Milsom Quarter Masterplan Consultation

B&NES has run a consultation on its Milsom Quarter Masterplan since 4th May. The important points of the Alliance’s response are:

• Fashion/Culture Vision: Strongly agree: Bath has had a nationally famous Fashion Museum for many years. This is about to close until it can be found a new home. Finding that new home in Milsom Quarter would be a happy outcome, especially as this would not be far from its current location.
• New Local Residential Neighbourhood: Strongly agree: Bath has a crying need for more long-term, affordable living accommodation, both rented and owner-occupied. Creating it in the city centre would help security and vibrancy.
• Priority given to people: Agree with reservations: Prioritising pedestrianisation of the city centre is supported by the Alliance. However, Broad Street is a key North/South city link. Closing it to all private cars risks displacement of traffic to other routes, such as Marlborough Buildings and elsewhere in Lower Lansdown, so careful study and consultation are required, including an overall traffic movement plan and consideration whether it is wise to close Broad Street outside bus-gate hours. It would probably be sensible for Walcot Street to be treated similarly.
• Additional comments: 1.The Cattlemarket/Cornmarket proposals should express the intention of developing a footpath along the west bank of the Avon. Such a path should be explicit in the plans for the Cattlemarket/Cornmarket sites, extending the path southward and northward as sites become available for redevelopment. 2. The Broad Street car park should be put to better use than the one proposed. This is a part of the city centre which lacks the greenery and outdoor recreational space which are some of the city’s core attributes, but it is proposed to cover most of it with large buildings. The Alliance considers that the long-term interests of the city would be better served by a grassed area with trees, a modern sculpture, and maybe a café or two.