"Green measles" bike hangars may threaten Unesco World Heritage status, resident claims

I live in Bath; one resident writes to the local rag and it's classed as a major news story (click-bait tbh).  Feels like the world centre of NIMBYism (or Continuously Against Virtually Everything (CAVE)...just read that on another story) at times; it's not a museum.  This is the usual plausible criticism which translates as, "It's reducing the amount of parking outside my house and I don't like it" which goes with the other reasons to oppose LTNs, residents parking, Clean Air Zone, cycle infrastructure, scooters (parked on the pavement; it's the end of the world!) and 15 min cities.  The solution, as far as this lot are concerned, is 'do-nothing' and just let cars run amock which really does blight Bath; you just normalise around it tbh.  So much stunning Georgian architecture just gets lost behind seas of backed up traffic.  You can't get a walk-in table in a restaurant on a home Bath rugby day; but heaven forbid suggesting upgrading the ground (to a stadium) to some people.  If this woman lives in Sydney Buildings then it's down on the flat (N and S of Bath centre are steep hills) so pefect for getting about by bike (e bike to power up the hills).  Often there isn't, or it isn't easy, access to the back of Georgian terraces and the other option is leaving a bike in the hall, or carrying it down to a cellar, so what a fantastic idea to have an on-street bike box; on your bike in a flash.  Perhaps some of her neighbours could take their wheely bins, food waste bins or recycling boxes inside rather than blighting the fronts of the terraces.  Local elections in May; the Tories are whipping up the faithful (or clueless conspiracy gang) over the current Lib-Dem council attempts to change the narrative regarding sustainable travel; some solutions are better than others but at least someone's trying.  It is a very lovely city to live in though.

Unfortunately, she's right: UNESCO won't even consider anywhere that doesn't have at least 100 Renault Scénics parked around it at all times. For proof, check your own holiday snaps. If they're anything like mine you'll see a battered 90s Scénic in front of nearly every old building. So, if the figure for Bath drops to 99, because the council thoughtlessly provides secure cycle parking for residents, it'll definitely lose World Heritage status.

If it was me I would be campaigning for the council to commission local street artists to decorate the bike hangars. I am sure that Bath must have a few, if not there's a chap who isn't bad from Bristol I understand. Either way, it could make Bath a UNESCO destination for modern reasons rather than ancient history.

We recently had a "to do" in south Lincs where the council commissioned a local street artist to do a mural for the sports centre on the theme of wellbeing. They got quite animated when he chose to focus on the impact on wellbeing of the cost of living crisis. Not what they had in mind apparently.

If I can't have my railings... you can't have your bike stands.

That seems to be the real driver for the complaint.

Quote:

June Ward raised concerns the FalcoPods(link is external) were not in keeping with the Georgian aesthetic.

Erm, yes, because all those twentieth/twenty-first century cars fit so well into the Georgian aesthetic... 

The hangers could definitely be a bit prettier, but the impact of traffic, fumes, parked cars etc is far more detrimental to the quality of life in any city. If they want to preserve the Georgian ambiance, perhaps ban all motor vehicles?

The march of progress, something which some people cannot cope with even when it improves their lives. The many examples of 20th century change in Bath are far more destructive to its historic fabric. Such a shame that there are so many HGV and large van lovers out there who are so blind to positive progress.

Surely it's time that one of the hangar manufacturers designed something that looked like a large van, so that people concerned with the effect on the aesthetics in their street would be happy?

My eldest is in her 2nd year at Uni in Bath. I'm sure the kebab van she frequents on a Friday night has grade 2 listed status or something..... And the rubgy ground opposite it - floodlights are essential for UNESCO status I hear.

The moaners are simply, as indicated below, a dreadful bunch of selfish thick-headed NIMBYs, and the support from the Sun is not surprising- the other hyper-junk papers should be along soon!

I have a British racing green car. Happy for me to chuck that where I want? Even better you can see inside to the litter in the footwell, and it's not been cleaned in months so it's pretty grim tbh.

So...all other manner of modern conveniences and installations in Bath (all of which are just as easily graffiti-able, not to mention the buildings of Bath themselves) would not threaten the UNESCO status of the city, but these green boxes would? So cars crammed on every street, all the bins and telephone boxes, bus stops, modern store fronts, bin lorries and delivery trucks, lamp posts and street signs, recycling dispensaries, skips etc etc are just fine, are they? Some people just don't think.