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Our History
& Achievements
Click on the bookmarks
below to read about:
How the Road was Won
Read our famous victory over the Topless
Talking Buses! These articles are from the
Society's Newsletter archive and they report
that was produced by the Society. The archive has
been collated to show the battle from 1981,
the public
broadside in 1989, through to the final victory on 15th
February 1999 nearly some 18 years later!!!!
Click here to read the 1985
report and see the statistics on just how many
buses were on the Crescent and see pictures of
the congestion caused.
Click on the individual
Newsletters below to read the history or just
start at the beginning and scroll down this
historic saga which is retold in three parts . To return to this page merely
close the new document window.
Topless
Talking Buses - The Gauntlet is thrown Down
Topless Talking Buses - The
End of the Beginning or the Beginning of the
End?
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Newsletter No 26 - a ban
is agreed (Autumn '94)
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Newsletter No 27 - and now
for the good and the bad news (Spring '95)
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Newsletter No 28 - the
political wheels move slowly (Summer '95)
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Newsletter No 29 - and the
debate continues (Winter '95)
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Newsletter No 30 - Almost
there (Spring '96)
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Newsletter No 31 - Some
loose ends - Hold the champagne corks
(Summer '96)
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Newsletter No 32 - B&NES
Traffic Order (Winter '96)
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Newsletter No 33 - the
saga continue and a public inquiry looms
(Spring '97)
Topless Talking Buses - The
Final Push!
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Newsletter No 34 - The
Options - abandon, defer or pursue (Summer
'97)
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Newsletter No 35 - The
Public Inquiry Preparation (Winter '97)
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Newsletter No 36 - The
Public Inquiry - Action Time Approaches
(Spring '98)
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Newsletter No 37 - The
Public Inquiry (Summer '98)
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Newsletter No 38 - Victory
Looms (Winter '98)
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Newsletter No 39 - The
VICTORY (Spring ' 99)
Click
here to view the B&NES Transport
sub-committee actual prohibition order
report 20th October, 1988
Click here to view the B&NES Press release
26th January 1999 banning "all but
residents vehicles" from the Crescent
Click here to view the results of the
Public Inquiry B&NES Press Release
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Rooftop Aerials
When the Society was formed in the mid
1970s, the rooftops and chimney stacks were a
forest of TV aerials, many rusty, wonky and
inactive, which did nothing to enhance the
famous architecture. Over the years the
Society has actively pursued a policy of
persuasion to encourage residents to reduce or
remove aerials, and not just to leave it to
installers to use the easiest position for new
ones, but besides giving satisfactory
reception, to choose as unobtrusive a spot as
possible. The results of this persuasion is
self-evident and the rooftop skyline is much
improved.
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1988 - Formation of City-wide civic group
Chairman Sir John Barraclough identified
that the expression of the views of concerned
residents in conservation areas about Council
proposals affecting them directly in what is
now called the “public realm”, such as
parking, traffic control, positioning of
street furniture, road and pavement
maintenance, etc., was piece-meal,
uncoordinated and therefore weak. He proposed
to other residents’ groups, beginning with the
Georgian areas, that they should join together
to make representation of their common
concerns more effective. This was
enthusiastically welcomed by the groups and by
the Council, and the Federation of Bath
Residents’ Associations was formed. It is now
a recognised force in public realm matters, is
regularly consulted by the Council and
comprises well over twenty residents’ groups.
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1992 - Forcing Reduction in
Residents’ Parking Charges
The local Council proposed a charge of £200
per annum for residents’ parking permits. The
RCS led opposition to this, undertaking
extensive research and drawing comparison with
other cities where the charge was
significantly lower. As a result the Council
revised its proposal to £50 p.a. and this was
implemented.
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1992 – Relaying of Main Pavement
The broad, pennant-stone paving around the
Crescent is unique for the intricacy of its
design, particularly at the corners and for
the large size of many of the slabs. Over the
years, utility companies’ repair work had
seriously damaged it. Relaying disturbed areas
after repairs to water, electricity and gas
supplies had been slipshod and not in
accordance with the suppliers’ statutory duty
to restore the surface to an “as found”
condition. The Council had also failed to take
enforcement action. Also, the slabs themselves
had in places sunk and become uneven and
broken. After long correspondence with Council
Officers, the best they could offer was more
rigorous enforcement and a piecemeal approach
to uneven areas. The RCS responded that the
poor state of the pavement overall, in perhaps
the most visited street in the City reflected
badly on the Council’s sense of responsibility
for the World Heritage Status the City enjoyed
- if they couldn’t keep this bit right, what
hope was there for the rest? The Director of
Property & Engineering Services saw the point
and the whole pavement, from the junction with
Brock Street to the junction with Marlborough
Buildings was beautifully re-laid, including
dropped kerbstones to assist disabled access
at each end and rebuilding of the wall outside
No.30.
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