The Conservative candidate vying for the position of the new West of England Metro Mayor has made a promise to block new funding for liveable neighbourhoods in Bath and Bristol if he is elected.
Steve Smith, a former Bristol city councillor, is contending for the role of leading the West of England Combined Authority, which will be decided in the election on May 1. The combined authority holds the responsibility for enhancing transport across the region and attracting and executing major investment projects. The power of the mayor’s role is expected to increase under the Labour government’s English Devolution plans.
In an interview with the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Smith expressed, “I am hearing from people across the West of England all the time that things are being imposed upon them, whether its low traffic neighbourhoods in Bath, whether its the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood, bus lanes on the A4 Keynsham bypass, closing Park Street, what people are saying to me is we didn’t ask for this and we didn’t want this.”
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When asked if this meant he would withdraw funding, Mr Smith affirmed, “Yes, I will where I can. So Park Street needs to come through the combined authority. I will not support that. If I am elected, that will not be happening. Same with the A4 Keynsham bypass. That decision will come to me and I will not support it. Where councils already have funding to do schemes, I can’t make them do anything they don’t want to do but I will not be funding new things.”
Mr Smith made these remarks at the West of England Combined Authority headquarters in Bristol, in the company of the five other candidates, as the campaigning commences for the election on Thursday May 1. The full list of candidates is:
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