Counter-terror static and sliding protective bollards and street furniture are proposed for the centre of Bath, by Bath & North East Somerset Council (BaNES) and Avon and Somerset Police. Given Bath’s underground cellars and heritage, proposed are sliding bollards which do not require deep foundations.
As featured in Professional Security in recent years, historic towns such as Winchester and Canterbury that draw tourists have seen physical security added in streets; and outside high-footfall tourist attractions, such as York Minster. In Bath, proposed are all-year vehicle access restrictions within the city centre’s most crowded streets; and vehicle access points controlled by the council’s CCTV control room.
The plans are out to consultation until January 15. Visit the BaNES website. By day – from 10am to 6pm – it’s proposed that only the likes of cash in transit vehicles and post vans are allowed in and out. Outside those hours, businesses will be allowed to have deliveries. Not allowed at any time will be general cars, nor even taxis or disabled ‘blue badge’ holders.
The consultation document says: “The council recognises this reduces the current quality of parking for disabled and
mobility impaired people. This cannot be replaced within the security zone.” The council is commissioning a separate study about disabled access.
As a consultation document says, as in other places, in June Bath had temporary access restrictions and pavement widening installed to help social distancing when the Government eased lockdown. These are planned to be there up to December 2021; or until social distancing is removed by Government or permanent measures are fitted.
The council stresses that the security equipment will fit in with heritage; replacing temporary kit, and to ‘integrate security measures within a suite of multi-functional furniture’. It proposes to use central Government’s recently created anti-terrorism Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) powers that enable the police and councils to prevent access to a street or area. Excavation then installation is planned for the summer and autumn; and TROs to come into force in December 2021.
A separate consultation for Kingsmead Square will follow; likewise for Milson Street to the north of the city centre, which has a temporary bus gate, managed by an managed by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera. Due to covid-19 the authorities are not running public events to support this consultation.
Visit www.bathnes.gov.uk/citycentresecurity.
Picture by Mark Rowe; Bath city centre, summer 2018.
