WA Press Release on news cable car proposals have been dropped – 18 July 2017
The Widcombe Association is pleased to see that Curo have decided not to proceed with the cable car proposals in light of the lack of support from across the City.
Widcombe residents were overwhelming against these proposals because it was simply the wrong scheme in the wrong place. We believed that it did not address the City’s traffic problems but it would have been intrusive in the world heritage and green belt setting and would have had an unreasonable impact on residents without any real benefit to the City to offset this. In short the proposals were neither beautiful nor inventive. We were also doubtful that the scheme was financially viable without massive tourist uptake, but we will never know.
We are pleased to note that even if Widcombe residents views were totally discounted there were still many more votes against than in favour (47% against 41% for and 12% undecided). So the wider City shared our view. This was against the low barrier of an “in principle” question not the more demanding “in practice”. This was despite a PR campaign with tens of thousands of leaflets, presentations and glossy videos directing people to support the cable car. In contrast the WA spent less than four hundred pounds.
This is not “nimbyism” but democracy with residents fighting for what they believe in, seeking real evidence and scrutinising proposals.
Whilst the WA felt this was not the right solution for Widcombe or Bath we all need to renew efforts to find solutions to Bath’s growing traffic problems. CURO have highlighted important issues about traffic and transport in our City and we should work to find beautifully inventive solutions to these problems.
Working with engaged communities would be a great place to start in finding these solutions.
Jeremy Boss, Chair Widcombe Association
