One of Bath's controversial liveable neighbourhoods will go back before councillors on Monday, while those opposed to the schemes plan a protest outside.

11 opposition councillors on Bath and North East Somerset Council signed a "call-in" of the council's decision to make a "liveable neighbourhood" traffic restriction on Southlands permanent earlier in the month.

Now the decision to go ahead with the scheme will be analysed by councillors on the council's climate emergency and sustainability scrutiny panel on Monday February 19.

Now Bath locals opposed to the scheme and other traffic measures around Bath have said they will hold a protest outside the meeting.

The panel has no power to overrule the decision to make it permanent, but can make recommendations to the decision maker.

57% of people living on Southlands in Bath said, in a recent council survey, they were opposed to the through traffic restriction on the street which was installed in November 2022 on a trial basis.

In another earlier survey 71% said they were opposed to it. But the scheme was controversially made permanent anyway, with the council stating "several of the reasons for opposing the trial were not borne out in practice."

The through traffic restriction on Southlands was one of three liveable neighbourhoods launched on a trial basis by the council in November 2022 which the council recently announced they would make permanent. It comes as five new trials are also being launched.

While some in Bath have welcomed the new schemes, others have also proved controversial. People in the Sion Hill area of Bath have warned that a plan to close Winifred's Lane to through traffic will push traffic down roads past children's schools, while a petition against closing Sydney Road to through traffic has amassed over 3,500 signatures.

Bath and North East Somerset Council's Labour opposition signed the call-in of the Southlands scheme but has come under fire for not calling in the new trials.

A statement from the Independent Group said: "We are pleased […] that there is a cross-party call-in to review the Southlands [traffic regulation order.] For the newly proposed liveable neighbourhoods in Sydney Road and Lower Lansdown however, currently only the Independent and Conservative councillors have requested a review, which we find surprising considering there have been more than 3,500 petition signatures for Sydney Road and 1,500 for Lower Lansdown.

"In a council dominated by a single party it's vital that opposition groups take a lead in providing balance and scrutiny.

For a call-in request to be accepted it requires the request of nine councillors and we are extremely disappointed that the Labour Party have refused to give these residents an opportunity to have their concerns heard and support the call-in.

"The call-in process is purely an additional layer of scrutiny to give the council an additional opportunity to make the right choice."

But the Labour group said: "As the official opposition, Labour works hard to make sure the Lib Dem administration is transparent and accountable.

However, in this case (as in many others) it is the local ward councillors' job to make sure that all residents knew about the proposals and to make sure they were actively consulted, early.

"In a council where the administration has such a large majority, a call-in is very unlikely to result in a Cabinet change of heart. We think there could be hope with Southlands, as the grounds for challenge are very strong, but we believe strongly that a different approach is needed to challenge the Liberal Democrats' approach to LTNs."

The statement added: "We call on the Liberal Democrat administration to launch an overarching review of Bath's traffic schemes. It should have clear focus and aims that fit into a traffic circulation plan which includes safe and convenient routes into the city for essential traffic from rural areas."

Announcing that the Southlands scheme, and the two other trials, would be made permanent on January 26, council cabinet member for transport Manda Rigby said: "Before starting the trials reports showed nearly half of all traffic in Southlands and Church Street was through traffic, defined as vehicles using the road without stopping.

After the trial in all cases, the number of vehicles entering the streets for access from either end of the restrictions also dropped significantly, in addition to through traffic being cut to zero.

"The monitoring reports showed that no significant traffic impacts were recorded on the primary alternative routes as a direct result of the trials and, most commonly, there were air quality improvements within and outside the trial area.

In all cases, the NO2 readings are well below the government legal limit and also within the council's own stricter targets."

The meeting to discuss the call-in of Southlands will take place at 10am in the Guildhall in Bath.

Protestors plan to be outside from half an hour beforehand.