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June 2021 No. 16
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Newly elected PCC lives in Bear Flat
INSIDE
Victory in Tufa Field Campaign Page 4 Curator’s love for architecture Page 7 Bath BID’s Nick Bishop, Allison Herbert and Tilley Sheridan in Stall Street, Bath
Hoping everything reopens on June 21 Cleveland Pools’ 2022 splash Page 10
Blue eyed soul Page 11 Sports News Page 19
By Harry Mottram. Last month saw major steps forward for Bath’s economy as pubs and restaurants could serve customers indoors, the night time economy could mostly reopen along with hotels and bed and breakfast establishments. From June 21st, the longest day of the year, nightclubs can reopen and all legal limits on social contact are lifted. It means Bath city is back in
By Harry Mottram. A resident of Bear Flat in Bath has become the newly elected Avon and Somerset’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC). Conservative candidate Mark Shelford has been elected with 34.4% of first preference votes and was elected after second preference votes were counted, beating Labour’s Kerry Barker in the vote last month. Mark Shelford is no stranger to the city having served as deputy leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council in the past and as the councillor for Widcombe and Lyncombe. He’s an ex-solider and replaces Sue Mountstevens, who served as PCC from 2012 before standing
business - or nearly said Allison Herbert, the boss of Bath BID the organisation dedicated to building business in central Bath. “Last month we began to open up the city again with shops and pubs, but with heavy rain and cancellation of trains due to the Hitachi cracks problem, footfall was down,” she said. “A lot of day visitors come
Mark Shelford is the new police boss
Continued on page 3
Continued on page 3
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bathvoice Contacts
Harry Mottram News Editor news@bathvoice.co.uk Erica Benson Publisher and sales 07402 441485 erica@bathvoice.co.uk Rich Coulter Sub Editor 07775 550607 George Benson Distribution 07970 767606 george@bathvoice.co.uk
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June 2021
HOW DO I GET IN TOUCH WITH ...
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My MP? Wera Hobhouse MP 26 Charles Street, Bath, BA1 1HU 01225 307024 office@werahobhouse.co.uk Jacob Rees-Mogg House of Commons Westminster London SW1A 0AA jacob.reesmogg.mp@parliament.uk
on Instagram bath_voice
My councillor? Oldfield Park: Shaun Stephenson-McGall 07483 299240 Shaun_Mcgall@bathnes.gov.uk
on Facebook Bath Voice
Widcombe & Lyncombe: Alison Born 01225 319188 Alison_born@bathnes.gov.uk Winston Duguid 07899 066440 Winston_Duguid@bathnes.gov.uk
Bath Voice are members of:
Moorlands: Jess David 07977 500804 Jess_david@bathnes.gov.uk Southdown: Paul Crossley 07718 632959 paul_crossley@bathnes.gov.uk Dine Romero 01225 477496 dine_romero@bathnes.gov.uk
Combe Down: Gerry Curan 01225 330349 / 07900684562 Gerry_curran@bathnes.go.uk Bharat Ramji Nathoo Pankhania Bharat_pankhania@bathnes.gov.uk 07464 867554 Odd Down: Joel Hirst 07792 869044 joel_hirst@bathnes.gov.uk Steve Hedges 07971270879 steve_hedges@bathnes.gov.uk Twerton: Sarah Moore 07807013635 Sarah_moore@bathnes.gov.uk Tim Ball 01225 400834 / 07970461674 Tim_ball@bathnes.gov.uk Westmoreland: June Player 07967 920064 June_Player@bathnes.gov.uk Colin Blackburn 07796 807157 Colin_Blackburn@bathnes.gov.uk
USEFUL NUMBERS Bath & North East Somerset Council Guildhall, High Street, Bath, BA1 5AW Bath One Stop Shop 3-4 Manvers Street, Bath, BA1 1JQ Council Connect 01225 39 40 41 Email: council_connect@bathnes. gov.uk Bath & North East Somerset Citizens Advice Bureau 2 Edgar Buildings, George Street, Bath, BA1 2EE 0344 848 7919 NHS Urgent: 111 / Emergency: 999
Police www.avonandsomersetpolice.co.uk General inquiries: 101 Emergency 999 Fire www.avonfire.co.uk Inquiries: 0117 926 2061 Emergency: 999 Anti-social behaviour team asb@bathnes.gov.uk 01225 842462 Well Aware Health and social care information www.wellaware.org.uk (Freephone) 0808 808 5252
COMPLAINTS Despite our best efforts, we sometimes get things wrong. We always try to resolve issues informally at first but we also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in the Bath Voice, contact the News Editor using the details below. We aspire to follow the the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), nuj.org.uk/about/ nuj-code. Further details of the complaints process can be found on our website or can be obtained by contacting the Editor by email: news@bathvoice.co.uk or by post: 1 Camerton Close, Saltford, Bristol, BS31 3BT or by phone: 07402 441485 All stories and pictures are © Bath Voice (unless otherwise stated) and may not be reproduced without permission. Bath Voice News & Media Ltd
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June 2021
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n NEWS Solstice date for nightclubs Continued from page 1 by train from the east and the west so with passenger numbers down that was a set back. “Footfall is down to 60-70% of levels two years ago so there is a long way to go yet. “But with the last restrictions lifting the city is bouncing back and Bath business has responded well. With the regulations relaxed for outdoor eating there’s a lot of cafés and restaurants with seating outside.” She said that although some of the big names like Debenhams had gone new businesses were moving in. “Dough Pizza and Perfecto to mention two and there is a lot of interest from other retailers,” she said. A stroll around central Bath gives a reassuringly similar feel to when shops were last fully open in early 2020. However there are big gaps and the largest of all is the empty Debenhams department store.
And there are gaps for staff as well with notices requesting new people posted on some shop and restaurant windows. Of course Bath has been here before when recessions have taken their toll such as the 1980, 1990-91, and the Credit Crunch of 2008. This one is different due to its nature and the absence of foreign tourists which has for some locals been a blessing as those large groups of tourists on walking tours have largely disappeared for the moment. And the shopping streets of Bear Flat, Widcombe Parade and Moorland Road are once again busy with some of the smaller stores saying the lockdown has helped locals rediscover what’s on their doorstep without the trek into the city centre. Widcombe Parade has almost every single premises full while on Bear Flat Just Eat has opened next to the Majestic Wine store. Moorland Road it goes without saying is Amazing.
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Dan Norris for Labour is the new Metro Mayor
Election wins for Labour and Conservatives Continued from page 1 down before the election. Mark Shelford said: “It’s very, very exciting but it’s also quite humbling and there’s a huge responsibility placed on my shoulders. But I am raring to go. “The most important thing is about reassuring the public that the police are there for them. It’s focusing on those crimes that the public want dealt with and making Avon and Somerset more effective and efficient and we’ll do that together.” The election on May 6th saw the Conservative get 161,319 first and second preference votes, beating Kerry Barker who secured 146,293. Turnout was 30.7%, up from 26% in 2016. Green Party candidate and former Lord Mayor of Bristol, Cleo Lake, secured 16.4% of first preference votes and came third. The Liberal Democrats’ Heather Shearer polled 13.3% and John Smith, an independent who was Ms Mountstevens’ deputy, got 11.7% of first preference votes. One of the issues in Bath is the lack of a full time 24hr police station. Cuts in finance and police numbers has meant many towns in the region have also lost even a part time station. Car crime and minor vandalism have also been issues along with the more serious problem of female safety especially in the evening and at night. There have also been problems over incidents along the cycle path to Bristol and other secluded paths and cycleway ways by the river and canal where women and children have felt unsafe. And there’s the eternal request from all residents for more ‘bobbies on the beat.’ So plenty for Mark Shelford to get on with although one immediate decision is to appoint a new chief constable. Andy Marsh
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announced in April that he will leave in July after holding the post since February 2016. The other elected official Bathonians voted for was for the new West of England Mayor which saw Labour’s Dan Norris beat off the challenge of the Conservative’s Samuel Williams once second preference votes were counted. His task as the so-called metro Mayor is to head up the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) partnership which includes Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire. He has signalled that he wants North Somerset and Somerset to join as the various councils together can attract Government funding for various projects. Dan Norris was a former MP for Wansdyke from 1997 to 2010 and served in the last Labour government and replaced the last mayor who was the Conservative Tim Bowles who retired. He said: “If the Government doesn’t deliver for us, we will have to point that out. “I think over recent years things haven’t come our way and there hasn’t been a fuss made about it and that’s not good for our region. “Our region needs some very important things, we deserve it and we’ve got to deliver on it,” he said. He said some of his priorities would include launching a new public transport system for the region, housing and the environment. The previous mayor Tim Bowles was reported to have had problems working with the Labour Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees who has been re-elected after beating off a strong challenge from the Green Party’s Sandy Hore-Ruthven.
June 2021
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n NEWS
Victory in battle to save Tufa Field from development By Local Democracy Reporter and Harry Mottram. Controversial plans to build 37 homes on a Bath field containing a rare habitat have been scrapped by the new council leader. Councillor Kevin Guy said uses for the so-called “tufa field” behind Englishcombe Lane would be reassessed and it would not be sold off. A campaign by residents to keep the fields as a green space and effective nature reserve and community asset has proved successful. Their main argument was two fold. One was the land was unsuitable for housing due to its steep slope and water emerging from the land causing slippage. The second reason was having declared a climate emergency the Council were in effect doing the complete opposite by allowing a green field site to be built on. Resident Simon Banks wrote at length in Bath Voice in May
about the Tufa Field being a ‘touchstone of the council’s policy.’ He said: “When Bath and Northeast Somerset Council passed plans to build 37 executive houses on a Site of Nature Conservation Interest in the south of Bath, it unleashed a backlash that quickly elicited a 5,000 plus signature petition and a political crisis for the ruling Liberal Democrat party. “The plans, passed against the advice of the Council’s ecologists, were an immediate challenge to the newly declared Ecological Emergency, a flagship policy of the administration. “At the heart of the problem is the conflict between the Council’s political aspirations and the practical reality of implementation. The bureaucracy intrinsic in all Governmental bodies is ill-suited to quick decisions or agile responsiveness, and requires a sea-change in
We did it: the Tufa Field campaigners battled to prevent its destruction
thinking and organisation if they are to respond effectively.” The campaigners had set up a website which gave information about the unique geology of the field and its wild life with images taken of deer and other creatures that use the land as habitat. They were supported by the local representative on the Council Cllr Jess David. Speaking at last August’s planning meeting Cllr Jess David said: “As a site of nature conservation interest I hope this administration will still be able to reconsider plans for this site.” Cllr Jess David had been in a difficult position as she was part of the Council whose planning
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committee endorsed the development. She lent her support but left it to the likes of Jane Roberts, Richard Cartwright, Frances Teck, Simon Banks, Jenny Boules, Ginny Stokes and Gill Kenny to campaign. Petitions, leaflets and a high profile media campaign had put across their arguments that the field needed to be protected and not covered in concrete. Clearly the new leader of the council had seen the Tufa Field development as being highly unpopular with residents whose campaign had shown that people power can work sometimes.
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June 2021
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n NEWS
Community action and strong arguments win the day By Harry Mottram: The success of the Friends of Tufa Field campaign to prevent housing on the greenfield site shows how a concerted local effort at lobbying politicians and using the media can win through. However the clincher for the about turn by the Council was two fold. Firstly there was the article by Simon Banks in the last issue of Bath Voice which eloquently stated the case for preserving the site because of its unique status as a place of scientific and natural interest and the contradiction of declaring a climate emergency and then covering a green field with concrete. Secondly the change of leader at Bath Council was a gift for the ruling Liberal Democrats to reverse an unpopular decision by the planning committee. Kevin Guy must have noticed how support was draining away as the Council has come under fire on a number of issues from the Clean Air Zone to the future of the
Approach Golf Course and Tufa Field. All administrations run into resistance from parts of their constituency from time to time, as to para phrase an old saying, ‘ you can’t please all of the people all of the time but you can please some of the people some of the time.’ Meanwhile the Friends of Tufa Field wrote to the Bath Chronicle a letter of thanks: “ We want to thank local people for your support and for signing the petition against the Tufa Field being developed.” The Friends letter went on: “The future of this site of Scientific Nature and Conservation Interest (SNCI) is still to be decided. Sites like this are rare. The calcium depositing tufa flushes and associated fauna and flora cannot be replaced or replicated elsewhere. “The Environment Agency has highlighted tufa springs in Somerset as ‘vulnerable’ – and the site is also a vital link in the network of wildlife corridors. Significant concern regarding land slip and flooding to the local area also remain. “Objections to the development
Another factor in the win was a well run website by the Friends showing photos and videos of the wildlife there
were many, including the Council’s own ecologists and Ian Barrett, chief executive of Avon Wildlife Trust.” One possible future for the site is to turn it over to the Friends who could emulate what has happened to Lyncombe Hill Fields. There very steep land that was a haven for wildlife and subject to speculation from developers in the past has become a nature reserve and community green space for education and activities.
The Friends said in their letter: “We believe we can use the Tufa Field to positively support the climate crisis, protect the rare tufa, protect the wide range of flora, fauna and associated rare invertebrates that depend on the tufa springs, and restore a meadow. “Therefore, we have asked that any feasibility studies regarding future use of the land explore the possibility of a community nature reserve.” Ian Barrett said of the idea: “There’s lots of potential for the site as a community nature reserve and a green corridor, providing local kids a nature-rich off-road route to school.” Wera Hobhouse MP for Bath congratulated the Friends on their success pointing out that the Council’s own environment officer had supported the Tufa Fields remaining undeveloped. The Friends next step is to seek permission through their local councillor Jess David to take down the plastic fencing and disposing of it responsibly with BaNES help.
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n NEWS
New council leader answers questions By a Local Democracy Reporter. The de facto new leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council has shared evidence he hopes will draw a line under “malicious” allegations he was ineligible to stand for election. Chief exec Will Godrey investigated and was satisfied that Councillor Kevin Guy lived in the authority area for the 12 months before he submitted his nomination papers for the May 2019 council election. Avon and Somerset Police also investigated and concluded that no criminal offence had been committed. Despite Cllr Guy refuting the allegations of electoral fraud, commentators he has branded “Tory trolls” demanded proof. He has now shared the same documents shown to Mr Godfrey, who took specialist legal advice before reaching his conclusion.
Councillor Kevin Guy
The allegations were first made two years ago, but resurfaced last month after news Cllr Guy would become the top-paid councillor. In 2020/21 members of B&NES Council were paid a basic allowance of £8,212 and £208 for home working. As the cabinet member for
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children’s services Cllr Guy received a further £20,019. On the current rates as leader he will receive a special allowance of £33,337. Political group leaders are paid £428 per member, and the Lib Dems have 37 councillors, although a second special allowance the total would be halved to £7,918 leaving a total of £49,675. The allegations regarded whether Cllr Guy was eligible for election due to his address at New Leaf Farm in Bathampton and another in Freshford having moved from Telford in Shropshire. Cllr Kevin Guy has been setting out his priorities. He promised to deliver low traffic neighbourhoods within a year, do everything in the council’s power to keep HGVs off Cleveland Bridge, build the first council houses in a generation, put the
tip tax on hold, end plans for the Tufa Field housing developments and look to keep golf at the Approach golf course. Cllr Guy was sworn in at Bath and North East Somerset Council’s annual general meeting on May 4 after receiving 35 votes from fellow Liberal Democrats. Nine opposition councillors voted against and 12 abstained, including ousted Lib Dem cabinet member Joanna Wright. He announced his new cabinet: • Deputy leader, economic development and resources – Richard Samuel • Deputy leader, climate emergency and sustainable travel – Sarah Warren • Adults and council houses – Alison Born and Tom Davies • Children and young people, communities and culture – Dine Romero • Neighbourhood services – David Wood • Planning – Tim Ball Transport – Manda Rigby.
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Issy’s chop to help children A Bath schoolgirl has donated her flowing locks of hair to a charity dedicated to providing wigs for children who have lost their hair during treatment for cancer. “I have been growing my hair for about two years,” said Issy Sheppard, a Year 8 student at Hayesfield Girls’ School, “partly because during lockdown it hasn’t been easy to get a haircut. I’m turning 13 soon and thought it would be a good time for a change and to help others that are less fortunate than me.” The Little Princess Trust is a charity that provides real hair wigs, free of charge, to children
To advertise, contact Erica on erica@bathvoice.co.uk or call 07402 441485
and young people, up to the age of 24, who have lost their hair as a result of cancer treatment or other illnesses. Set up in 2005 by Wendy Tarplee-Morris when her daughter Hannah died of cancer it has since helped countless young people with high quality wigs in memory of Hannah who loved her own hair. The trust also raises cash for child cancer research, a fund to which Izzy has contributed more than £500 to help the charity’s work. To add to Issy’s fundraising effort go to www.justgiving.com and search for issythesuperhairo.
June 2021
bathvoice
n PEOPLE
7
Number One Royal Crescent: the senior curator Dr Amy Frost
My love for old buildings all began on a school trip
By Harry Mottram: Step into the everyday lives of Georgian Bathonians at Number One Royal Crescent and see the volume of work the poor servants had to do. “When all the posh people (we associate with period dramas) had wined and dined after a full day of socialising, and their thoughts turned to relaxing at the end of the day, the servants would still have chores to do to prepare the house for the morning,” said Dr Amy Frost, the senior curator for Bath Preservation Trust which includes the house at the Royal Crescent where lives of 18th century Bathonians can be experienced. “We have received one of the Government’s Cultural Recovery Grants,” she explained, “which was vital to retain the viability of the museums. “Last year we lost 92% of our income due to Covid shut downs and this year we expect to only receive
32% of what we would normally expect to earn from visitors and overseas tourists. “So the grant has helped us to pay salaries and overheads but also make changes to Number One the Royal Crescent. We have wifi now and installed audio visual systems so visitors can eavesdrop on a family in Georgian Bath, as well as hear what the servants are doing. It’s a more emersive and atmospheric experience now.” Originally from Yeovil, Amy 42, lives in Bath and remembers how a school trip to Stourhead gave her a life long love of architecture. “Dad was a building surveyor so I was used to visiting buildings but the school trip was the moment I knew what I wanted to do,” she said. After Reading University and a Masters Degree in Architectural History she joined the Trust and its four museums in 2002.
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June 2021
June 2021
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n NEWS IN BRIEF
9
Bath in Bloom is back, Widcombe walkers and June the Mayor of Bath Civic news: The Charter Trustees of the City of Bath formally elected Cllr June Player to serve the Office of Mayor at their Annual Meeting last month. June became Bath & North East Somerset Council’s first elected Independent Councillor in 2011 representing Westmoreland Ward, and was re-elected in 2015 and 2019. She served as Deputy Mayor in 2016. The Charter Trustees also elected Cllr Dr Yukteshwar Kumar to serve the Office of Deputy Mayor. Mrs Taniya Deb, his wife, is Deputy Mayoress. Yukteshwar was the first person to be elected as a Councillor of Bath & North East Somerset from an Indian descent and is the first non-white person to take the role of the Deputy Mayor. Subway art: The Widcombe Association said the community mural in the Claverton Street subway will be going ahead in June /July. The artwork will stretch along the wall of the refurbished, lit and painted tunnel with the artist Sarah Ovens originally commissioned to create a scene of wildlife and some of the community’s well known buildings. But Sarah has left the
area and so Dan Wilson has taken on the role of creating the painting. Fund raising for the project has taken place with around £4,000 pulled together from a variety of people and organisations. Walkers: The Widcombe Wayfarers Walking Wednesdays are back on the 9th of June meeting at 10am on the 2nd Wednesday of every month, starting at the west end of Widcombe Parade. Walks last between 1-2 hours and are medium paced. Come dressed for the weather, with suitable footwear and be prepared for a few climbs. Walks are limited to 20 people and registration is now compulsory. The walks are FREE but if you would like to support this event you can make a small donation when you register. Bath in Bloom: The annual gardening competition is to take place with the closing date for entries on Monday, June 7. Bath in Bloom was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic last year. There are a number of categories from the gardens of residents to
community groups and allotments. And there’s sections for pubs, environmental gardening techniques, pubs, window boxes and hanging baskets. In July judges will make their decisions with a prize giving event to announce the winners. For details visit www. bathinbloom.org. Entry Hill: Entry Hill Community Association was created in February, 2020. The local BaNES Councillor, Winston Duguid suggested that a Community Association would be a valuable resource to help explore potential solutions to issues being raised separately by individuals and households. It is a voluntary group, working together to try to make the neighbourhood a better place. Entry Hill Community Association covers all of Entry Hill, together with Entry Hill Gardens, Entry Hill Park, Entry Hill Drive, Hansford Mews, Ivy Bank Park, Longthorne Place and Lynbrook Lane. Combe Down: A reminder that residents with a love all things history can join the Combe Down Heritage Society. They aim to foster
Cllr June Player is the new Mayor of Bath
Deputy Mayor, Cllr Dr Yukteshwar Kumar
an interest in Combe Down’s past record and interpret its history and keep an archive of all heritage information and to make the heritage accessible to residents and visitors and to young people. More information and how to join at combedownheritagesociety. wordpress.com/
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10
n LOCAL HISTORY
Closed in 1984 Cleveland Pools set for a 2022 reopening By Harry Mottram. One of Bath’s forgotten attractions has laid idol for the last few years with leaves gathering in the waters of the Cleveland Pools. Opened in the year of the Battle of Waterloo the pools became a popular lido for residents wishing to cool off and take exercise with a swim.
From those early Georgian days to the 1980s the pools were a fixture for many in the summer. Sadly in 1984 they closed and then suffered neglect as they passed from owner to owner before a trust was set up to buy the pools for the people. In 2003 the Cleveland Pools Trust was formed to return the
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attraction to its former glory. Now with a huge amount of work and various grants the good news is the pools should reopen in 2022. Olympic swimmer Sharon Davies is one of the Trust’s patrons. “She said: “I cannot think of a better project than the restoration of the Cleveland Pools to provide outdoor swimming to the community of Bath and the wider region. I have supported this most worthwhile of projects for over 10 years and look forward to my first swim in 2022.” The Pools Trust received £290,000 from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund this year thus providing more cash to make the restoration a reality although £5.7m is required in total. It’s now all hands to the work with the likes of Avon Rugby Club facilitating a site compound for deliveries. The Trust are also seeking more help from local groups and businesses for the huge job of returning the pools to their former glory - with many changes in terms of how the facility must run in the 21st century. For details visit www.clevelandpools. org.uk/
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Key dates
1815 Financed by public subscription, the first pool (with accompanying buildings) opens as a simple diversion of the river. 1817-19 Hampton Row built 1823 Further land acquired, between Pools and Hampton Row. 1827 Pools sold to the Reverend Dr. Race Godfrey for £350, refurbished and re-opened to include the Ladies’ Pool. 1839 The Great Western railway reaches Bath. 1852-61 Upper pool constructed. 1867 The eccentric Mr W Evans in charge of the Pools, teaching swimming and providing ginger beer and gingerbread. 1869 Public bathing place opens at Darlington Wharf. 1875-78 Cleveland Row built. 1886 Ordnance Survey map shows main pool cut off from the river inlet, with a sluice gate to the outlet. 1898-99 Pools close briefly due to the bankruptcy of the owners of the time, Bath College Company of Grosvenor Place. 1900 Bath Corporation’s Waterworks Committee buys Pools for £100. 1901 Pools open to the Bathing attire for a chap in 1877 public after some refurbishment, free for a short time. 1904-10 Eastern extension to lower pool constructed. 1941 Upper pool used for immersion baptism by Jehovahs Witnesses. 1951 Ordnance Survey map shows all connections with the river closed. 1967 Bath Spa Committee takes over management from Waterworks Committee, and at about this time the main pool is given a concrete floor and the semi-circular cascade is constructed at its eastern end. 1978 Despite a petition with over 1,000 signatures, the Pools close. 1982 A private company attempts to re-open the Pools, but fails. 1983-84 Pools briefly re-open during closure of the pool at the Sports Centre. 1984 Pools finally close for bathing, become a trout farm, then a private residence. 2003 The Pools are put up for sale by Bath and North East Somerset Council, and the Cleveland Pools Trust is formed to rescue them for public swimming once again. 2014 Funding received from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Bath and North East Somerset to develop designs, a viable business plan and a Stage 2 application to the HLF. 2018 The Heritage Lottery Fund awards a £4.7 million grant to enable the restoration of Cleveland Pools to begin. The full scheme will cost £5.7 million and the Trust, having already raised £800,000, will now secure the remaining funds. 2022 Planned re-opening of Cleveland Pools, Bath’s lido.
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n PEOPLE
Keeping the blue eyed soul in the centre of Bath By Harry Mottram. Known simply as Clyve, Bath Radio’s Thursday morning presenter has been there and got the t-shirt: soul singer, DJ, footballer, choir boy, actor, musical theatre, songwriter, New Yorker and proud Bathonian with a flat near Pultney Bridge. “I’ve always been a vocalist,” he said, “and my music now is really white soul. All the classics as well as lesser known songs. “My current album Blue Eyed Soul is partly to promote my next tour but due to Covid that’s all been put on hold.” He’s come a long way from head choir boy at St Marks in Widcombe singing Oh Little Town of Bethlehem in the early 1970s, via football trials at Brighton FC and Southampton FC to playing in front of 80,000 music fans in Valencia. Today he’s waiting for the Covid restrictions on live music to lift so he can get back to doing what he does best: singing.
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“People say my voice is closest in style to George Michael, basically white soul, and that’s the type of music I like to play as I talk to my guests on Bath Radio,” he explained, “I’ve teemed up with Gail Porter on a regular basis for the Thursday show and I have a lot of contacts in music business so I never run out of guests.” He signed up to do the unpaid gig with what was Bath Hospital Radio and now Bath Radio last summer when Covid killed off much of live music. “It’s given me a focus,” he said, “I’ve done a lot of radio in New York, on the BBC and there you have producers and technicians and support but with Bath Radio you do everything which has been a good thing for me as I’m a jack of all trades.” We met at Bonghy Bo’s in Bath where Clyve’s band has performed in the past and as we chatted several people stopped to say hello Soul man: Clyve of Bath and New York - and now a Bath Radio presenter to the city’s white soul celebrity.
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n NEWS
June 2021
Student flats in Oldfield Park rejected By Local Democracy Reporter. Plans to downsize an Oldfield Park supermarket and build 92 student flats that would “add nothing to the area” have been thrown out. Councillor June Player said the Scala scheme, which also included 16 residential flats and a dance studio, was a “microcosm” of local issues where in some streets students outnumber residents by 13 to one. But planning committee members were told curbs on the concentration of HMOs (homes in multiple occupation) did not apply to purpose-built student accommodation. Instead plans for the former Shaftesbury Road cinema were rejected amid concerns about overdevelopment and the impact on neighbouring residents from the four-storey student extension. Councillor Eleanor Jackson told the meeting on May 5: “The student block is going to dominate an attractive Victorian neighbourhood far too much.
“There are going to be too many people on this site, too much danger to the surrounding pedestrians and traffic and too much loss of amenity for the speakers we heard who are going to have the whole thing looking into their back garden. “I don’t feel it’s acceptable at the moment.” Jade Tipp, one of 157 objectors to the plans, had said the invasion of her privacy had been dismissed by planning officers, who had recommended approval. She said in a statement to the planning committee: “Noise levels from existing student properties in the area are already a real and ongoing issue. Adding another nearly 100 students into this small space is going to make a bad situation worse.” John Branston, another local resident, said Oldfield Park had well known issues with students being over-represented and attempts at controlling parking had failed. Lestyn Lewis, the chief executive
of applicant Rengen Development, said the redevelopment of the Scala building would retain the Co-op as the anchor tenant, create a modern dance centre, a policy-compliant level of affordable housing, and provide an adequate level of parking, 30 spaces for customer use. He said Norland College was originally named in the plans but due to the coronavirus pandemic was no longer in a position to commit to a lease on the student accommodation. Westmoreland ward member Cllr Player said: “This site and this application can be seen as a microcosm of the housing mix and the number of students compared to non-students that exists throughout virtually all of Westmoreland ward. “Student accommodation is not what we need here, residential is.” She said in one street, Triangle North, nearby 86 per cent of the properties were HMOs, with 119
The Coop in Oldfield Park
students versus just nine permanent residents. Planning committee member Cllr Duncan Hounsell urged caution, saying: “We have to apply the planning policies as they are, not what we’d like them to be. This application is largely policy compliant. I worry that if we refuse and the applicant goes to appeal we would lose.” Proposing refusal, Cllr Manda Rigby said issues of overdevelopment and overlooking tipped the balance against the application. The committee voted to overturn the officer recommendation and refused the scheme despite concerns about the risk of an appeal.
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By Harry Mottram. Along with train drivers, footballers and pop stars, lollipop men and women (or school crossing patrol officers as they were first called) are the unsung heroes of school children and their parents. Rob Stanley has been thanked by the Council for his work as a school crossing patrol officer in Widcombe last month where he has seen his young charges across the road for 20 years. Edmund Knollys, Widcombe Schools’ PTA Chair said: “Encouraging more children and their parents and carers to walk, cycle or scoot is better for them, our city, and our planet, but it wouldn’t happen without walk to school initiatives and the dedication of school crossing patrols like Rob.”
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The first lollipop lady took up her role in 1937 - in Bath. Mrs Hunt may have been the first but it was London’s Dorothy Pummell for Barking Council who promoted the post as the number of road accidents involving children was horrifyingly high. Then 90% of children walked to school, falling to around 50% today. Pictured above is Rob Stanley who has been thanked for his work. Left is a photo of a lollipop lady in London in the 1960s complete with her babe in a pram. Another champion of the job was Jock Brining of Dagenham Council in the 1930s. Today around 1,900 children are killed or seriously injured each year in road accidents annually. in 1979 the figure was 11,822 so a steady decline. Jess David organises a walking bus to Widcombe school to encourage more children to walk safely to their studies.
June 2021
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Pay rise delayed due to Covid 19 By Local Democracy Reporter. Plans to give Bath and North East Somerset councillors a £3,500 pay rise have been pushed back by a year because of the pandemic. Despite the ongoing pressure on the council’s finances, an independent panel has recommended increasing the basic allowance from £7,993 to £11,555 over five years. Councillors said they did not stand for election to get an extra income but the current sum – £6,300 less than in Bristol – puts off people who work full time or have caring responsibilities. Deputy council leader Richard Samuel said the current crop of candidates is “slanted towards older people and I’m afraid it is very male”. “If we are to attract more younger councillors and more councillors from ethnic minorities we do need to ensure that for those people who very
likely will be at the start of their working lives there is an allowance paid that enables them to live satisfactorily,” he said. Councillor Samuel said the sum must not act as a disincentive for future councillors, whose workloads increased when their number was cut from 65 to 59 in 2019, or place an unrealistic financial burden on the council. The independent panel recommended increasing the basic allowance to £8,951 in 2021/22 and increase incrementally to £11,555 by 2025/26. Cllr Dr Kumar said members are paid “peanuts” and their hourly rate is well below the minimum wage, but no one gets elected to claim an allowance. “A councillor’s role comes with a huge level of stress, trolling on social media and open abuse on the street,” said the Bathwick councillor, who donates much of his allowance.
n NEWS IN BRIEF
Pub’s bar barred: Joe Cussens is the managing director of the Bath Pub Company, set up in 2012, which operates the Marlborough Tavern and The Locksbrook Inn has been told to remove a temporary garden bar at The Hare and Hounds in the Lansdown area of Bath. The bar helped his business survive during the coronavirus pandemic as it enabled service outside at a time when customers weren’t allowed inside. However it was built without planning permission. He can apply for retrospective planning application.
“You are not here to make a living, you’re here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement, you are here to enrich the community.” All members receive the basic allowance and those with special responsibilities get paid extra, like the cabinet members and committee chairs. New council leader Kevin Guy, who could receive nearly £50,000 for his role, said: “There’s a huge gulf between perception and reality when it comes to council allowances. “If you talk to our constituents they think we’re on tens and tens of thousands of pounds and we’ve all got our noses in the trough. “When you actually tell them the basic allowance for a councillor is £8,000 they normally think you’re lying to them or you’re joking. “The basic allowance inhibits certain members of our
The Guildhall in Bath
community that could make great contributions to this council and therefore make great contributions to the community from coming forward and being councillors because they would have to give up their job, their time looking after their children etc.” He said that was not acceptable, but nor is councillors increasing their allowance when so many people are struggling from the Covid crisis. Cllr Tim Ball said the decision should be made in 2023 ahead of the election so members were not voting for their own pay rise. The council voted to bring in the increase next year in recognition of the impact of Covid-19 on residents
Vandals: Clare Greene, headteacher of St Michael’s Junior Church School said she was ‘frustrated’ after vandals destroyed the school play bus for a second time. Bath Live reported that the bus had previously cost thousands of pounds to repair after a previous attack on it. Last month vandals broke into the grounds of St Michael’s Junior Church School in Twerton and destroyed the children’s play bus by smashing its windows. The bus had been gifted by First Bus in 2019, and was previously vandalised at the end of
December 2019 and cost thousands of pounds to repair. There is a Go Fund Me page for the public to donate to repair the bus. Noisy hens fear: Bath Aqua Glass has applied and been granted an alcohol licence although a neighbour strongly objected. Lynda Whiting lives next door was concerned that ‘cackling hens’ may cause a noisy nuisance in the evenings when they visited the Walcot Street attraction. The business founded in 1996 demonstrates glass blowing and will be able to sell wine as well as
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glassware in a cafe section of the enterprise. Cotswold run: James Gwinnett, 36, of Marlborough Buildings has completed the Cotswold Way in one go taking 25hrs and 14mins. He ran the way from Chipping Cambden to Bath Abbey on May 1, raising more than £6,000 for Children with Cancer UK with a Just Giving page. He wrote about running through the night, stopping at shops to buy liquids, of almost stopping for a sleep at Dyrham Park but finally running down into Bath on a misty dawn.
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Clean Air Zone and the work’s van problem By Local Democracy Reporter. Former Council bosses have been accused of “moving the goalposts” on Bath’s clean air zone after drivers who checked their vehicles were exempt were hit with charges. Tradespeople say the blunder has led to a spike in demand for grants and interest-free loans for upgrades – with fears the funding will run out – but the pandemic has caused a national shortage of vans. Bath and North East Somerset Council has blamed the government for the confusion, saying it only learned after the zone launched on March 15 that the vehicle checker had been updated two weeks earlier. The authority has contacted affected drivers, waived charges and given them time to consider their options. Adrian Jennings, a tiler, said: “Right from the start I’ve been using the vehicle checker and my van wasn’t chargeable. Suddenly the council moved the goalposts and my van was chargeable. “They want me to exchange my vehicle. I have to go into £25,000 of debt in a pandemic,
install a camera network that can read number plates, but the authority said its use is strictly controlled. “Manufacturers are saying you can’t get a van until 2022 – they can’t finish them because of Covid,” he said. “This is what the council don’t realise. “It’s a complete con. Everyone has been driven out of Bath.” Anyone who fails to pay the £9 a day charge for vans, taxis and private hire vehicles or £100 sum for buses, lorries and coaches faces a £120 fine. Private cars are not charged. Mr Jennings claimed the clean air zone had resulted in new rat runs through Weston village and past Ralph Allen School as drivers try to avoid the charge, which he said was also catching out residents in large vehicles like Land Rovers and VW Transporters. Plasterer Glyn Hitchcock said Tradesmen Glyn Hitchcock, Adrian Jennings and John Williams after months of and there’s going to be a recession. “I can’t do anything until they give me a tracker. You can’t get trackers because there aren’t enough of them.” The council uses telematic trackers to check if drivers are eligible for support, in the form of grants worth up to £4,500 for vans or interest-free finance. To be eligible for the scheme, drivers must have a chargeable, noncompliant vehicle that travels an average of two or more times a week in Bath’s clean air zone. Mr Jennings questioned why trackers are needed at all when the council has paid millions to
waiting he managed to get a tracker fitted and drove around with it for 60 days as required, but when he handed it back it was faulty so he had to start all over again. B&NES Council said it was only made aware that the government had updated its vehicle checker after the zone launched. The change affected a “small group of vehicles” that previously incorrectly identified as being compliant. The council said: “We have been writing to the owners of these vehicles who failed to pay for their journeys. “We have waived all outstanding charges since 15 March, and no fines have been issued.” • Somerset Live have reported on vans and trucks using Old Newbridge Hill to connect Kelson Road and Newbridge Road and to avoid the CAZ. Last month Bath Voice reported on similar issues in Church Road in Widcombe. If your road has become a rat run due to vehicles trying to avoid the CAZ contact the Council at https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/ make-complaint
Parts of the city had high levels of nitrogen dioxide Bath’s Clean Air Zone will help the city meet UK air quality legislation. Several places in Bath currently exceed the legal limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution which is mainly caused by vehicle emissions explained the Council. They said the situation is unacceptable because of the role that poor air quality plays in damaging health. The legal limit for concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is 40μg/m3 as an annual average. Unfortunately, poor air quality is harmful to the most vulnerable residents - children, elderly people and those already unwell. It includes inflammation of the airways, coughing and shortness of breath (short-term exposure) and a worsening of existing lung or heart conditions, including asthma and emphysema and bronchitis (COPD) Plus there is an increased susceptibility to allergens and respiratory infections. Over the long-term, high levels of NO2 can affect children’s lung
development, and there is evidence that children who grow up in highly polluted areas are more likely to develop asthma. Research also links high levels of NO2 with increased possibility of heart attack and dementia. Nitrogen dioxide pollution is thought to contribute to as many as 36,000 early deaths in the UK each year. In 2017, the government directed Bath’s Council to reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide in the city in the shortest possible time. The Government is providing all of the funds to do this, and the Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU) is independently verifying all of the work being done. The Council’s technical work has shown that a charging zone for traffic is the only measure that can achieve compliance in the required time frame - effectively deterring the majority of higher emission vehicles from driving in the inner city area by charging them to drive into the zone.
Following a public consultation in Oct/Nov 2018, the council agreed to introduce a class C charging clean air zone with traffic management at Queen Square, charging all higher emission vehicles, except private cars and motorcycles, to drive in Bath’s city centre from 15 March 2021. Traffic management in Queen Square is a necessary compromise to enable us to avoid charging private cars. It also helps to moderate traffic flow to other parts of the city, where emissions would rise to unacceptable levels if large queues
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were allowed to form they said. The Council said: “While we are not charging private cars, the council is currently looking at lots of ways to improve walking, cycling and public transport to encourage more people to choose more sustainable ways of getting around. “We ask that all drivers consider whether or not they need to take their vehicle, and to consider walking, cycling or taking public transport instead, especially for shorter cross-city journeys.” Last month Bath Voice highlighted some of the issues of rat runs created by the CAZ and there are problems for works vans, taxis and some 4x4s which attract the fees. Clearly this is still early days for the scheme.
June 2021
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n NEWS IN BRIEF
Friends of the Fields Andrew, Paul, Jackie and Kate clearing brambles from the meadows ready for seeding with wild flowers
The public spirited souls of Moorland Litter Pickers have been cleaning up Brickfields Park, The Memorial Gardens and Linear Park. They are on Facebook if you would like to help their brilliant efforts
Market switch: the Farmers’ Market access when out and about or in Green Park Station has been working in Bath with the opening of offered a temporary home by the a new test and collect site in the city Council after the glass canopy roof centre from last month. The site at 3 There’s the sound of birdsong now in the leafy woods and copses of of Green Park Station was shown to Burton Street replaces the facility at Lyncombe Hill Fields. Last year the Friends of the Fields took on the have become unstable. the Apex Hotel. The opening times task of turning the five fields below Alexandra Park into a nature The new site is Green Park Car Park, will be 7am to 6pm on Mondays to reserve and public green area. They’ve laid paths and planted trees the former coach park in Avon Street Fridays, and 9am to 2pm on as well as encouraging wildlife of all types with a rich swathe of wild which is part of the Bath Quays Saturdays. Tests can be booked via garlic lining the wooded glades. Anita Breeze of the Friends said the development site. www.bathnes.gov.uk/rapidtest. organisation has put up 11 next boxes across the site to attract Vegan business: Bath Vegan Market Parking plans: The results of a nesting birds. She said: “Our Flora and Fauna team have identified will finally take place on consultation for changes to more than 230 different species of birds, bees and plants so far with Saturday July 3 after being on-street parking will be announced more being added all the time. There’s been a lovely display of postponed from April due to Covid later this year. The Council are cowslips and bluebells this spring.” A notice board has been installed restrictions. And a second date of looking at moving towards an at the Greenway Lane entrance to welcome visitors and to explain Saturday November 6 has been emissions-based residents’ parking their work along with a map to illustrate the layout of the site. agreed. It is organised by Vegan permit scheme to cut pollution. The Events UK, with profits donated to other proposed changes included: Miracle’s Mission, a non-profit animal • Residents’ parking visitor permit welfare organisation that works with charges to be increased by 50p a sick, injured and difficult animals. day in year one with subsequent The market is at Bath Pavilion on rises of 25p a day in years two and North Parade Road from 10am on three. July 3, with £4 entry although under • A review of hotel, guest house and 16s are free. holiday let permits - to reallocate MP’s report: The MP for Bath the parking to car parks and to No need for an expensive care home Liberal Democrat Wera Hobhouse include the introduction of digitised has published her Annual Report permits Stay independent at home with your own live in carer2020. 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The Many people stay insince theirown own home they get e has been providing live into 1986 at anbelieve affordable cost want group from Whiteway demonstrated permits. only the very best care at has an affordable cost Featherbed Care been providing providing liveFeatherbed in carers carers since since Care 1986 hasinbeen intheir carersCrime since 1986 Crime in South protestproviding last month tolive show statisitics: Featherbed Care has been been providing live in carers since 1986 Featherbed Care has live in 1986 Featherbed Care hasthe been providing liveat in an carers since 1986 We believe believe in only only very best care care affordable cost fearsvery over the plans.care It all relates toaffordable a Bath rose in March following a year Featherbed Care has been providing live in carers since 1986 the We believe in only the very best care atWe an affordable cost believe in only best at an cost We in the very best at an affordable cost We believe in only the very best care at an affordable cost We believe in only the very best care at an affordable cost planning application by Freemantle long low in February. There were 31 Capital to build on a green field site violent and sexual offences off The Hollow. The plans have been committed in the southern part of vehemently opposed by locals with the city according to Avon and 70 objections due to the location on Somerset Police. There were 14 the corner of The Hollow and incidents of anti-social behaviour, 10 Kelston View and its value for wildlife incidents noted of criminal damage oday Call for aCall brochure today for a brochure today as it lies next to Bath City Farm. A and or arson with eight burglaries 00 111 4885 0117 9860710 / Freephone: 0800 111 4885 Call for a brochure today 0117 9860710 / Freephone: 0800 111 4885 new access onto The Hollow would recorded. 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June 2021
Caring for the city’s homeless four legged friends The Together Project - A charity for homeless pets, by Sarah Lavigne. Taffy was suffering with chronic ear infections. He would often scratch his ears and yelp, attracting the looks of stunned shoppers in the streets of Bath. His owner would try to distract him with food, often to no avail. Then one day Taffy had his ear canals removed, an operation that his homeless owner could never afford. Luckily, since 2018, volunteer vets and vet nurses have been providing free care to the pets of homeless and vulnerably housed people. “Now, he’s got no ear canals but he’s so much happier and he runs around and he’s not in pain anymore.” says Nicola Chouler, founder of the Together Project, the charity that leads this enterprise. A veterinary surgeon for the Bath Vet Group and former Julian House volunteer, Nicola created the Together Project with her colleague and running partner Giulia Grenga, and Heidi Richards, veterinary surgeon at the Bath Cats and Dogs Home. Together, they bring change to the health of their patients and to perceptions around
Nicola and one of her four legged charges
homeless pets. Funded by the home with added support from local pétanque-fundraisers Bath Boules, the Together Project works in collaboration with Julian House and the Genesis Trust to bring free veterinary drop-in clinics to the homeless and vulnerably housed people of Bath. And since its launch, it has transformed the lives of countless four-legged patients. Under the charity’s care are about 45 dogs and two cats that regularly receive flea and worm treatments, full health checks, vaccinations, nail clips, grooming and of course, tons of TLC. A few
arthritic old dogs are also prescribed painkillers – they can now be seen running after balls, happy and pain-free! All pet owners are aware of the clinics but can’t always get there: some may be selling the Big Issue or need to hold on to their spot. So, armed with backpacks filled with medication, the volunteers reach out to them instead, scouring the streets of Bath to find them, check in on their fourlegged patients, and bring them food, blankets and collars. Nicola is confident that all homeless animals in Bath are now cared for, although it took some time to get there. “When we started, pretty much every animal we saw had fleas, and that’s through no fault of the owner” she stresses, “most of them can’t afford the prescription flea treatment”. She also emphasises that they were otherwise pretty well looked after. But another challenge – successfully overcome – was gaining the trust of some owners, initially reluctant to accept help, perhaps concerned that their pet may be taken away. In fact, it’s interesting to ponder the bond between a dog and their homeless owner. Nicola explains why it’s so strong: “they are with their owners 24/7; the owners will often go hungry to be able to feed their dogs; they will often do anything for their pets”. Some people on the street even turn down accommodation because they refuse to give up their companion. “Pets too provide invaluable support” continues Nicola. “It’s really dangerous living on the streets if you’re sleeping rough: I remember there was a lady whose dog sadly died now, but when she was living in Bristol, she said her dog saved her from being beaten up multiple times because she was
Animal lover Sarah Lavigne is a writer of articles on travel, culture and music and can be found on LinkedIn
asleep and someone would come up… people being robbed, people being mugged […] It’s amazing what the animals do for their owners as well as vice versa”. Protecting this special bond, keeping pets and their humans “together”, is in fact enshrined in the charity’s name as well as its mission. The team face daily challenges to fulfil this mission: raising funds for operations, finding the patients that don’t make it to the clinic, not to mention the added difficulties brought on by the health crisis. But Nicola shines a spotlight on the rewards instead: developing strong bonds with the patients and their humans, being greeted by grateful, loving animals as she walks in the city and feeling an unrivalled sense of pride for delivering positive change in the community. “I can now walk through Bath and name every dog and know that every single one has had a vaccine, flea and worming and is being looked after by us”. Find out more about the Together Project at https://www. bathcatsanddogshome.org.uk/ about/together_project
On the street: Nicola and a volunteer vet nurse inspect a homeless dog
To advertise, contact Erica on erica@bathvoice.co.uk or call 07402 441485
June 2021
bathvoice
n ADVERTISING FEATURE
Bath artist finds joy in her year of flowers During this extraordinary year, Natalie Bedford has been dedicated to making a joyful and expressive mark on the Bath Art Scene. She has been inspired to create a body of beautiful and original paintings incapsulating this exceptional year through art. Whilst ordinarily painting portraits and life drawings, lockdown changed her perspective, and she took a step back to nature for her latest inspiration, My Blooming Year. ‘We have all had such diverse experiences of lockdown yet the one thing we have had in common is the seasons, nature, the weather, and the continuation of our beautiful planet. They have proceeded to offer perspective and joy in the simplest things.’ All her beautiful paintings are simply about understanding what we see. “I love to paint - to express and to interpret what I see - that’s it. simple.” Natalie enjoys using a wide variety of medium for her work including oil, acrylic, gouache, water colour,
collage and ink. From large oil painted canvases to smaller framed pieces, there is something to suit all tastes. Natalie is a friendly artist and warmly invites you to join the sensory journey through the beauty and chaos of nature at her exhibition, MY BLOOMING YEAR. Come browse her work, sit for a while, enjoy a drink, and feast on the joy her work has to offer. Natalie prides herself on producing original artwork ‘Original art makes original homes - and here it is original, affordable, and unique.’ If you should wish to bring some outside colour into your home, many of these quality works, big and small, canvas and drawings are for sale. Prices start from £125 up to £3,000. The ‘My Blooming Year’ exhibition is taking place between 15-20th June at 44AD Gallery, Abbey Street, Bath. To book a 1-hour slot please book online https://www.bynatalie.co.uk/ my-blooming-year-booking-form
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17
June 2021
bathvoice
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n NEWS
Cllr Joanna’s parting shot at the new Council leader By a Local Democracy Reporter. Bath’s ousted transport boss claims the new council leader asked her to “dump” walking and cycling plans despite “massive” public support. Councillor Joanna Wright said her refusal was probably why she was not offered a place in Kevin Guy’s new cabinet. She led on the Liberal Democrats’ manifesto promises to deliver low traffic neighbourhoods and active travel schemes but she said she fell victim to “slow motion sabotage” by colleagues more intent on getting re-elected than tackling the climate crisis. Cllr Guy refuted her claims and said his administration was “collegiate” rather than “hell bent on ideology”. Cllr Wright told the full council meeting on May 4 that walking and cycling projects were “simple yet transformative schemes [that] enable safe travel routes for many, significantly reducing carbon emissions and tackling car dependency, yet I have been told recently that despite massive public
Cllr Joanna Wright
support I “need to dump the current plans”.” When asked who wanted her to dump the active travel plans, Cllr Wright said: “Our new leader Cllr Kevin Guy sent me an email on that, which is probably one of the reasons why I’m no longer in the cabinet.” The new leader told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that was “absolutely not” the case and he had asked colleagues to look at the data from recent consultations and adapt the schemes accordingly.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF PREMISES UNDER THE LICENSING ACT 2003 Mr Simon Morgan has applied to Bath & North East Somerset Council on 7th May 2021 for a licence to use the premises at (Abbey Shop) 16 Northumberland Place, Bath BA1 5AR for The Sale of Alcohol Monday – Saturday 10.00 - 23.00 Sunday 10.00 - 21.00. Notification of the application made to the Licencing Authority is available on a register at www.bathnes.gov.uk/ licensing-register Representations should be made in writing to: Bath & North East Somerset Council Licensing Services Lewis House Manvers Street Bath BA1 1JG or by email to licencing@bathnes.gov.uk by 3rd June 2021 Representations made will be disclosed in an open meeting should a hearing be necessary. It is an offence knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application and is subject to a fine of any amount on summary conviction for the offence. Dated:
13.05.2021
Cllr Wright, a former Green Party member who was elected as a Lib Dem in 2019, added: “In relation to the transport portfolio, many councillors only see as far as their ward boundaries and the election clock countdown. I have come up against parochial politics and predatory delay. “The need to act now, to deliver significant change has been met with slow motion sabotage. I have been told repeatedly that winning the war means some battles have to be lost. What we have is rhetoric versus action. Window dressing versus real change. “Political power is about doing things, not just for the present, or to be re-elected, but more importantly for those in the future who will benefit from the really tough decisions that we made for them now.” She said taking cars off the roads was far more effective than planting trees at tackling the climate emergency, adding that it needs “cultural change and system change”. One scheme she faced opposition from fellow Lib Dems on was restricting traffic on North Road to promote walking and cycling. Cllr Manda Rigby – who now has the transport portfolio and leads on communications for Cllr Guy – said the proposal was flawed and risked future funding. Sustainable travel has been added to the portfolio of Cllr Sarah Warren, who is now a deputy leader. Cllr Wright refuted Cllr Guy’s claim that she did not apply for a post in his cabinet and only put herself forward for positions in the old structure. She told the LDRS the new structure was brought in when she was on annual leave and she was given no flexibility when she missed the deadline. She has filed official
To advertise, contact Erica on erica@bathvoice.co.uk or call 07402 441485
complaints with the council and the Lib Dems about the way she feels she has been treated. “People argue it’s just part of the rough and tumble of politics. The reason an awful lot of politics is old white men is it’s expensive, and it’s very aggressive and unpleasant,” said the Lambridge ward member, the only Lib Dem not to support Cllr Guy’s appointment as leader. “The last month has been one of the most unpleasant experiences of my life.” She said she worked up to 80 hours a week in what was meant to be a part-time cabinet brief and only ever tried to deliver on the Lib Dems’ manifesto promises, adding: “I’m not confident they [the active travel schemes] will be delivered. That will have massive ramifications. The Lib Dems seem to have given up on their own manifesto in the face of minority opposition.” Cllr Guy, who was appointed as the new council leader after successfully challenging Cllr Dine Romero as leader of the Lib Dems, said he did not accept Cllr Wright’s complaints. “We have a collegiate team that listens and talks to each other and doesn’t go hell for leather on ideology,” he said. “Sarah Warren is probably the greenest person in Bath and North East Somerset. If I didn’t believe in active travel I wouldn’t have put someone in charge who’s committed to delivering it. “Each active travel scheme needs to be assessed on its own merits and public consultations need to be taken into account.” Also leaving the cabinet were fellow transport lead Neil Butters, Rob Appleyard, the member for adult services, and Paul Crossley, who had the community services portfolio. After losing the top job, Cllr Romero was given the children and young people, communities and culture portfolio. Also remaining in the cabinet are Richard Samuel as deputy leader, who adds economic development to his resources brief, David Wood leads on neighbourhood services and Tim Ball retains planning. New cabinet members Alison Born and Tom Davies share the adults and council house building portfolio.
June 2021
bathvoice
n SPORTS NEWS
19
Underground plans kicked into touch at the Rec Bath Rugby has scrapped plans for a car park underneath the pitch of its proposed new stadium. The Stadium for Bath project issued a statement about the plans which have been kicked into touch due to the Covid-19 crisis. Despite the pause in the creation of a new 18,000-capacity permanent stadium at The Recreation Ground it is still expected to kick off one the pandemic disappears. And the new stadium will feature a change to the riverside area by the ground which lies inside the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Originally the plans included an underground car park from 550 cars but apart from opposition, sustainability concerns and the introduction of the Clean Air Zone have all put the kibosh on the design. In a statement the club said:
“The raising of the pitch in previous designs created the space for a public car park much like the adjacent parking under the Leisure Centre, with the provision of parking at the Rec compensating for the loss of other city-centre parking sites allocated for development and contributing to the financial sustainability of the development. “During this period of reflection we have identified a satisfactory design solution to mitigate long-term challenges relating to flood risks and the water table which do not require the full raising of the pitch. “The world has changed over the course of the pandemic. We no longer believe it is appropriate to base the sustainability of the stadium and the club on car parking. We will therefore not be including an under-pitch car park in
future proposals for redevelopment at the Rec.” Scrapping the car park means the stadium would likely to be lower in height. Its visual impact was subject to some of the objections to the plans. The rugby club have played on the Recreation Ground since 1894 and structures which form part of
the current stadium have been in place for decades. The club currently have a lease to remain at the Rec until 2070 but over the years have tried to develop the ground into a modern stadium but 1922 Covenants the keep the ground open for all have hampered any updates. An appeal is due to decide on the issue this autumn.
Bath sports news in brief Bears fight on: The footballers of Bear Flat have battled away in the third division of the Bath and District Football League pulling off a memorable 0-3 win away over Heritage United Reserves in April. They also fell to defeats against Pucklevale and Dunkerton but the Bears no doubt regroup ready for next seasons campaign following the disruptions of this year due to Covid-19. Rugby signing: The BBC have reported that Will Muir has signed a two-year contract at Bath after impressing since joining the club on a short-term deal last summer. The 25-year-old signed for Bath in August 2020 and has scored five tries in 10 appearances since making his debut in February. Muir was named England Sevens Men’s Player of the Year in 2019 before making the switch to 15-a-side. Muir said he was looking forward to playing in front of fans at The Rec, having made all his appearances without supporters so far. Football finances: Bath City FC’s chairman Nick Blofeld thanked the fans for raising over £36,000 to help the club deal with essential repairs, pay for League fines and prepare for the 2021/22 season. He said: “I would just like to re-iterate my personal thanks, as well as those of the Board’s, yet again, to
the amazing generosity of all our supporters in so quickly getting us over the initial target in the appeal and on to another £11,000, to make the necessary repairs to Twerton Park and pay the ridiculous fines. The club was fined by the FA for pulling out of games due to Covid-10 but have appealed against the fines. Over 130 season ticket holders and TR Hayes Lounge members have donated all or part of the cost of their 20/21 ticket to the Club, while another 170 fans have made cash donations on the Crowdfunder site. Bath City FC Supporters Club made a donation of £300 as the total inches towards the target of £40,000. Netball: The blue and the golds of Team Bath’s netball team have two crucial fixtures in the league this month. On Sunday June 13 they play the Saracens Mavericks at the Copper Box Arena, while on Monday June 21 they take on the players of the Loughborough Lightning team at the same venue in London. Leather on willow: Bath Cricket Club’s first team take on Downend on June 5, and Bedminster on June 19 - both Saturday games. The club has a range of fixtures for their under 11s, the under 15s, and the second 11 team. For full details of the summer’s fixtures see https:// www.bathcricket.com/eventscalendar/
On target for the Japan games There’s an increase in training at the University of Bath ahead of the rescheduled Olympic and Paralympic Games in Japan. The Games of the XXXII Olympiad, which have been delayed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will now take place from July 23 to August 8, 2021 and feature a record 33 sports. There are around 50 sportspeople who currently train or have trained at the University who are in contention for a Tokyo Olympic place. The Paralympic Games, which will now take place from August 24 to September 5 2021, will feature 22 sports.
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Among those hoping to take part are University-based wheelchair fencers Dimitri Coutya and Piers Gilliver, who are both reigning World Champions. Vicky Holland, of the British Triathlon Bath National Performance Centre, was the first University of Bath-based sportsperson to be officially selected for Tokyo. Pentathlon GB‘s Joe Choong was the first University-based athlete to set the Tokyo qualification standard when he won men’s individual gold in the Olympic host city at the 2019 World Cup Final, a test event for the Games.
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June 2021
n WHAT’S ON
Theatre and festivals, music and comedy!
After the long nightmare that has been the Covid-19 crisis the public are desperate to go out and be entertained. All normal on June 21 we hope Tue 1 - Wed 30 Jun. Holburne Museum. Continuing exhibitions: Canaletto: Painting Venice to September; Thomas Lawrence Coming of Age; Precious and Rare Islamic Metalwork from the Courtauld; Nicholas Pope: Portraits of a Marriage. Wed 2 – Sat 5 and Wed 9 – Sat 12 Jun. Rondo Theatre. Dirty Bath. The Natural Theatre Company’s joyous romp through unknown tales of the city from naked bathing Romans to visitors in search of Jane Austen or Bridgerton locations. Sat 5 Jun. Chapel Arts Centre. Untamed Burlesque. With Miss Anticipation, Dainty Dorine, Doris Johnson, Violent May, Candise Kane and compere Fantastic Ms Fanny. Mon 7- Wed 9 Jun. The Memory of Water by Shelagh Stephenson. Mission Theatre. Presented by Next Stage Theatre Company. Three sisters are brought together by the death of their mother. Preparing for the funeral the siblings laugh, cry and bicker over past events and half-recalled memories. 1 Tue-5 Sat Jun. Ralph Fiennes in the Four Quartets by TS Eliot. A Theatre Royal Bath and Royal & Derngate, Northampton coproduction. Compelling, moving and symphonic, Four Quartets offer four interwoven meditations on the nature of time, faith, and the quest for spiritual enlightenment. Wed 9 Jun. Chapel Arts Centre. Choro Bandido. A Surrey based four piece band, initially brought together through friendship and their mutual love of Brazilian samba. Sat 11 Jun. Chapel Arts Centre. Mik Artistik’s Ego Trip. Leedsbased trio Mik Artistik’s Ego Trip are well known for their unique live performances and madcap antics. Sun 13 Jun. Mission Theatre. Alive and Brel. The finest songs from the master of the modern chanson, Jacques Brel, are brought to life when this trio of singers perform their cabaret revue. Wed 23 – Sat 26 Jun . Rondo Theatre. Time Flies. An Evening
of David Ives’ Comedic One-Acts with Bath Drama. An evening of comedy, as they explore themes of life, love, and lust through a selection of short plays by David Ives – a playwright regarded as one of the USA’s finest comedy writers. Wed 9-Sat 26 Jun. Theatre Royal Bath. Copenhagen. Drama set in wartime Denmark. Fri 11 Jun. Bath Guildhall. Lecture on the history of Rastafari as part of the festival marking the time Haile Selassie of Ethiopia stayed in Bath. Fri 11 Jun. Widcombe Social Club. Comedy. Bath Comedy presents Bath Comedy Club’s Widcombe Nights with Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre, Janine Harouni and Archie Maddocks. For more details and online booking visit Bath Comedy. Bath Comedy Club will continue to run fortnightly on Fridays (except for a few anomalies). Fri 11 Jun. Widcombe Wobblers. Cycle ride to the Riverside Inn, Saltford. Meet at 6.30pm under the London Plain Tree. Details on Widcombe Association website. Sun13 Jun. Bath Contemporary Artists Fair 10am-5pm, free parking and entry, at Green Park Market. Wed 16 Jun. Chapel Arts Centre. Klezmer-ish. Klezmer, tango and gypsy jazz. Sat 19 Jun. Widcombe Wobblers. Cycle ride and picnic at Long Barrow at Stoney Littleton. Meet at 6.00pm under the London Plain Tree. Details on Widcombe Association website. Sun, 20 Jun. Theatre Royal Bath. Comedy. Al Murray and his one man show Land of Hope and Glory. Mon 21 Jun. All restrictions will be lifted, and nightclubs will be allowed to re-open. 25 Jun. The Forum. Elvis Presley tribute. Ben Portsmouth in The King is Back. Fri 2 Jul. Rondo Theatre. Cut Bait. Written by Pippa Thornton and Performed by Maia Tassalini. Presented by Flipside Production’s
Comedy returns to the Widcombe Social Club with Janine Harouni comedy about Nina and her quest for love on dating sites. Mon 28 Jun-Sat 3 Jul. Theatre Royal Bath. A Splinter of Ice. Drama. Thu 1 Jul. The Forum. Jane McDonald – Let the Light In. The BAFTA award-winning star with her live band and backing singers. Sat 3 Jul. Rondo Theatre. Stiff and Kitsch: Bricking It. Comedy by Rhiannon Neads, Sally O’Leary and James Taylor. From the creators of hit show Adele Is Younger Than Us, Bricking It is a story of life’s favourite fears, told through one big night out and one miserable morning after.
Sun, 4 Jul. Comedy. Frank Skinner. Theatre Royal Bath. 7.30pm. Following a run at the Garrick Theatre in London Frank brings his Shoxbiz show to Bath. Mon 5-Sat 10 Jul. Theatre Royal Bath. The Woman In Black. Spooky drama that will give you shivers. Tue 6 – Fri 9 Jul. Rondo Theatre. 4000 Miles. By Amy Herzog Presented by Rondo Theatre Company. A bitter sweet drama of the clash between the generations. Thu 8 Jul. Widcombe Wobblers. Cycle ride to Wheelwrights pub at Monkton Combe. Meet at 6.30pm under the London Plain Tree. Details on Widcombe Association website.
Bath Festival’s success The Bath Festival 2021 opened with a dramatic flourish on Monday 17 May, one of the first arts festivals in the UK to welcome back live audiences to indoor events. The Bath Festival Orchestra played the opening concert in the newly refurbished historic Bath Abbey to a sell-out audience. All the space in the abbey’s nave was carefully managed to allow social distancing and the audience were delighted to be able to enjoy live music on the first day that the government lifted restrictions. The concert featured works by Brahms, Strauss and Weber and the conductor was Peter Manning, the soloist soprano Rowan Pierce. The Bath Festival Orchestra was originally established in the 1950s under Yehudi Menuhin and has been revived to provide opportunities for rising young stars of classical music. Also sold out for the first day of the festival were the three inaugural Frankenstein walking tours of Bath. These are being run by the Show of Strength Theatre Company
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and show the places in Bath which influenced Mary Shelley to begin writing her famous dark tale, Frankenstein during her time in the city. The Bath Festival programme of more than 40 live music and books events ran until Monday 24 May. The Bath Children’s Literature Festival 2020 runs from Friday 25 September to Sunday 4 October. Bath Festivals also runs a year-round Creative Learning Programme working with people of all ages in the community. Maren Bosma, Bath Abbey
June 2021
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n PUZZLES FOR ALL Each row, column and square (9 spaces each) needs to be filled out with the numbers 1-9, without repeating any numbers within the row, column or square.
For younger readers
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The FIEND
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June 2021
bathvoice
n BATH LIBRARY BOOK REVIEWS AND NEWS Adult Fiction The Confession – Jessie Burton Jessie Burton is the acclaimed writer of “The Miniaturist” and “The Muse”. This is her latest novel and is a very moving, beautiful story. The story flips from 1982 to 2017. It begins with Elise Morceau who meets the writer, Constance Holden, on Hampstead Heath. A relationship develops – Connie is sophisticated, confident – everything Elise feels she is not. They soon move to LA for Connie’s work and soon Elise makes a decision that will change her life and all those around the couple forever. In 2017 Rose is drifting through her life – in a relationship that is going nowhere and a dead-end job. After a causal remark from her Father,
she decides to uncover the story of her mother who disappeared when she was a baby. She learns that the last person to see her is now a reclusive novelist and so Rose makes her way to the door of Constance Holden, in search of a confession. An absorbing, read with great characters – in particular Rose who develops throughout the book. I found this a very moving book and cannot wait to see what Jessie Burton will write next. Still life – Val McDermid I am a great lover of crime fiction but had not read any of Val McDermid novels, until now. This is a story involving DCI Karen Pirie, who heads up a historical crime unit. One winter morning a fisherman pulls a body from the sea. It quickly appears that this man was a prime suspect in an old investigation when a prominent civil servant from the Scottish Office disappeared. Karen and her team are asked to review the file and are drawn into a world of secrets that involve BritArt of the 2000s and takes them from Paris
to Dublin and back again top Edinburgh. There is also another case that Karen is working on – an old Campervan is found in a deceased garage with a shocking discovery – a skeleton and the clues point to a killer still out there. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found Val McDermid an excellent writer. There is humour and current plot lines. A really great read and I am now going to seek out more DCI Karen Pirie books.
Adult Non-Fiction
Love Your Plot: Gardens Inspired by Nature - Harry Rich and David Rich Twice Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medal winners and stars of BBC’s Garden Rescue Harry and David Rich, use a different approach to garden design. It is excellent for their emphasis on setting your garden into the surrounding landscape, with, dare I say a more ‘artistic’ or ‘conceptual’ approach and beautiful sketches of garden design ideas. An inspirational book about the process of design but to be read alongside other more straightforward titles. RHS How to Create your Garden: Ideas and Advice for Transforming your Outdoor Space - Adam Frost Adam Frost is one of the BBC Gardeners World presenters who says gardens are about 4 things: ‘space, people, plants and a sense of place’. People become before plants! He uses a systematic approach of 3 sections ‘DESIGN, BUILD AND ENJOY. DESIGN includes ’Understand your space’, ‘Design for people’, ‘Find your style’, ‘Choose your plants’, finally ‘Putting it altogether’. Each of these chapters is broken into further topics, so ‘Choose your plants’ includes about 9 further topics. A practical and useful book for anyone and everyone. We have many copies in LibrariesWest, to reserve and enjoy.
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Children’s Non-fiction Women in Science – 50 Fearless Pioneers who changed the world – Rachel Ignotofsky In recent months there have been a number of books that highlight Women in Sport and Politics and now in Science. Beautifully illustrated with great details about these amazing women. From the glamorous film actress Heddy Lammarr, who also specialised in radio signals which became the foundation for GPS and WiFi; to Jane Goodall who was influential in her studies of chimpanzees and Hypaiia from Ancient Egypt one of the earliest female astronomers and mathematician. An inspiring book.
Library News
Always remember the two super free apps: Libby and BorrowBox where you can download newspapers, magazines and audio books all with the use of your library card. The Bath and North East Somerset ‘Virtual Library’ is still offering something for everyone. We are sharing facts, Baby Bounce and Rhyme, competitions, Storytime and crafts for children in the mornings and information, support, news and recommended reads for adults in the afternoon. Never miss a thing by following us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ bathneslibraries1, Instagram www. instagram.com/bathnes_libraries , and Twitter www.twitter.com/ BathnesL
Moorland Road Community Library
Welcome back as we are open! Now is the time to return your books. We welcome back any LibrariesWest library books and of course our own Yellow Sticker Books to our quarantine Book Returns box. You will be able to come in and browse our shelves to choose a book. Please continue to wear a mask and use the hand sanitiser provided. Overdue books: DON’T PANIC! we just want the books back. Bring the books back and we’ll do our best to sort out any charges for lost books. Email us on moorlandroadcommunitylibrary@ gmail.com with your questions.
June 2021
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bathvoice
Quality from concept to completion, with us it’s built in. We are specialists in providing high-end residential design and build projects, serving Bath and the surrounding areas. Our team of highly skilled professionals deliver your vision to the highest standards of quality and finish. Always proud of what we do, we offer first-class end-to-end building services, from design and planning, effortlessly through to build completion.
saltfordkitchens.com
To advertise, contact Erica on erica@bathvoice.co.uk or call 07402 441485
June 2021
01225 874676 info@sbsdesignandbuild.com @sbsdesignandbuild
sbsdesignandbuild.com