occupied and Block B40 moving towards completion. 

The new RCV Committee has met three times since the AGM in November. Subjects under discussion include security of the communal spaces, particularly the car park; progress on Elizabeth Park; gulls; and potential future social events and activities.

On security, RCV has taken part in two constructive meetings with Crest Nicholson, Pinnacle, Curo and the Police to discuss what can be done to deter anti-social or criminal behaviour in and around the Riverside development. We will continue to monitor the position closely. If you see or suspect any criminal or anti-social behaviour, please report it to the appropriate police contact.

We have attended two meetings organised by our local Councillors, June Player and Colin Blackburn, to discuss the measures in place to reduce the nuisance caused by gulls. Riverside is covered by the Council’s gull programme and Crest Nicholson have agreed to fund some additional visits from a falconer who will fly his Harris hawk over the area to disrupt nest building. The Council’s contractor NBC Environment will remove and destroy nests or eggs. Residents can help by reporting any signs of nests or nesting behaviour to the contractor on 0800 1699646 or 01953 457979 and to Cath Brown, B&NES on 01225 477645.

Elizabeth Park is progressing slowly. Crest Nicholson say that it might be opened around Easter, probably in phases as the grass is established. They expect that there will be a launch event, but we have no details yet. We are considering whether it might be possible to hold our first RCV social event of 2019 in conjunction with the opening of the park.

We look forward to seeing the park being enjoyed by Riverside residents and the wider public. We have been considering how to minimise any risk of disturbance from inappropriate use, and have offered Crest Nicholson and Pinnacle some suggestions for guidelines to protect the amenity. Our proposals are attached here. Initial reaction has been favourable - your views are welcome.

There is still no news on the restaurant planned for Royal View, but it’s good to see Coffee#1 being enjoyed by residents and passers-by. The latest addition to the Riverside community is the boutique fitness studio CLASS on the ground floor of Sovereign Point. CLASS offers a wide variety of exercise – and they are offering special rates for Riversiders and for founder members. Why not call in to find out more?

Your Committee discussed whether it would be a good idea to arrange a hustings meeting to which we would invite all the candidates standing in Westmoreland in the local elections in early May. We felt we needed to gauge the likely level of interest amongst RCV members and other Riversiders before committing to do this. Please let us know your view by indicating Yes or No on our survey here.

The RCV Book Club is thriving – thank you Penny Lorenc for setting up such a successful group. The group is at capacity so perhaps someone would like to set up a new one?

Along with this newsletter you will receive a request from our new Treasurer and Membership Secretary, Victoria Alexander, for your annual RCV subscription. Victoria has taken over these roles from Barry Henderson. We are very grateful to Barry for carrying these important responsibilities since the early days of RCV, and to Victoria for picking up the baton.  

We are very grateful too to Trish Fosbury, last year’s Chair of RCV, who has resigned from the Committee. Thank you Trish for all your hard work.

Finally, please do let a Committee member know if you want to raise an issue or would like RCV to investigate a concern.


Jane Brown
Chair, Riverside Community Voice                                                                                                     Top of Page
RCV Newsletter 2018/5

As I write this in mid-September, we have just had our very successful second Bring & Share picnic. After some discussion with Crest Nicholson, Henry and Jane Brown who organized it for us, agreed the location and Crest kindly loaned us some pub-style tables and benches; other members provided a gazebo and tables and helped Henry and Jane make sure the event ran smoothly and no evidence was left behind. Very many thanks to all concerned! This will be Henry and Jane’s last picnic, so please think of volunteering to help us put on something just as successful next year. It was very heartening to see so many residents there, talking to old friends, making new contacts and generally enjoying themselves.

Other events in RCV’s social calendar have been the Bath Riverside Walking Group set up by John Ashbery. This suffered a little during the summer due to the unusually hot weather and people away on their holidays, but now autumn is approaching, John is hoping to inject new vigour into the group. If you are interested in joining or just want some information, please contact him on BathRiversideWalkers@riversidecommunityvoice.org.uk.

A completely new group, the Bath Riverside Book Group, initiated by Penny Lorenc, had its first meeting in early September. This was well attended and the form and frequency (monthly) of the meetings was discussed and the books for the next three meetings chosen. The group meets in the evenings in someone’s home which will limit the final number of members, but if you are interested in joining, please contact Penny on bathriversidebookgroup@riversidecommunityvoice.org.uk

Apart from these two RCV-based activities, there was a public showing of 101 Dalmatians put on by Crest in July. The Scoop turned into an outdoor cinema and presented an unusual sight, being full of deck chairs, with refreshments being sold at the top of the area. I gather it was a successful and entertaining event, although some residents felt that the rubbish left behind took too long to be cleared away.

A week before our picnic, the area along the river was host to this year’s Dragon Boat Race supporting two charities: the Whizzybug Loan Scheme and Mountain Way. The sun shone, the flags fluttered and the air resounded to the beat of the drums and the cries of “One, two!”. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and hopefully Coffee#1 benefitted from the extra footfall. The coffee shop under Royal View opened in mid-August and provides a very welcome meeting place on Bath Riverside - as well as some good coffee! Please support this new venture as much as you can as it can really help to bring life into our community.

It is now nearly a year since our last AGM and we are looking for a suitable venue for this year’s meeting, which is planned for November. The secretary will be sending out formal notice of this event in due course, and it will also be advertised on our website. We are looking for a few more people to help those serving on our committee. Please give some serious thought about joining us and shaping RCV’s future activities; your ideas and help will be very welcome!

As those of you who live in Stothert Avenue and Midland Road can see, the apartment block on plot B40 is steadily taking shape; it should be completed in October 2019. However, October this year is the planned date for the completion of Sovereign Point and the neighbouring Elizabeth Park. It will be interesting to see what the new art work looks like in the park, and also on Elizabeth Parade where the Maid of the Bridge is due to be installed. Keeping her company should also be new benches along the Parade, rather later in the year than planned. 

At the time of writing the Traffic Regulation Order for Midland Road/Destructor Bridge/Stothert Avenue still hasn’t been published. When it is, the public have three weeks in which to comment; at the same time Crest plan to have an open day in the E.ON Energy Centre for all residents to discuss these proposals. On another topic - October 1st sees the introduction of the new visitor parking permits by Pinnacle PM in an effort to better control the visitor parking on site. Please note that your old visitor parking permits will not be valid after the end of September.

Please contact us through the website if you have any ideas, comments or (constructive!) criticism. Riverside Community Voice is here for you, the residents, and so feedback is welcomed and valued.

Trish Fosbury
Chair September 2018                                                                                                                Top of Page

Riverside Walkers Group


In mid-April, RCV’s John Ashbery formed Bath Riverside Walkers group with the aim of loosely connecting like-minded people who like to walk as a form of relaxation and/or exercise. The plan is to set up interesting walks in and around Bath that will cater for all levels of fitness and interests. Members on the list will be able to keep in touch with each other and arrange walks at any time to suit the needs of the members. 

If you are interested please email the group.  Your name and email address will then be added to the walkers' list. Likewise, if you have a walk you would like to share, simply let prospective walkers know the date and time to meet using the same email address:

BathRiversideWalkers@riversidecommunityvoice.org.uk

Bring and Share Picnic


On Sunday May 13th we held our first social event of 2018, a Bring and Share Picnic, which was a great success. The weather was kind to us and roughly 100 residents came with food and drink in order to socialise with each other. It was due to last from 1-3pm, but judging by the fact that there were still many there for a while longer, it was obviously very much enjoyed and appreciated. Many thanks are due to Henry Brown and his team! Also, thanks to the kind donation by Louise Lacey-Johnson of Clever Baggers we were able to distribute linen bags (complete with RCV logo) to those who attended - and hopefully will subscribe to membership of RCV for the year.


News from Crest Nicholson


Following on from a recent meeting with Riverside Project Manager Neil Dawtrey, our contact at Crest Nicholson (CN), I can report the following:


Elizabeth Park/Elizabeth Parade  Work in the park is proceeding to plan, with the square by the Destructor Bridge being finished in October. The remaining part of the park will be finished when the final CN units close to Sovereign Point are removed. 

The installation of benches along Elizabeth Parade is due to take place June-July. These will be an mixture of 1- and 2-metre long smooth concrete benches, some with additional wooden slats; they will all be skateboard-resistant with curved edges. Some examples of these benches can be seen here.

At the western end of Elizabeth Parade the concrete cubes will be replaced by bollards to ensure that no through traffic can use this corridor.

Royal View  Negotiations on leasing the café are proceeding and the unit will hopefully be open by late summer. There is interest in the restaurant and discussions are underway.

Parking in the square in front of Royal View was discussed. This is envisaged to be controlled by ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) with a limited period of stay and which will serve residents’ deliveries, the commercial units on the ground floor as well as casual visitors.

Sovereign Point  Planned completion is October 2018

Plot B40 (at the junction of Stothert Avenue & Midland Road) Planned completion is October 2019.

Midland Road/Destructor Bridge   CN and B&NES have been in consultation for some time and the plan for the direction of traffic flow along Midland Road and the design of the proposed bus gate at the entrance of Stothert Avenue will result in a TRO (traffic regulation order) process which is due to start in the early summer, lasting for three months. Once the TRO is published, it will be possible for the public to comment. During this period, CN will hold a one-day public consultation at the Eon Energy Centre where we will be able to question and discuss the plan with Crest and its transport consultant.

Short-cut paths on Bath Riverside   There are two of these, one by the crane in front of Beau House and one by the Crisp Cowley office. Accepting that people will always take the shortest route from A to B, Crest propose to accept the existence of the path by the crane and lay a layer of bark chipping to try and make it visually more acceptable. Crest are finalising with Pinnacle what to do with the path by Crisp Cowley.

Visitor parking on Stothert Avenue/Victoria Bridge Road  It is recognised that there is a serious problem with people using these parking slots for long-term parking or allowing non-residents to occupy spaces on a daily basis. Crest, in conjunction with Pinnacle, have come up with a new scheme which will involve the issue of new and unique visitor parking permits that will hopefully alleviate the problem; Pinnacle should be informing all residents about the implementation of this new scheme in the near future.


Trish Fosbury

May 2018
 Newsletter 2018/3                                                                                                                     Top of Page

Winter seems to be determined to keep us in her grip, but the return of the seagulls tells us that we are heading towards warmer days. Unfortunately the snowfall at the beginning of March meant that the WaterSpaceProject’s litter pick on March 3rd had to be cancelled. We have yet to find out when this will next take place. This is an ideal chance to get to know your neighbours and also keep our local environment looking beautiful. Ideally B&NES would have enough manpower to do this for us, but there are only six litter pickers covering the whole of Bath, so they are very stretched and grateful for local help. Councillor June Player is very active in Westmoreland Ward, organising several litter picks throughout the year as well as keeping her constituents up-to-date with local news. If you would like to be on her mailing list, contact her on June_Player@BATHNES.GOV.UK. As you may know, we live at the extreme end of her ward and so the other side of the river is in Kingsmead Ward where it appears they are not so involved with regular litter picks; we could think of setting up our own litter pick brigade covering, say, the stretch between Windsor Bridge and the Sainsbury’s bridge. What do you think?

The snow also prevented the Bath Half-Marathon, but I hope everyone saw the notices posted around Bath Riverside so that residents knew about the traffic limitations during the race. Last year several people new to Bath were caught unawares whilst trying to drive into or out of the site.

John Crowe, our Social Secretary, is always ready to help interested parties set up special interest groups (see http://riversidecommunityvoice.org.uk/events#brainstorm) and I am glad to report that a fledgling walking group is being planned. We would like to start a ‘Bath Riverside Walkers Group’ with the aim of loosely connecting like-minded people who like to walk as a form of relaxation and/or exercise. We initially plan to set up interesting walks in and around Bath that will cater for all levels of fitness and interests, from fitness walks covering several miles to walks of interest highlighting some of the area’s more interesting points. Once up and running, it is expected that members on the list will be able to keep in touch with each other and arrange walks at any time to suit the needs of members. If you are interested, please contact BathRiversideWalkers@riversidecommunityvoice.org.uk; our first walk is planned for Sunday 15th April at 10:00 leaving from the front of Royal View. The route will be finalised once we know numbers and fitness levels.

In addition, there is a group actively preparing for our first Bath Riverside social event of 2018: this will be a Bring and Share picnic on Sunday May 13th from 1-3 pm so put this in your diaries and cross your fingers for good weather! This will be an ideal opportunity to meet fellow residents; watch the website for more details.

You may be wondering what has happened about opening a bank account for RCV. This has proved a long process that has required a fair deal of patience from the three of us who are the signatories. We have done all we can and are now waiting for the bank to give us their blessing!

Depending on where you live on Bath Riverside you will be aware that work has started on the B40* plot (now consisting of 52 flats rather than the 11 townhouses previously planned). The construction work will take about 18 months and requires the trucks to come up Midland Road (from the Lower Bristol Road), turn right into Stothert Avenue (where they will enter, unload and exit a specially built corridor with hoarding at the side and gates at either end) before leaving the site down Stothert Avenue. There have been serious concerns raised about the increased volume of traffic down the road to the pedestrian crossing at the junction with Victoria Bridge Road, given the use of the crossing at peak times and with no signage present. Crest Nicholson are looking into laying a temporary speed bump across the road so that there is no danger from construction traffic not being aware of people crossing the road. The visitor spaces at the end of Stothert Avenue will be unavailable during the construction of B40* and so alternative visitor parking has been opened up in Victoria Bridge Road.

You will all have also seen that work on Elizabeth Park is proceeding well (pictured 24th March) and should provide an attractive space for us all by the summer. I am sure you are all looking forward to the café and restaurant being opened. These will provide welcome facilities for us to meet each other and help give us a sense of community. A recent article in a local paper reported on the results of a competition for more pieces of art on Bath Riverside (https://www.bathecho.co.uk/news/community/local-artists-help-carve-next-designs-bath-riverside-development-77266/) and I look forward to seeing what these are and where they are placed.

*B40 is the plot on the corner of Stothert Avenue and Midland Road, as yet unnamed by Crest Nicholson.

Trish Fosbury
March 2018                                                                                                                                             Top of Page

NEWSLETTER 2018/2


There are beautiful displays of snowdrops to be seen at the moment and the daffodils will soon burst forth. I hope that the social side of our organisation will also soon bloom and thought I would bring you all up to speed with developments since the last newsletter.


On 6th and 7th February our Social  Secretary, John Crowe, held open house sessions where anyone interested could come with suggestions for our social programme or discuss ideas with other residents.  John stresses that he is always open to suggestions and comments from all. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions for social events (large or small), please do contact him. After help from RCV with the initial set up, we envisage that these groups will be run independently under RCV’s umbrella. We do suffer from a lack of communal facilities on site, so we will have to be inventive about venues.


We have a committee meeting on the third Monday of each month and are always happy to consider topics that members have sent in (see contact page). This month we invited our local councillors, June Player and Colin Blackburn, to join us to discuss topics of special interest to Bath Riverside residents and hope to be able to notify you of a public meeting that will be held to discuss local transport issues when we can find a date where the appropriate council member can attend. The proposed new (enlarged) 3-councillor ward of Oldfield Park was also discussed.


The Treasurer is actively working on setting up a bank account for the RCV, but it is taking longer than first envisaged. We shall let you know when all the (digital) paperwork is completed.


The Chair and Secretary meet a representative of Crest Nicholson every 6-8 weeks to learn about progress on the site e.g. finding someone to take on the lease for the commercial spaces under Royal View, work on Elizabeth Park (photo shows tree being planted on 28th Feb) visitor parking etc. We will be publishing a report on this soon.


As most of you know by now, Vince Penny (Pinnacle) has left the site and there is a new member of the management team, Josef Fischbacher, who called in to introduce himself recently. He is happy to meet all residents (you should have received a letter from Pinnacle to this effect) and will be on site several times a week until the new structure of the local team has been established.


If any of you are taking part in the Bath Half Marathon, good luck. To other residents - I hope you have read the notices around the site or on the website advising you of the road closures on the day.


Trish Fosbury

Chair

 

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 RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY VOICE NEWSLETTER 2018/1

Happy New Year!

In Bavaria, where I lived for a while, it was usual to wish people ‘Einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!’ before midnight on December 31st. Whilst some could question whether a ‘slip (Rutsch)’ is ever a good thing, I do hope that everyone has managed the transition into 2018 safely.

In 2018 we should hopefully see some movement on the topic of traffic flow (Midland Road/Destructor Bridge/Stothert Avenue) and also on the introduction of parking controls in different areas of the development (e.g. at the base of the two landmark buildings, Royal View and Sovereign Point, as well as Victoria Bridge Road and Stothert Avenue).

Riverside Community Voice (RCV) is in its infancy and still needs to gain momentum before it is truly up and running - especially on the social side. Thinking about our program for 2018, the absence of any communal facility is obviously a drawback; hopefully by the time the better weather arrives, the park by the river will have begun to take shape and we can use that for one or more activities. John Crowe, our enthusiastic social secretary, is always open to ideas (and help) to expand our social activities. Sending in ideas does not commit you to anything, but are always very welcome - as is the offer of help for specific occasions; neither means you have to come to committee meetings! If the planned café opens on the ground floor of Royal View, perhaps that could be used for small group meetings?

Early in 2018 we hope to expand our website, admirably overseen by Paddy Doyle. To do this we need to pay a monthly fee (as well as an annual fee for the domain name), but we would then have more pages and could, for example, have a page for comments and suggestions. We could also have general information for those living in Riverside, especially of interest to newcomers.

RCV aims to involve all residents of Bath Riverside in our effort to build a sense of community; to do this we need to get out and meet each other more. Perhaps residents of the blocks around the podium gardens could organise having a cup of coffee together in the gardens at the weekends when the weather is good enough, or get a table tennis group going or play boules together (depending on which garden we’re talking about)? For the rest of us, a communal meeting place is not so obvious, but if you have any ideas on this or other topics, please contact us.

We will be posting planned social events and reporting on site-wide issues that may be of interest to residents on this website as well as on our Facebook page and Twitter feed where you will also see what a great job our councillor June Player does with groups on our periphery. There are also regular clean ups of the riverside paths carried out by other local volunteers. With council cutbacks, it’s all the more important that we get together to help our local environment.

With best wishes for 2018,

Trish Fosbury
RCV Chair                                                                                                                                 Top of Page
Newsletter 6 November 2017

Trish Fosbury (RCV Chair) and John Crowe (Social Secretary) recently met Michelle Spencer and Ian Puttock from Pinnacle Property Management (PPM) to discuss some topics of general interest to Bath Riverside residents. These were items that had been mentioned in the latest Pinnacle newsletter (Autumn 2017).

Contacting PPM Following Louise Jensen-Derby’s recent resignation, it was established that RCV in the future could contact Ian or Michelle directly about any communal issues arising. However, for any repairs or maintenance issues, this should be reported to the PPM Wessex office to ensure this is dealt with in a satisfactory manner. The Wessex team will decide whether a contractor should be instructed to deal with the problem or whether it is something that Vince and his team can deal with; this was detailed in the most recent newsletter.  

Access to PPM on site The difficulty for people who do not use the undercroft carpark to access Vince in his office was discussed and Pinnacle confirmed that a ground level office would be ideal for everyone if a suitable space could be found.

Bin Store The problem with some residents not using the bin-stores in the underground and over-ground bin stores correctly was discussed. Pinnacle confirmed that some bin-stores did have pictorial instructions regarding recycling and general waste and they confirmed that these would also be erected in all the bin stores. The removal of discarded cigarette butts around the estate, especially those in hard-to-get-to places was discussed; this anti-social behaviour has to be cleared up by the team, which adds to their work load.

Visitor Parking The problem of visitor parking on the estate was commented on. Pinnacle are waiting for the area by Royal View to be marked out and handed over to Premier Park. Site-wide, Pinnacle confirmed they would liaise with Premier to see if the unloading time could be extended to up to 30 minutes. Pinnacle advised they would come back on this in course to confirm if this was approved by Premier. Post meeting note: Premier has advised that the waiting time is now extended from 10 minutes to 15 minutes to allow time to unload. For any issues relating to parking residents should contact Vince Penny who will be able to assist (07585302434)..  

Seagulls It was established that the new pest control contract entailed fortnightly visits to include removing eggs/nests at the appropriate time of the year. A hawk is also flown regularly, but habituation might be a problem with this. Some people felt that the gulls hadn’t been such a problem in 2017.

The Scoop The Scoop area, which is still maintained by Crest Nicholson, should be handed over to the Estate Management Company in the next few months. Pinnacle to advise on plans for the park once this is known.  

Shadow Committees The setting up of shadow committees for the various Management Companies at Bath Riverside was raised by Pinnacle. They confirmed that they will initially be contacting leaseholders of Bath Riverside Liberty Management Company to start the ball rolling, as they had received requests from leaseholders who wished to join the shadow committees for their communal areas. Pinnacle will then meet with leaseholders regularly on matters relating to their specific areas. Pinnacle confirmed that an Estate Management Company shadow committee, which will consist of house owners and apartment leaseholders, will also be formed in 2018 to deal with matters relating to estate retained areas at Bath Riverside. All owners and leaseholders will be contacted regarding this in due course. In the interim, RCV will continue to discuss general site-wide issues which affect all residents with Pinnacle. As these shadow committees come on line, contact with the RCV committee will correspondingly decrease and eventually disappear once all the shadow committees have been set up.                                                                                                                                                              Top of Page
RCV logo
     NEWSLETTER 5                         OCTOBER 2017
Following RCV meetings with senior management at developers Crest Nicholson and management company Pinnacle, and an informal chat with our local councillor June Player, we have several items of interest to report.

Site Development

The final plans for the proposed apartments at the end of Stothert Ave (Crest Project B.40) are still under discussion with B&NES. The planners would like to see greater separation from the neighbouring listed properties to the south in Park View, the lane running north from the lower Bristol Rd parallel with Midland Rd (seen behind yellow digger in picture above). Crest say that this will cause the loss of one or two apartments to achieve the separation the planners require. No details are yet available of the gap between the existing townhouses and the new apartment block. It is to be hoped that it will serve some function, and not simply be a haven for loiterers and litter.

Our local independent councillor for the Westmoreland ward, June Player, has fought hard against the current plan to build more than 50 apartments on this site, saying ‘Far too many people are being shoe-horned into an unsuitably-sized piece of land when there is absolutely no necessity for it’. She is currently fighting for the important decision on this site to be taken to the Council’s Development Management Committee, and not simply left to one council officer. 

Occupants have been found for all Commercial Units at Corinthian (the block south of the Destructor Bridge). Initially, however, the plan is to use these for Crest site offices.

Royal View landscaping & Elizabeth Park (up to and including the current site offices) are promised to be complete in December this year. The remainder will be completed some time in Spring 2018 and Destructor Square including the (new) Sovereign View surroundings will be complete in October 2018.

Traffic Flow and Parking

BANES have yet to decide the arrangements for Midlandoad and Destructor Bridge. Crest have promised to notify RCV of their parking proposals once agreed for our comment. 

Parking Garage Cleanliness and Security. 

Pinnacle is working closely with Crest on garage security and the proposed CCTV installation. Pinnacle is also ensuring that Crest complete the cleaning and clearing up of the garage and steam cleaning of the garage floor before they (Pinnacle) take over this responsibility. It will of course require careful managing to achieve this with owners' cars in situ.

Electric Car Charging. Crest are now giving this matter serious consideration. They are prepared to fund 3 or 4 charging points and are examining the associated technical issues: eg siting and electrical capacity.

Premier Park. There were rumours that there were problems between Pinnacle and Premier. We are told that this is not the case. Premier is on site 3 or 4 times a week but are now using better judgement before ticketing owners who park with minor infringements - just outside the white lines for example.

Customer Services 

In general RCV feels that for what is generally acknowledged as a fine development, the after-sales customer service is very disappointing and needs to be improved. This view will be taken to the Crest Nicholson Regeneration board. 

AirBnB
 
Pinnacle have taken legal action on this matter and owners have been given notice formally to cease Airbnb activity. This has happened and the practice on site is coming to an end (athough existing bookings are being honoured). Pinnacle are monitoring the situation and are confident it is coming to an end.

Riverside Community Voice AGM

The RCV Annual General Meeting will take place at Twerton Liberal Club at 6.30 on Sunday 22nd October. 
All are welcome. The bar will be open before and after the meeting, so you will have not only an opportunity to make your views known, but get to meet your neighbours as well!

(Note: Twerton Liberal Club has no political affiliations. It can be found along from ‘Burgers and Barrels’ opposite Brougham Hayes on the Lower Bristol Rd.) 

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RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY VOICE
    MEMBERS’ NEWSLETTER 4    
AUGUST 2017

Martin Jenkins and other committee members met Crest Nicholson again at director level on 17 August to discuss current and future issues.

Next stages of the Riverside development
Crest say they are expecting to continue the development of the site in the following order: 
  • B40 (corner of Stothert Avenue and Midland Road) where the design has been modified in response to residents’ comments, and ground work will begin in September. The modified design incorporates a gap between the existing townhouses on the south side of Stothert Avenue, and the new development. 
  • West of Midland Road (planning application expected early 2018)
  • Recycling depot 
  • Lower Bristol Road west of Midland Rd
The area around B5/Royal View should be landscaped by November this year, the centre of the new Elizabeth Park by late spring, and the area around B16/Sovereign Point by
October 2018.
A new agent had been appointed to market the commercial spaces at the foot of Royal View and Sovereign Point, and it was hoped to have a tenant for Royal View by spring 2018. 

Traffic flow
There is no progress on the opening of the Destructor Bridge. A separate communication from Cllr June Player suggests that the Council’s reluctance stems from concerns about the design of the proposed bus gate at the end of Stothert Avenue. We shall continue to press for clarification.

Visitor parking
Crest say they are contemplating free-of-charge short term parking for customers of the commercial units at the foot of Royal View and Sovereign Point, and a chargeable system for longer term visitor parking in Victoria Bridge Road and
possibly Stothert Avenue. They are considering what to do about the dispersed visitor spaces in Longmead and Percy Terraces. We have pressed to see the details and Crest have agreed to consult RCV formally about them.
RCV have pressed Crest to adopt anti-seagull measures - these gulls pictured on the Highgate roof


Performance of Crest Nicholson customer services

We have expressed repeated concern about the response to residents’ complaints. Crest say that views collected through NHBC show very high levels of satisfaction, and that no customer service complaints are outstanding after 100 days. We told them of continuing dissatisfaction, particularly in Palladian and Stothert Avenue.

Community events

Crest welcome the Dragonboat Racing on 10 September, and expect other community events to be staged in Elizabeth Park.

Local amenities

We asked Crest if they had plans to install electric car charging points. They are looking at this in future developments but have no plan to retrofit them. We also
pressed them to consider anti-seagull measures, which they agreed to discuss with Pinnacle.

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Photo shows delivery of plane trees for Victoria Park on
11 July

RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY VOICE
    MEMBERS’ NEWSLETTER 3    
JULY 2017

This report summarises action by your committee since Newsletter 2. 

Martin Jenkins, chairman, and other members of the committee continue to hold regular meetings at director level with Crest Nicholson and Pinnacle as well as other key players as circumstances dictate. 

The committee met on 4 July and aims to meet on a 6-weekly basis.

Traffic flow around the site

We continue to press Crest Nicholson and BANES for information on traffic plans (Destructor Bridge, direction of traffic flow and road adoption). It is understood that all these issues are inextricably linked to planning applications to develop the western end of the site. While we continue to press for early answers, there is unlikely to be clarity for several months yet. 

Visitor parking

At present there is nothing further to add to the information in our last Newsletter. We are continuing to press hard for resolution.


Update from our committee meeting on 4 July

1. Membership We are continuing to grow. We now have some 100 members embracing 80 households. The committee is looking to further develop the membership throughout Riverside and will be seeking to do this over the summer in a couple of planned social events.

The committee discussed the position of non-resident owners. Non–resident owners are not excluded from joining Riverside Community Voice. Furthermore owners will be permitted to vote (when applicable, for example at the Annual General Meeting). This will be in addition to their tenant. Owners of more than one property will only have one vote

2. Social Events Towards the end of the summer there are two opportunities for all residents to get together: 

 Sun 3 September – the committee is planning to take the opportunity to meet people over a drink in one of the communal gardens. More on this later!

 Sun 10 September – the charity Dragon Boat race is taking place on the river adjacent to the Scoop. This event is not sponsored by us, but we have met with the organisers and agreed to provide details on our website. Watch this space!

3. Boat Mooring As we mentioned last time, we understand that firmer measures are being taken towards boats which abuse the 24-hour mooring limit near Victoria Bridge. The planned new signs are now in place. 

4. Annual General Meeting (AGM) We are planning to hold the Riverside Community Voice AGM in late October. Details will be provided once we have identified a suitable venue.

At the AGM the committee will be keen to hear what you would like the committee to address over the ensuing 12 months especially now that we have an effective operating structure in place. 


Martin Jenkins






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RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY VOICE
    MEMBERS’ NEWSLETTER 2      
JUNE 2017

This report summarises action by your committee since Newsletter 1 circulated to all households in May. 

Martin Jenkins, chairman, and other members of the committee have now held several meetings at director level with Crest Nicholson and Pinnacle, and we have also made contact with B&NES Planning Services. 

Future development of Bath Western Riverside
The next phase will be site B40, at the corner of Stothert Avenue and Midland Road. Crest hope to obtain planning permission this autumn, start construction in early 2018 and complete the building by mid - 2019. Access for construction vehicles will be principally from Stothert Avenue. 

The new riverside Elizabeth Park will be opened progressively from winter 2017-18 to early 2019. 

Crest are not yet in a position to develop the land to the west of Midland Road, nor the recycling centre site north of the river. They still await B&NES' decisions on these sites. 

Traffic flow around the site
Crest made a proposal for limited traffic flow on Midland Road and the Destructor Bridge to B&NES in 2016, which would have prevented rat-running through our area, and are still in discussion with the Council about this. 

Visitor parking
We have been told that ultimately 95 of the parking spaces on site will be for visitors. Detailed arrangements will depend on completion of the buildings under way (B5/Royal View - shown right - and B16/Sovereign View) and also on potential adoption of Stothert Avenue by B&NES. Crest are keen to institute short-term pay and display parking near the foot of Royal View and Sovereign View to service commercial outlets in these blocks. Similar short-term parking may apply to some of the spaces in Victoria Bridge Road and Longmead and Percy Terraces. There is no clarity yet about future parking on Stothert Avenue. We have argued that residents need access to longer term arrangements (eg when visitors come for the weekend). Pinnacle have undertaken to produce a clear explanation about future parking. 

Premier Park have been forced by B&NES to refund parking penalties wrongly imposed on people parking in Midland Road. 

Performance of CN Customer Services
We have made clear to the MD of Crest Regeneration that we don’t think their Customer Services are responsive enough to residents’ snagging issues. 

AirBnB
Crest and Pinnacle are taking legal action against owners who are making their property available for short-term lets in contravention of the lease or covenant. 

Boat mooring
We have urged Crest and Pinnacle intend to take firmer measures towards boats which abuse the 24-hour mooring limit near Victoria Bridge. They plan to install clearer signage and to consider legal action. 



Management Company for Liberty Gardens
As this area (Palladian, Imperial, Highgate) is now complete, we have asked about establishment of the management company with residents’ involvement foreseen in our leases. Crest have offered a dedicated meeting to explore this. 

Publicity
Martin Jenkins wrote to the Chronicle (published on 8 June) to introduce our group and defend the development against criticism of the architecture from people who live elsewhere. 

RCV committee
Beryl Leigh (Longmead Terrace) has joined the committee as treasurer. Many thanks to Gordon Anderson, who has stepped down.  

FoBRA Garden Party, 26 July
Riverside Community Voice has joined the Federation of Bath Residents’ Associations, and members are invited to a garden party at Casa Bianca, Bathwick Hill, on 26 July (18.30 to 20.00). Wine, soft drinks and canapes will be served. £12.50 per head. Contact neilhbarnes@gmail.com to book. 

Wera Hobhouse MP
Most members will be aware already that Bath’s new MP, Wera Hobhouse, lives on Longmead Terrace.  

Newsletter 1       Delivered to all properties in Riverside in May 2017 and reproduced below

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