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Councillors ‘disappointed’ over approval of co-living flats
John Wimperis
Local Democracy Reporter
SOME of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s planning committee have been “disappointed” after a new block of flats in Bath was narrowly approved.
Kosy Living’s plans to build a block of 77 “co-living” flats off the bottom of Wells Road went before the committee on Wednesday 28th August, where Chair Ian Halsall (Oldfield Park, Liberal Democrat) used his casting vote to approve the development.
Deborah Collins (Widcombe and Lyncombe, Liberal Democrat) is a member of the planning committee but stood down from the committee to object to the application.
She is also the local councillor for the area where the flats would be built, along with Alison Born, who is also a Liberal Democrat.
Councillor Collins said: “I am very disappointed that the committee approved this application.
“This huge block isn’t appropriate on this site. Councillor Born and I worked hard on behalf of our local residents to oppose this and I am very sad we failed to persuade the committee.”
The vice-chair of the committee, Lucy Hodge (Lansdown, Liberal
Democrat) also said she was “disappointed” with how the vote had gone.
She said: “The building is far too bulky for its prominent location but more fundamentally, it’s not the building we need when land is scarce.
“Small studios, fold-down beds and communal dining – who is this really for?
“Our city is woefully short of affordable housing for its working population and this is just another development failing to address that need.”
The 77 “co-living” flats are not traditional flats, but involve shared kitchen-dining rooms and facilities such as a gym, rooftop terrace, and a ground-floor coworking space all covered by one rent payment.
Each of the studio apartments would have a fold-down bed, a moveable sofa, and kitchenette in one room, and a bathroom.
Explaining the concept at the planning committee meeting, Kosy Living CEO Paul Brundell told councillors: “Co-living is not student accommodation. It is aimed at young professionals and this will encourage young talent to remain or come into the city to help in its future economic growth and create employment.
“It will serve a hugely underserved and underrepresented group, providing them with a high
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Decision to approve sets a ‘dangerous precedent’
Heritage charity Bath Preservation Trust says the planning committee ignored the council’s own policies in approving the Wells Road development.
In a statement, the trust said: “The committee’s narrow majority support is for a development with accommodation which does not meet minimum space standards. The rental price of living in the block is expected to be £1,335 per person. Although this is theoretically all-inclusive, it means it will still be more expensive to live here than in larger onebedroom flats elsewhere in the city.
quality communal environment, with space to live, socialise, and work.”
Mr Brundell said that although the co-living building was “not suitable” to include affordable housing, the developer was making a £1.1 million contribution for affordable housing in the city.
Original plans to build a block of 96 flats on the site were withdrawn and redesigned with the design review panel to better fit the city.
Mr Brundell added that there had previously been a building of similar height on the site which was demolished in the 1960s.
Planning committee member Shaun Hughes (Midsomer Norton North, Independent) warned during the committee debate that there could be a “cumulative impact” on the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
He said: “On its own, I’m not sure how much impact it will have but … we are sailing close to the wind with UNESCO.”
Granting planning permission was recommended by the council’s planning officers, who said: “It is considered that heritage and landscape harm is outweighed by benefits in this instance.”
You can find out more about the history of the site on Page 10.
“Some councillors and objectors expressed that the housing would not be affordable and would do nothing to reduce housing costs in the city. Increasing the availability of accommodation at above average prices will increases the rental costs in Bath.
“A person working full time on the Real Living Wage would have only £330 left after this rental cost – for bills, food, travel, clothes, toiletries and healthcare.
“The building will be built on land which has light industrial and retail units on it, which are currently occupied. The change of use does not adhere to the commitments in the Economic Strategy adopted earlier this year, which aimed to safeguard infrastructure and provide affordable housing.”
The statement added: “Bath has a council-written building heights strategy which aims to stop over-sized, inappropriate buildings and is a material consideration for planning. According to the strategy, this building is 5.5 metres taller than it should be in this location.”
Alex Sherman, the trust’s chief executive officer, added: “What is really worrying is that the planning committee is not upholding B&NES Council policies and strategies, which sets a dangerous precedent.”
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Queen officially opens new Dyson Cancer Centre
PATIENTS, staff and supporters
joined Her Majesty the Queen to officially open the new Dyson Cancer Centre at the Royal United Hospital on Tuesday, 3rd September.
Her Majesty was given a guided tour of the purpose-built centre, which brings together many of the hospital’s cancer services under one roof, including the oncology, chemotherapy and radiotherapy services, a 22-bed inpatient ward, a dedicated pharmacy, research team and nuclear medicine and physics teams.
The building is designed around a land, water and sky theme, making use of natural light and the work of local artists and designers to create a place where excellent clinical care is matched by a soothing, healing environment.
The Queen met staff and patients in the Medlock Day Care Unit, which provides specialist non-surgical treatments for people with cancer, including chemotherapy and other anticancer treatments.
The Queen also visited the William Budd inpatient ward, and spent time in the special courtyard space which was created to allow the hospital’s most vulnerable patients the opportunity to spend time outdoors.
Her Majesty later visited the Macmillan Wellbeing Hub, which offers a welcoming space for patients and families, as well as a range of services to support people and their loved ones to live well with cancer.
The Queen was hosted on the day by RUH Chief Executive Cara Charles-Barks, who said: “It’s been a real pleasure to welcome Her Majesty the Queen to the RUH.
“The Dyson Cancer Centre is a wonderful building which supports us to provide the highest quality of cancer care for our community.”
Before leaving the Dyson Cancer
Centre, Her Majesty unveiled a plaque to commemorate the day and was presented with a posy by Riya Gowda, a pupil at a local school whose father is a consultant oncologist within the centre.
Following the plaque unveiling, the Queen said: “Can I congratulate all of you on this wonderful centre.
“I’ve had a brief tour around and everybody I’ve met – whether it’s the patients, the families or the nursing staff and the helpers – all seem to be over the moon about it.
“It’s got a very welcoming atmosphere and you can see that it actually raises people’s spirits in a very difficult time. So, congratulations to you all… it is very special so thank you very much for asking me to open it.”
The new centre sees around 350 patients a day, and is backed by over £40 million in government funding as part of the New Hospital Programme.
A spokesperson for NHS England said: “We’re delighted that today the Dyson Cancer Centre has been officially opened. This
centre is crucial for the people of the South West and is one of the largest cancer centres in the region.
“It’s a huge success for the Trust, the New Hospital Programme and everyone involved in enabling the centre to be able to provide the highest quality care and experience for patients and their loved ones.”
The Dyson Cancer Centre was also supported by an additional £10 million fundraising campaign from RUHX, the hospital’s official charity, including a £4 million donation from the James Dyson Foundation and £1 million by the Medlock Charitable Trust.
Rhyannon Boyd, Head of RUHX, said: “We are so proud of and grateful to all of the 11,000 wonderful supporters who helped create this transformational new centre for their community.”
The Macmillan Wellbeing Hub was also supported by a £1.5 million donation from Macmillan Cancer Support.
Richard Pugh, Macmillan Head of Partnerships, attended the opening and said: “We’re so pleased to be a part of the state-
of-the-art Dyson Cancer Centre which will provide much needed cancer treatment and support.
“At the heart of the centre is the Macmillan Wellbeing Hub, a welcoming, non-clinical space designed around the needs of patients and their families. It is there to support anyone affected by cancer from the point of diagnosis, through treatment, into recovery and end of life.
“Macmillan Cancer Support and the RUH have been working in partnership for over 20 years.
“We are continually exploring new collaborative opportunities to develop and improve cancer services, to provide the best possible care and support for people affected by cancer in the area.
“With this shared vision in mind, we are proud to come together once more to create a space for people living with and affected by cancer.”
The new Dyson Cancer Centre is located near the main entrance of the RUH and has its own entrance – patients and visitors do not need to enter the main RUH building.
Fire crews tackle blaze in air conditioning unit
CREWS from four fire stations were called to the centre of Bath on Thursday 29th August to reports of a blaze at a property on Union Passage.
Firefighters from the Bath, Kingswood, Bedminster, and Temple stations were called at 4.41pm to the premises.
On arrival, crews found a fire
involving an air conditioning unit in the basement of the building. They used one high-pressure hose reel, a covering jet and a CO2 extinguisher to extinguish the flames.
Two firefighters wore breathing apparatus for safety.
Following the fire, firefighters worked to make the scene safe
and used thermal imaging cameras and gas monitors to check for any remaining hotspots.
Initial investigations at the scene found the cause of the fire to be accidental ignition.
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News in Brief Works on Bathwick Hill until mid-November
Bath & North East Somerset Council is carrying out footway improvement works at Bathwick Hill which are expected to last until mid-November.
The scheme started on 27th August and there are temporary two-way traffic signals in place for the first four weeks
People are advised to plan their journey.
The works are scheduled to finish by 15th November.
Ash trees face the chop
A request to fell a group of 14 ash trees in a garden in Lyncombe has been submitted to Bath & North East Somerset Council. The trees at 24A Alexandra Road are said to be infected with ash dieback.
They do not have preservation orders on them but are in a conservation area.
The application says four stems will be left at approximately 12ft tall to allow them to rot down or reshoot for habitat. Anyone wishing to comment on the application has until 19th September.
The planning reference is 24/03263/TCA.
Nuisance motorbikes
In response to reports of motorbikes riding around in Rosewarn Close in Whiteway, police say that “multiple patrols” have been conducted in the area. The Bath City West police team add that intelligence gathering is ongoing.
Long range forecast: (13th to 19th Sep)
Unsettled conditions are expected for the coming week, with strong winds and wet weather for the region. Average temperatures staying cool.
Only 14% agree that new recycling centre is in the right place
BATH & North East Somerset Council is ploughing ahead with a planning application for a new waste and recycling hub at Locksbrook Road in Bath even though only 14% of respondents in the consultation felt it to be the right location.
The local authority is proposing to develop the site currently used by its street cleansing team.
The new facility will replace the existing recycling centre site in Midland Road, which was identified for redevelopment as part of the Bath Western Riverside regeneration project and has full planning approval for 176 new affordable and market homes.
The council’s planning application says it is “critical” that a new recycling centre in Bath is permitted and implemented as soon as possible, and that Locksbrook Road is “the only suitable and available site”.
However, comments from the public engagement session highlighted a catalogue of concerns, with one objector branding it a “cheap and nasty solution”.
The council held a programme of public engagement from the end of May to the end of June.
The drop-in was attended by around 100 people – most of them from the Locksbrook Road area –and 40 feedback questionnaires were completed on the day.
There were nearly 3,000 unique views of the engagement website and 162 feedback responses were submitted. The council said the feedback showed 60% of residents who responded believed it was important to continue to provide waste and recycling facilities in Bath.
However, it also showed that only 14% were happy with the chosen site. A council report notes: “In considering this statistic, it is worth noting the location of feedback respondents.
“Common themes and responses were concerns regarding traffic and access, environmental impacts, and site design and accessibility.
“Although feedback was dominated to a significant extent by concerns from the community in the immediate vicinity of the site, there were some supportive comments (albeit in a minority), with some welcoming the provision of dedicated access on foot and by cycle, whilst others welcomed the commitment to re-providing the recycling centre within the city.”
Although the council’s Pixash Lane depot at Keynsham has a new state-of-the-art household recycling centre, which cost almost £42 million, a political commitment was made when that planning application for it was approved in July 2021 to provide a new, additional household recycling centre to
serve Bath residents.
Waste operations and processing moved from the Midland Road site to the Keynsham hub earlier this year, along with the council’s MoT test centre and vehicle workshop previously located at Locksbrook Road.
The site for a new waste and recycling centre at Locksbrook Road includes the car park connected with the adjoining VW dealership.
As landowner, the council said in May that it had advised the car dealership of the emerging plans to give them time to “explore alternative arrangements”.
The existing street cleansing tipping function will be retained at the site. The new centre will provide collection facilities for household waste and recyclables, scrap metal, large electrical items such as washing machines and dishwashers, cardboard, garden waste, bulky waste and soft furnishings.
The western side of the site will remain for operational use only with a dedicated vehicle access point.
The eastern side of the site will be publicly accessible with dedicated access from Locksbrook Road.
The council says parking capacity in this area has been calculated to “eliminate” queueing on the Locksbrook Road. Traffic flow will be managed by a public booking system to control the number of vehicles on the site.
Proposals include a further entrance to the south for pedestrians and cyclists to access the centre from the river path.
A secure fence line will be maintained around the perimeter of the site and landscaping will be enhanced.
The council hopes to get planning permission this autumn/winter and that work will start on site in spring 2025, with the new centre opening by next autumn.
The Midland Road centre would close once the new centre is operational.
The opening hours would be the same as those at Midland Road.
The planning application says: “Although some environmental impact will arise, the inclusion of mitigation and on-site biodiversity net gain will therefore not give rise to adverse impacts that outweigh the presumption in favour of granting planning permission.”
A statement of comments received as part of the community engagement include: “The smell from the current recycling centre is often quite overpowering, particularly in summer months, and this is only going to get worse due to climate change.
“Given that the wind in Bath usually comes from the west, it would make far more sense to move the recycling centre to the east of the city, and uphill would be sensible too, given the bowl shape that the city sits in.
“That way smells will usually blow out of the city, not in … I believe there is already another tip-type place out of town via Wellsway.
“Could that not be turned into a recycling centre and get the tip out of the town centre entirely?”
One objector said “What about those of us on the east side of Bath? The latest LTN (Low Traffic Neighbourhood) in Sydney Place is making car journeys more difficult, taking longer to reach the west of the city.
“What provision is there for us/ those without vehicles?
“There are no buses that run from
Bathwick/ Bathampton through to this site. A site outside the centre – e.g. near Odd Down Park & Ride would be better.”
Another branded it “an absolutely dreadful idea that will for a number of reasons put B&NES wildly at odds with your commitment to net zero, to regeneration planning, to lowering air pollution and to overcoming the climate emergency”.
It was highlighted that all traffic to and from the site will need to pass through residential areas and narrow streets.
The commenter added: “This will create a risk for children, the elderly and cyclists. The corner on which the site is proposed is already a dangerous corner.
“The increased traffic and potential queuing traffic will cause congestion that will also impact on air pollution.”
Another critic said: “You can’t stop people turning up early for their slot which will cause queues.
“A booking system won’t stop people turning up, it just means they’re more likely to be turned away if they do show up.”
There was also criticism that the proposed site is smaller than the Midland Road site and will provide fewer facilities with one responder saying: “The need for those using the proposed site to climb gantries in order to access skips is a major drawback of the scheme and represents a significant degradation in the usability of the facility compared with the Midland Road site.”
Another objector said: “Carrying waste up steps, even if a ramp is available for elderly, infirm or disabled users, is a poor design.
“The Keynsham centre is an
excellent addition to the recycling system but the Locksbrook Road one is a solution where cost is clearly the driving force, rather than efficiency and ease of use. A cheap and nasty solution.”
The council says the feedback from residents and other stakeholders has been considered by the design team and concerns around the noise, reduction in air quality and accessibility within the site have been addressed.
Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who took part in the engagement and has given their feedback on the proposals.
“We have listened to what was said and incorporated some suggestions when shaping the planning application.
“I would encourage everyone to give us their comments on the revised proposals that have been developed.
“The current Bath Recycling Centre will remain open as normal until a replacement is operational, but once an alternative site has been confirmed and the Midland Road site vacated, we can start work on the first phase of affordable homes – which will help to deliver on one of the council’s key priorities.”
You can get an overview of the proposals and the proposed site layout on an interactive map at https://www. bathrecyclingcentre.co.uk/. The planning reference is 24/03168/REG03.
The deadline for comments is 26th September.
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Plans for houses at Westbrook Woodland divide opinion
Becky Feather Reporter
MORE than 100 people have had their say on plans to build four houses on woodland next to Weston All Saints C of E Primary School, with opinion divided.
Context Planning Ltd submitted the plans for the land at Osborne’s Lane last month.
The site, known locally as Westbrook Woodland, was until recently used as a pig paddock. It borders the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Green Belt, as well as houses at Westbrook Park, Symes Park and Broadmoor Lane.
The primary school shares a boundary fence.
The planning application says all the mature trees will be retained and 14 new ones planted.
Comments of support posted on Bath & North East Somerset Council’s planning portal include: “This is a great use of a previously neglected parcel of land supporting a mix of scrappy trees and bushes with a few notable species which are worthy of protecting.”
One observed: “Sensitive proposals like this are the perfect way to develop land that adjoins fully urban and fully rural areas. Great-looking design that will
complement Weston village, if we can’t support development proposals like this, we can forget delivering the housing targets.”
Another said: “This looks like a village-enhancing development.
The land has historically been left in an overgrown and unmanaged state and subject to trespass and public nuisance.
“Creating a small number of homes will have no impact on the local infrastructure and will provide a much-improved addition to the village.
“This is exactly the type of development that should receive unanimous support as we seek to increase housing stock and transform areas that, quite frankly, have been abandoned for too long.”
But there have been a number of comments against the proposals.
One objector said: “The local community has worked hard to celebrate and manage the green space of the adjacent orchard and this is appreciated by many in the local and wider community – winning awards for the promotion of biodiversity.
“This development will not benefit the local community. There will be very minimal impact on the local housing supply. The development is labelled as luxury housing which suggests that local people will not benefit.
“The children attending the
local primary school benefit from being in proximity to the woodland and the associated connection with nature supports positive wellbeing.
“This will be negatively affected if the development is approved. The loss of important wildlife and ecosystems is unacceptable, particularly in times of ecosystem decline and climate emergency.
“The lane provides a safe and sustainable travel route essential for families and young children going to and from WASPS primary school.
“This is particularly important as the overloaded travel route
through Broadmoor Lane becomes increasingly congested and potentially dangerous.”
Another said: “I wish to object to this application as Westbrook Woodland is a unique green space, on the edge of Weston, which has seen so much development in recent years.
“It is therefore essential to preserve it for the wellbeing of the extensive wildlife that use it for survival, as well as for all who walk, cycle or ride horses along it, to get to school or for healthy relaxation, avoiding use of a car.”
One objector highlighted that the woodland has more than
20 200-year-old trees in it and the lane and area are tranquil and beautiful: “Building these houses would be devastating for the bat species as well as the whole ecological system of the woodland.
“These houses are out of place and it’s not okay to grant permission for builders to come and destroy this ancient ecological habitat.
“Go and build on a brownfield site somewhere else that needs renovating. It is appalling if this is allowed to go ahead.”
A decision on the development is due by 9th October. The planning reference is 24/03057/FUL.
The site on Osborne’s Lane in Weston
Police highlight their successes in summer crime crackdown
POLICE have highlighted the action they have taken over the summer in Bath city centre in cracking down on drug-related anti-social behaviour (ASB) and shoplifting.
The policing team also revealed they are currently working on closure orders for properties across the city that are associated with drugs.
In an update to residents, the city centre officers said they have continued to target regular ASB offenders and with the help of ASB co-ordinators – officers who specialise in dealing with chronic ASB – they have issued several Community Protection Warnings (CPWs) and Community Protection Notices (CPNs).
These have included:
• A CPW for a woman who was encouraging ASB including street drinking and associated drunken behaviour, where drugs were also being used.
• A CPW for a woman persistently involved in street drinking, shop thefts and public order offences where drugs were also being used.
• A CPN for a man who was continually allowing drug users into the communal areas of his building, causing damage, mess and distress to other residents.
Police also said that two Criminal Behaviour Orders were issued to a man and woman who were persistently leaving drug paraphernalia in public spaces.
The team added: “We are also working on closure orders for properties across Bath associated with drug dealing and use in partnership with our local housing agencies.”
Meanwhile over the summer police officers have continued to work alongside the ASB team to address prolific shoplifters. They successfully prosecuted a chronic shoplifter for multiple offences, resulting in a sentence
of over 20 weeks’ imprisonment, and issued another CPW specifically relating to shop theft. They have kept up monthly retailers’ security meetings in partnership with the Bath Business Improvement District (BID), enabling businesses to point the police towards offenders they are most concerned about. The team say they have also launched a three-month trial of a direct reporting system through the DISC security app in partnership with Bath BID which should allow businesses to report incidents to the police in a more streamlined fashion.
Tribute to 45-year-old man killed in collision on Pennyquick
A 45-YEAR-OLD man killed in a single-vehicle collision on Pennyquick on Sunday 25th August has been named, with his family paying tribute to “a larger-than-life character”.
Emergency services were called to the Pennyquick and Whiteway Road area at approximately 2.20am on Sunday following the crash, involving a purple Citroen C4.
Anthony Rogers, from Bath, was the sole occupant and died at the scene. His family have released a statement paying tribute. They said: “Ant was a larger-than-
life character and a free spirit who lit up every room and lived life to the full.
“He was a much-loved son, father, brother, uncle, friend and partner. He will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him.”
A specially-trained officer continues to provide support to the family.
Motorists who were driving in the area and may have relevant dashcam footage, or witnesses who have not yet spoken to officers, are asked to contact police online or call 101 and give reference number 5224224148.
Anthony Rogers was killed in the collision | Photo: Family handout
Challenge expected over refusal to use woodland site for trial riding
John
Wimperis Local Democracy Reporter
TRIAL bikers are set to mount a legal challenge against Bath & North East Somerset Council to save the “wonderful facility” that has been a home to the niche motorsport for almost 50 years.
People have been going to Fry’s Bottom Wood at Clutton for trial riding - a motorsport which sees special motorbikes navigating around woodland courses, relying on balance, skill with their gears, and control of the bikesince the 1970s.
But in June 2022, the council sent an enforcement notice to the wood’s owner Steve Willcox stating he would need planning permission for bikers to continue using the site.
A change of use planning application was submitted to the local authority, but the council refused to grant it.
Now Mr Willcox plans to crowdfund the money to appeal the decision.
He said: “We should get a lot of support because if this loses at appeal every venue in the country will be under threat.”
A petition calling on Bath & North East Somerset Council to grant the planning permission has been signed by 1,395 people. Mr Willcox - a former member of the council who sat on its planning committee - said he knew the rules and it should have not needed planning permission as it had been used for trial bikes for over 10 years.
But he only began keeping records of bookings in 2013 and so had been unable to prove this to the council.
Since the enforcement notice, trial bikers have only been allowed to use the site for 14 days a year.
The change of use application would have allowed bikers in the wood five days a week and provided car parking facilities. More than 300 people submitted
comments to the council urging it to grant the application, with many questioning why the council had issued the enforcement notice in the first place.
Martin Everett wrote: “I think there is a misunderstanding between the use of noisy scramblers and quiet trials bikes.
“Trials bikes are low speed and only used on tick over whilst negotiating obstacles — which is the whole idea and fun of off-road trialling. Steve runs the place like a well-oiled machine and will have no unruly groups on site.”
Daniel Myers added: “Fry’s Bottom Woods means so much to the trials community and sport. This is the only place to ride and practice in the area and without it we will have nowhere to practise.
“It would be a great shame not to have a safe place for my son to learn when he’s old enough.”
But there were also objections submitted by 40 people and by Clutton and Chelwood parish councils.
Local councillor Sam Ross (Clutton and Farmborough, Green) said she had “concerns” and called for the plans to go before the planning committee if planning officers thought it should be approved.
Clutton Parish Council stated:
“Under the current arrangement the trials are allowed to operate for a maximum of 14 days per year, which is an occasional annoyance to local residents. If the proposed scheme is to go ahead the local residents fear that the noise will be constant through the week and at weekends, harming the amenity of the local area and their homes.”
Chelwood Parish Council added: “Concern was expressed about the continuing damage to the woodland and natural habitat caused by the current level of usage of the site by trials bikes and the loss of animals and birds throughout the area which this had caused which would be greatly exacerbated by the proposed increase in numbers of
motorbikes using the site.”
But Mr Willcox said that wildlife such as buzzards, herons, and muntjac deer were common around the site.
He said: “The wildlife that’s in the area here have been brought up with the bikes so they are not afraid of this. I wouldn’t allow the bikes if I thought it was going to be destructive.”
He added that he had not had enough time to submit all the required information before the application was decided.
A noise assessment carried out for the planning application required the noise levels of bikes in the wood to be recorded for two days - only for Mr Willcox to be told that this had used up two of his 14 days to open the site. Since the 14-day limit has been in place, the site has generally been open for bikers one day a month. There are currently enough days left for the site to open once a month until November.
Mr Willcox has faced a similar planning battle previously when, while working as a flying instructor, he set up Clutton Hill Airstrip.
He later faced noise complaints from neighbours but won after three public inquiries.
Hopes for new SEND school in Keynsham move a step closer
Becky Feather Reporter
PROPOSALS to approve £6.1 million of funding to open a new 30-place special school on the site of a former adult extra care home in Keynsham have been set out.
In October 2022
Charlton House in Hawthorns Lane, run by Bath & North East Somerset Council, received a rating of ‘inadequate’ from the Care Quality Commission which was later revised to ‘requires improvement’ following significant changes.
this proposal would see the life outcomes for young people, and their families, much improved with the opportunity of local education with a residential element for those in care.
However, it was closed at the end of March following a care review by the council which identified it as having potential to be a facility for young people with complex needs.
Currently empty, Charlton House is attached to Hawthorn Court, an adult care home providing extra care housing for older people, which will continue to operate.
A report has now gone to Councillor Paul May, cabinet member for children’s services at Bath & North East Somerset Council, asking him to approve the repurposing of Charlton House into a small residential and day school.
The report also seeks his approval to invest £6.1 million High Needs Provision Capital Grant funding to remodel it to accommodate young people. If approved, more detailed work would start to develop a school for young people aged 11 to 17 with complex special educational needs, rather than placing pupils in schools out of the local area away from their families and friends.
Councillor May said: “I welcome this report and will consider the recommendations before me carefully. The council’s purpose is to improve people’s lives and
East Somerset Council
Ihave lots of good news to share.
Our local economy will have a further boost, following the announcement that Bath & North East Somerset Council’s prestigious No.1 Bath Quays office space on the Lower Bristol Road has another new tenant. Motul, a French company specialising in high-performance lubricants for engines, has chosen Bath as the site of its first UK sales office. It joins software provider Altus and financial services consultancy Fidelius and BMT, a maritime-orientated high-end design house and technical consulting firm at No.1
Bath Quays.
Continuing on the theme of regeneration, the old gas works site at Bath Riverside has been a work in progress for the past two decades. To date, 850 homes have been built with 25% as affordable homes for rent and shared ownership. The second planned phase of the new residential quarter will be a further 900 homes, including new public open space and a new Sustainable Transport Route. Across the river, the council’s proposals for a new waste and recycling hub in Locksbrook Road are progressing with a planning application submitted in August.
Subject to planning, the facility could replace the existing Bath Recycling Centre site in Midland Road, freeing up the site for redevelopment which is the final part of the Bath Western Riverside regeneration project. It has full planning permission for 176 homes – a mix of 1, 2 and 3 bed homes - for market sale and affordable housing. Combe Down allotments have been at the heart of their community since 1894, as a precious green space for cultivation and as a hub for other activities. Following a successful nomination by a group of residents, the council
“Opening our own provision and commissioning a single/multiacademy trust to run it also provides an opportunity to keep placement costs at a much lower rate than currently being charged by the independent sector and therefore would bring considerable savings, including a reduction in transport costs, to the council.”
The school would accommodate 12 residential places and an additional 18 day places for young people with complex special educational needs linked to autism, with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Currently the average annual cost of an out-of-county day placement at an independent special school stands at £96,000. The cost of residential SEND placements is £318,000. This project would result in estimated savings to the council of £2,171,075 (education and transport) and £2,043,859 (residential) per annum. The transport saving applied to education savings is based on a journey of around 30 miles each way at an approximate cost of £15,000 for day placements and £3,000 for 38-week residential placements.
If the recommendations are approved by Councillor May, an open event will be held at Charlton House where plans and proposals will be shared prior to a planning application being submitted.
The project would include works to ensure that Charlton House and Hawthorn Court have separate access, security and landscaping to outside areas.
added the Combe Down allotments site to its list of Assets of Community Value. The listing gives community interest groups the chance to make a bid should the site become available to buy.
We are grateful that the council has been awarded £8.5k from the Chewing Gum Task Force, administered by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, to help tackle the issue of chewing gum on the streets. The funding will be used to buy an additional gum removal machine and for targeted gum removal in Keynsham, Bath, Twerton High
Street and Midsomer Norton.
As we reflect on a fantastic summer, congratulations are in order for our local Olympians and Paralympians, including those from the University of Bath, which does such a tremendous job nurturing sporting talent.
I’d also like to congratulate Bath Pride for organising a brilliant, city-wide, series of events, underlining the value we all place on inclusivity. And looking ahead, I want to wish all our young people a great start to the new school year.
COLUMN | Councillor Kevin Guy, Leader of Bath & North
‘No further design changes planned’ at infamous cycle lane
Becky Feather Reporter
NO further changes are planned at the cycle lane in Keynsham High Street where more than 100 pedestrians have been injured, some very seriously, it has been revealed.
The trips and falls began as soon as the lane opened as part of the £1.5 million High Street refurbishment in March 2022.
Signs advising people about the new layout were put up shortly afterwards. But even after the cycle lane was painted red in August of that year, the varying kerb heights continued to catch people out.
Despite efforts by the six district councillors for the town, working cross-party, they have only managed to get Lib Demcontrolled Bath & North East Somerset Council to carry out “minor tinkering” with the project, says Keynsham South councillor Alan Hale.
In April double yellow line markings were painted between the cycle lane and the street and a dashed line at the edge of the cycle lane replaced a white line. However, there are still reports of people falling.
Councillor Hale, (Independent) who is also the council’s member advocate for road safety, said that at the planning stage for
the cycle lane, when crosssection drawings were shown to local councillors, both he and Councillor Andy Wait (Keynsham East, Liberal Democrat) pointed out that the drawings showed a built-in trip hazard. Disability campaigners from the group Access B&NES also raised concerns.
Councillor Hale said that “common sense advice” was dismissed because the project was being “built to regulations”, a stance that the council has maintained throughout, despite the catalogue of injuries. He said: “Casualties still continue to suffer trips and falls between
the pavement and the cycle lane. There have been two in the past two weeks. Despite all of our efforts to protect our community from the injuries caused by a council-designed trip hazard, we have just been informed by the executive director for sustainable communities, Sophie Broadfield, that ‘As it stands we have no plans to make further changes to the design of the cycle lane’.
“I have been making representations to officers and the council leader since the lane opened and I was in High Street on the day it opened and casualty reports began that day and have continued ever since.
Monthly library pop-up event set to offer advice on saving energy
A MONTHLY pop-up event is set to be held at Bath Central Library to offer advice and guidance for residents wanting to reduce their bills or insulate their homes.
Staff from the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) will be manning a stall on the first Thursday of every month.
The Centre for Sustainable Energy, based in Bristol, is a national charity supporting people and organisations across the UK to tackle the climate emergency and end the suffering caused by cold homes.
Its Home Energy Team provides residents in Bath and North East Somerset with free, local and impartial energy advice.
CSE staff can answer questions and provide information about saving energy in the home, keeping warm in winter and lowering fuel bills. They can also explain about heating controls, the best way to use electric storage heaters or how to draught-proof or insulate your home.
Residents can also get help managing their gas and electricity bills and find out about any financial assistance which may be available.
Residents on low incomes
can find out if they are eligible for energy related home improvement grant schemes such as Bright Green Homes, which could fund the installation of insulation, glazing, heat pumps or solar panels.
Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said: “Bath Central Library is delighted to be able to host the Centre for Sustainable Energy on a regular basis in the Podium for the sixth year and I’d like to thank our partners CSE for helping us to offer this face-toface support to our residents. The pop-up stall will allow anyone to get advice specific to their situation.”
Jo Salisbury of the Centre for Sustainable Energy said:
“We’re thrilled to restart our monthly pop-up at Bath Central Library, offering crucial support to residents
looking to make their homes more energy efficient.
“Our team is committed to empowering individuals with practical advice on reducing energy consumption, staying warm affordably, and accessing available grants for home improvements.
“Residents can also drop by to pick up free energy-saving items to help reduce their bills.
“By collaborating with Bath Central Library, we aim to help reduce fuel poverty across Bath and North East Somerset, ensuring everyone has access to the support they need to live in a warm and energy-efficient home.”
The CSE stall will be in place at the top of the stairs in the Podium, from 11am to 2pm.
Residents unable to visit the stall can call the CSE freephone energy advice line for help on 0800 082 2234, or email info@cse.org.uk.
“Not only are the administration being dismissive of our community’s safety but also the safety of visitors to the town.
“Recently one visitor from Peasedown St John and another from Guildford were injured and needed an ambulance. By doing nothing to right this situation, we, the council, are adding to the work of our ambulance service, adding to the queues at the Royal United Hospital and adding to the work of the hard-pressed medical and nursing staff at A&E.”
Councillor Hale reiterated that he has warned both the council leader and the chief executive officer that should someone
be killed as a result of a fall due to the cycle lane, they could be investigated for corporate manslaughter.
Councillor Hal MacFie (Keynsham East, Liberal Democrat) has been enlisting the help of the shops on High Street by providing them with letters to hand out to those who fall on the kerb. The letter describes what action to take in the event of such a fall. Many of the shopkeepers are well rehearsed in responding with a chair or cushions and blankets to assist the victims. As reported earlier this year, Councillor MacFie has been working with Professor Ute Leonards, from the School of Psychological Science at the University of Bristol, to get a properly based analysis about the impact of the cycle lane, with people asked to share their experiences.
Councillor Hale added: “It has been a never-ending campaign and it was rewarding when all six councillors sat down together to fight for a change. Councillor George Leach (Keynsham North, Liberal Democrat) is going to take a lead now in seeking changes and I have assured him that I shall continue to support him. This ridiculous situation cannot continue.”
People can email Councillor Leach at george_leach@bathnes. gov.uk
The troublesome cycle lane on Keynsham High Street
The pop-up will be held outside of Bath Central Library each month
Pictures from the Past
The Chair Factory, Wells Road
huge block inappropriate for the site”.
REGULAR readers of this archive of old pictures may be thinking ‘Not another panorama from Beechen Cliff!’ However, this one is taken at a slightly different angle from the earlier one, and it shows a building whose presence makes it relevant to a recent – and very controversial – planning decision, namely to approve the construction of a block of 77 “co-living” flats off the bottom of Wells Road. Councillors described it as “too bulky for its prominent location” and “a
Paul Brundell, CEO of Kosy Living, the company promoting the idea, claimed there had previously been a building of similar height on the site which was demolished in the 1960s.
Mr Brundell was undoubtedly referring to the Chair Works, the large building with two gables which can be seen at the bottom of the picture, right in the centre. The first reference to this factory is in 1881, when it was run by Baker and Clack, who were particularly proud of their ‘new invention in furniture’ – a reclining easy chair. Like the block of flats, it was three storeys high. (Image 17016 on the Bath in Time website
gives a better impression of its size). Strictly speaking the claim that this was on the site is not true. It stood on the grassy area at the bottom of the present Wells Road, roughly where the flowerbed is. The buildings which stood where these flats will go was a terrace called Warwick Place, and it too can be seen in this photograph, to the left of the Chair Works. They overlooked the railway, river, and Broad Quay. They too were very tall, and can be seen in a community layer photograph on the Know Your Place website (https://maps.bristol. gov.uk/kyp/?edition=banes). In fact, until the bombing raids in April 1942 this area was covered in houses and businesses
of all kinds, some in better shape than others. The surviving properties were later removed under the claim that it was slum clearance, though people who lived there objected both to the clearance itself and their homes being called slums. What this and other panoramas show is we should be wary of claiming that something we do not like is damaging Bath’s heritage. It is all too easy to forget that part of its heritage, especially on the south side of the river, was industry, as shown by the malthouses, timber and stone yards and other works we can see here, and which contributed to the elegance of Georgian Bath.
As your Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), my role is to ensure that the voices of people in Avon and Somerset are central to the policing strategy. Today, I’m inviting you to help shape the future of local policing by participating in several key initiatives.
Have Your Say: Police and Crime Plan Consultation I’m pleased to announce the launch of a public consultation on the draft Police and Crime Plan. This Plan will set the priorities for Avon and Somerset Police through to 2029, and it’s essential that it reflects what matters to you. The Plan focuses
on five key priorities:
1. Strengthening Neighbourhood Policing: Ensuring a visible police presence that actively engages with communities and tackles antisocial behaviour.
2. Reducing Violent Crime: Addressing male violence against women and girls, as well as serious youth violence.
3. Preventing Crime: Collaborating with other organisations and the public to build safer communities.
4. Supporting Victims: Ensuring victims receive the help they need when they need it.
5. Improving Policing
Standards: Providing a fair and effective police service.
This consultation is your opportunity to comment on the draft Plan and suggest how these priorities can be implemented. Additionally, I’m seeking your views on local police funding, particularly regarding how much extra, if any, you would be willing to contribute through your council tax. Your insights are vital to ensuring the Plan reflects the needs and concerns of your community. The consultation is open until the end of October. You can participate by completing the
survey online or by attending one of my Public Forums.
The forums are attended by myself, local policing leads, and my team, and providing opportunity for us to hear from you directly.
To find out more, visit my website: www.avonandsomersetpcc.gov.uk/about/police-crimeplan24-29/ Your voice matters - I look forward to hearing your views as we address these important issues together.
Join the Conversation: September Police Question
Time (PQT) Finally, I want to highlight my monthly live stream series called “Police Question Time.” These sessions provide an open platform for you to hear directly from me and Chief Constable Sarah Crew, as I ask her questions about policing performance and present questions from the public. Our next live session is on 12th September. I encourage you to join us live on Facebook or LinkedIn.
You can submit questions by emailing policequestiontime@ avonandsomerset.police.uk
Kirsten Elliott Akeman Press
A view across Bath from Beechen Cliff
COLUMN | Clare Moody, Labour Police and Crime Commissioner
Crossword
Across
Congratulations to Linda Funston for winning £20! You can find the answers to last issue's crossword on page 20.
9 Systematically arranged body of facts (7)
10 Capriciously (2,1,4)
11 Plumber's pipe ring (5)
12 Per the schedule (2,7)
13 Out for number one (7)
15 Perhaps (5)
16 Self-esteem (3)
17 Long cold spells which come and go (3,3)
19 Contrite (6)
22 Frodo's friend (3)
24 Scottish landowner (5)
26 Left behind, in a way (7)
28 Celestial explosion (9)
30 Thermoplastic yarn (5)
31 For the best results (7)
32 Maria ---, the last House of Habsburg ruler (7)
Down
1 Advocate (7)
2 Pertaining to a son or daughter (6)
3 Candied culinary stalk (8)
4 Greek salad ingredient (4,6)
5 Airshow manoeuvre (4)
6 Jellied petrol (6)
7 Words of gratitude (5,3)
8 Small amount (7)
14 Moron carts off gluttons (10)
18 Made useless (8)
20 Protracted (8)
21 Historically memorable (7)
23 Kigali resident (7)
25 In a mysterious manner (6)
27 Painter's gadget (6)
29 Form of chalcedony used for cameos (4)
Entering our competition - via email or post
For your chance to win £20, submit your full name, postal address and answers by email to puzzles@bathecho.co.uk or via post to:
The winner will be the first randomly opened entry with the correct answers on 18/09/2024.
The winner will be notified using the details they provide when entering the competition.
Food & Drink
Tasty Dates For Your Diary
Pop along to Picnic in the Park (Lark Place/Upper Bristol Road, adjacent to Royal Victoria Park) on Friday 13th September and prepare to get up close and personal with local foodie legends Chai Walla at a super Supper Club event (£35pp). Can't make the date? Picnic's next prandial pitstop will be hosted by Anton Portuguese on Friday 20th September (booking for all PitP Supper Club events advisable). Instagram: @picnicinparkbath
Grab yourself a steak burger with all the trimmings and a pint/glass of wine for just £13.95 every Wednesday evening at the Fairfield Arms (Fairfield Park Road). Thursday, meanwhile, brings curry with poppadoms, chutney, rice/chips plus a drink to the menu for the same great
Sponsor our Food & Drink section! Get in touch via advertise@bathecho.co.uk
price. Or how about a Buffet Breakfast between 11am-1pm on Friday mornings for just £9.95? Heck, you might as well just move in!
www.fairfieldarms2020.com
Join MasterChef Professionals finalist Kasae Fraser and her partner Vincent for a very special Brunch Club at the Pasta Laboratory (The Richmond, Richmond Place) on Sunday 15th September. Sharing menus will reinterpret greatest brunch dish hits while remaining true to the classic theme; yes, there'll be Eggs Royale! But there'll be Camembert Croquettes, Beetroot Waffles, the intriguing Squid/ Chorizo/Rice and much more, too – now that's what we call Brunch! (£36pp).
https://bit.ly/3XapA87
Recipe: Cassoulet
Are you a coffee girl? Meet up with like-minded ladies at the next Bath Coffee Girls get-together at Daisy and Bean (Gay Street) on Sunday 15th September. To discover more about Bath Coffee Girls, follow them on Instagram. @bathcoffeegirls
The experts from Britain's oldest wine and spirit merchant Berry Bros & Rudd will be hiding in plain sight at The Hideout (Lilliput Court, North Parade Passage) on Thursday 19th September. Sample five drams designed to showcase the balance, complexity and character of the world’s most famous spirits and a welcome drink made using the spotlight tipples for just £25pp.
https://bit.ly/3Te9okY
“A wonderful marriage of
modern Indian cooking and seasonal British ingredients“: it's all going on at The Mint Room (Lower Bristol Road) on Monday 23rd September, when Humayun Hussain – one of the UK’s leading exponents of Indian food and restaurants – hosts the glorious Treasures of the Sea event featuring an exclusive menu that puts guest superchef Saurav Nath's skills in the spotlight (£60pp, advance booking essential).
www.themintroom.co.uk
Eat, drink and be merry at a very special Supper Club at the Hare and Hounds on Wednesday 25th September and support the wonderful work of the RNLI while you're at it. The marvellous menu will champion local seafood and drinks, and 20% of the £60pp
The full-on flavours of South West France, from oven to table in little over an hour.
Ingredients (serves 2)
• 50g smoked bacon lardons
• 4 Toulouse (or any high-quality pork) sausages
• 2 duck legs
• 400g tinned cannellini beans
• 4-5 shallots, peeled and sliced
• 1 x 400g tin tomatoes
• 100ml water
• 75ml red wine
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 level tbsp Herbes de Provence
• 1 level tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp white sugar
• 75g white bread
• Handful of fresh parsley
To serve: French bread; seasonal greens
Method
ticket price will be donated directly to the RNLI.
https://bit.ly/3MCqB3L
Klaxon! This one is set to sell out fast: Yuzu by Dan Moon will be popping up at Cassia Bath (Sovereign Point, Midland Road) on Friday 18th/Saturday 19th October; indulge in a 7-course feast specifically designed to excite your tastebuds with fabulous fusion flavours that celebrate the flavours of a British autumn (£80pp).
https://bit.ly/47aQWj8
Melissa regularly reviews restaurants across Bath. www.theprandialplayground.uk
Follow Melissa on X Find her @ThePigGuide
• Pre-heat the oven to 190c/gas mark 5. Tip the lardons into a large, cold, lidded casserole dish with a drizzle of vegetable oil. Turn the heat on the hob up to medium, sauté the lardons until crisp and golden, then remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set to one side.
• Add a little more oil to the rendered bacon fat in the casserole dish (if necessary) and brown the sausages and duck legs until the sausage skins are starting to caramelise and the duck skin is crispy. Remove from the pan and set to one side. When the duck legs have cooled down enough to handle, gently remove (and reserve) the crispy skin.
• Tip the onions into the casserole dish and sauté until soft and translucent, adding the garlic and tomato purée for the last minute or so. Add the wine and allow to bubble for a couple of minutes before adding the water, sugar and plum tomatoes. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Add the bacon lardons and beans, season well, stir again and submerge the sausages and duck legs into the mixture. Put the lid on and put in the oven for around 50 minutes.
• Meanwhile, blitz the white bread, reserved crispy duck skin and parsley together in a blender or food processor to create crumbs. Take the cassoulet out of the oven and sprinkle the crumb mixture across the top. Continue to cook in the oven for another 20 minutes or until the crust is crispy.
• Serve with crusty bread (French, n'est-ce pas!), a bowl of hot buttered greens... and a bottle of good Bergerac.
Melissa Blease Food Writer
Heritage Open Days
Various Locations
6th – 15th September
Now in its 30th year, this nationwide celebration of history and culture is a chance to see inside hidden places and try out experiences for free. Venues across Bath will be opening their doors.
An Evening with Matt Tebbutt
Topping & Company Booksellers
9th September , 7pm
An evening in the company of everyone's favourite chef and TV presenter, Matt Tebbutt. In Matt Tebbutt's Pub Food, he shares his own recipes for various classic dishes.
Willow Basketry Workshop
Newton Farm
13th September, 10am-4pm
Local artist, Mary Cross from Organic Matters, is returning to the Corner Yard for another full-day basketry workshop. All tuition and materials are included along with lunch and refreshments.
Ryan Adams: Solo 2024
The Forum, 17th September, 8pm
Ryan Adams returns to the UK celebrating the 20th and 10th album anniversaries of 'Love Is Hell' and 'Self Titled' + career spanning classics and favourites.
Bitton Church Fete & Dog Show
St Mary’s, Glebe Field & Church Farm 7th September, 1.30pm - 5.30pm
Featuring a classic car display, stalls, a licensed bar, cream teas, fresh pizza and more. Give medieval archery a go, and enjoy music from Oldland Brass, the Jazzbeanz and St Mary’s Minstrels.
My Fair Lady
Theatre Royal 10th – 14th September
Award-winning local theatre company Bath Light Operatic Group return to the Theatre Royal Bath's Main House with their new production of an undoubted all-time classic.
Garden Grooves
American Museum & Gardens
13th September, 5.30pm
Join this summer evening of music and American-inspired food and drink.
Music from The Iain Ballamy Trio, with bossa nova, Brazilian tunes, choice jazz standards and original repertoire.
Saints with Amy Jeffs
Bath Elim Church
17th September, 6.30pm
Mr B's welcomes Amy Jeffs back to Bath to celebrate her new book, Saints: A New Legendary of Heroes, Humans and Magic, illustrated with over 30 original paper cutouts by Amy.
Friday 6th September - Thursday 19th September 2024
Teddy Bears Picnic Avon Valley Railway 7th & 8th September
Children will travel for free this weekend if they bring their teddy bear. Enjoy a 50-minute train ride, then enjoy magic shows, balloon modelling and face painting all included within your ticket.
The Art of Seeing BRLSI
11th September, 7.30pm
This illuminating talk from Benedict Brain, illustrated with photographs from a diverse body of work from his extensive global travels, will delve into the art of image-making with a camera.
Country & Western Raceday
Bath Racecourse
14th September
Get ready to dust off your cowboy boots and embrace the twang! Head to Bath Racecourse for a rootin' tootin' day filled with thrilling horse races and everything Country and Western.
Wildlife Photography Talk
St Andrew’s Church, Foxhill 18th September, 7.30pm
Robin Morrison is an award-winning and published wildlife photographer who enjoys bringing his images to life through illustrated talks. Ideal for students starting a photography course.
Bathscape Walking Festival
Various Locations 7th – 22nd September
Celebrate Bath's unique landscape by taking a walk. The programme for the festival includes more than 60 events for families, groups and solo walkers, the majority of which are free.
The Jane Austen Festival
Various Locations
13th – 22nd September
The 10-day festival includes a varied programme of events inspired by the timeless works of Jane Austen including guided walks, costumed balls, theatrical performances, talks and more.
Being There
No.1 Royal Crescent
14th September – 23rd February
Featuring four recently acquired Thomas Gainsborough portraits. The exhibition is the first in The Gallery at No.1 Royal Crescent’s ambitious new programme of contemporary art exhibitions.
Austen's Women: Lady Susan Ustinov Studio
19th – 21st September
Austen’s Women are back in a new solo comedy show. Based on Jane Austen’s first full-length work from 1794, the piece is performed by Rebecca Vaughan and directed by Andrew Margerison.
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New scheme to help school children visit Roman Baths for free
A NEW scheme being introduced by Bath & North East Somerset Council will see more school children being able to visit the Roman Baths and Victoria Art Gallery for free. Free visits and learning sessions will be available to state-funded primary and secondary schools across the UK where 30% or more of pupils receive free school meals.
The scheme builds on the council’s emphasis on making heritage and culture accessible for all.
Councillor Paul Roper, cabinet member for economic and cultural sustainable development, said: “Highquality, immersive school trips should be accessible to all students.
“We understand that cost can be a significant barrier for schools, and we hope that our new offer of free entry and free learning sessions for eligible schools will make a difference.
“We are committed to sharing Bath’s rich heritage and, through this new initiative, we aim to ensure that more children can experience the excitement of
learning in an unforgettable setting.”
The Roman Baths is one of the most complete time capsules of Roman Life in Britain, and each year brings the past to life for more than 30,000 school children.
Schools can enjoy self-guided visits to the site as well as curriculum-focused teaching sessions in the state-of-the-art Roman Baths Clore Learning Centre.
The award-winning learning programme invites school groups to discover Roman life and culture, explore feats of engineering and science, and get hands on with history with collection handling and archaeological digs in the immersive investigation zone.
The Victoria Art Gallery welcomes students of all ages to learn about art and develop their creativity.
Learning sessions offer immersive, interactive and accessible ways to explore the Gallery’s collection and temporary exhibitions of contemporary and historic art – and share the stories of artists and their work.
Lindsey Braidley, learning & participation manager at Bath’s Heritage Services, said: “Experiencing history and art firsthand is invaluable for young learners.
“Not only do school visits enhance learning, but engaging with heritage also provides significant benefits for health and well-being.
“For many children, a school trip to a museum or gallery might be their only opportunity to discover heritage and culture, and we want to ensure this is available to as many students as possible.
“As well as offering a memorable way to discover history, a visit to the Roman Baths can inspire conversations around culture, science, lifestyle, engineering, health, and other subjects across the curriculum.
“We look forward to hearing from eligible schools to arrange their free visit.”
Alongside the new UK-wide Free School Visits scheme, all school groups in Bath and North East Somerset can already enjoy free entry to both the Roman Baths and Victoria Art Gallery, with no additional eligibility criteria.
A BATH nursery has received good marks from Ofsted following its first inspection.
The Power of Play Nursery at Midford Road at Combe Down opened last year and there are 85 children on the roll.
The inspector, who visited in July, published her report on 20th August, judging the nursery to be Good in terms of quality of education, leadership and management, children’s personal development, and their behaviour and attitudes.
Her report says that babies and children form strong bonds with the friendly staff and their safety and well-being are closely supported.
The curriculum is said to take into account children’s individual needs and interests, which enables them to gain the key skills they need for future learning.
Children develop effective communication and language skills, listening and responding to staff, who extend their knowledge and vocabulary.
The inspector also says
behavioural expectations are clearly communicated to children.
Despite the challenges that some youngsters face through their development, behaviour in the nursery is good.
The report also highlights that children develop good physical skills and that staff help children identify risks, such as the outdoor rope swings, and assess how to use the resources safely.
Parents speak highly of the staff and report that they are kept well informed about their children’s day, and the progress they make.
Find out how Royal High Bath can help your daughter thrive
Advertising Feature
EVERYTHING we do at Royal High Bath is designed for girls, from Nursery through to Sixth Form. We are specialists in girls’ education and we tailor our teaching to the way girls learn best.
We are proud to be part of the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST), a unique family of 25 all-girls schools. A pioneering movement founded over 150 years ago, GDST schools remain leaders in girls' education to this day. GDST research is consistently updated, enabling our school to react to a changing world and provide excellence in modern education and pastoral care for girls. There is strong evidence that girls-only education leads to higher academic achievement. All-girls schools allow teachers to focus more effectively on the needs of individual girls, so their needs and preferences can be fully accommodated within a dedicated learning environment. Evidence shows that girls achieve more when they are given their own dedicated space in which to develop.
All-girls schools provide a supportive and empowering environment where girls can be themselves and embrace their unique qualities. Students feel confident to take charge and put themselves forward. With only girls in the classroom and on the sports field, both intellectual and physical confidence can grow. At Royal High Bath, girls are encouraged and supported
to take risks, express themselves, and believe in their abilities within an affirming environment.
With the support in place at Royal High Bath that is required for girls to thrive, students perform well academically and consistently achieve excellent grades. This summer, an impressive 48% of A Level results were top A*/A grades and 10 A level students gained all their results at this high level. Our GCSE pupils also achieved exceptional results
with 91% of students achieving grades 5-9. These pupils will now go on to study A Levels or the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) at Sixth Form. Royal High Bath is the only school in Bath to offer IB which is a highly regarded educational programme that allows students to take a selection of subjects across six disciplines and where there is a greater focus on coursework and a wider variety of forms of assessment than in the A Level programme.
Find out what your daughter’s future might hold and how our school will help her thrive and achieve at one of our Open Events:
• Prep Open Morning Thurs 10 Oct, 9.30am – 12.00pm
• Sixth Form Open Evening Fri 11 Oct, 6.00 – 8.00pm
• Senior School Open Morning Sat 12 Oct, 9.30am – 12.00pm For Girls. For Life.
Library image
Home throws party for residents with milestone birthdays
several firms including Desoutter, who made high-speed drills and other air-driven tools.
A PARTY was held at Cranhill Nursing Home in Bath on Bank Holiday Monday to celebrate the 107th and 100th birthdays of two residents.
The celebrations on 26th August at the Weston Road home were for Joan Long, who was born on 17th August 1917 and worked as an engineer, including on Concorde, and Bath born and bred Kathleen Crowley, whose 100th birthday was on the day of the party.
Joan was born in Ealing in London, later moving to Esher in Surrey. Her father William Gentry-Franklin was a chartered accountant in the City of London and Joan was educated at Stonar House School when it was located near Sandwich in Kent, rather than Atworth in Wiltshire where it is today.
Joan married Edward (John) Long, also a chartered accountant, in 1936. During World War Two she was evacuated to Llanberis, in the shadow of Mount Snowdon in North Wales with the Samoyed dogs that she used to breed and show.
Joan had two sons. Alan was born in 1944 and Brian in 1946. Brian said that his father died in the 1950s, after which Joan became a precision engineer, working for
In 1966 Joan moved to Bath to work at Hygate Gears (the site of the factory is now student accommodation) and was there until her retirement. Her final assignment was engaged with the nose wheel gear retraction system for Concorde.
Brian said that reflecting on her work, his mum had said:
“It’s amazing really, when I was born, aeroplanes were mostly made of wood and canvas, held together with string and sealing wax! Here I am working on gears for supersonic airliners!
How times have changed.”
Joan retired to Exmouth in Devon, but Brian said she moved across the estuary to Teignmouth, largely because of East Devon’s “ridiculous anti-dog policies”.
Joan is a life-long supporter of the National Canine Defence League (now the Dogs Trust) and was a well-known figure walking her dogs around Teignmouth until her knee gave out and she fell and injured herself at the age of 102.
Brian said that Joan can remember the pandemic after the First World War, the Great Depression, the Second World
War, the first jet airliner and “so much more”. He observed that when Queen Elizabeth died, it was said that most people had only ever known one monarch, but his mother had commented: “Pah! I shall have known six by the time I go!”
Brian added that his mother is pleased to be back in Bath and is being well looked after at Cranhill.
Kathleen Crowley was born Kathleen Banks in Twerton, the eldest of eight children, on 26th August 1924.
She worked for the MoD at
Copenacre, at Ware’s Nursery and as a bus conductor before getting married at 25 to Douglas Crowley and moving to Widcombe. The couple had one daughter, Sue. Douglas died when he was 75 and since then Kathleen, who has three step-grandchildren and seven step-great-grandchildren, has travelled widely with her family.
Kathleen was living independently in an annexe next to her daughter’s house in Combe Down before suffering a small stroke and moving to Cranhill almost two years ago.
Sue praised the staff at the nursing home, saying they are “wonderful”.
The fine weather meant the party could be held in Cranhill’s garden. There was entertainment courtesy of the ‘Elderly Brothers’ from Timsbury, who sang songs and encouraged the residents to join in.
Chloe’s Mobile Farm, based in North Wiltshire, brought along donkeys Norris and Norman, Bear the Shetland pony, and chickens, guinea pigs and rabbits for the residents and guests to interact with.
Countdown under way for annual Circuit of Bath walk
LOCAL charity Julian House is set to host its annual Circuit of Bath fundraising walk on Sunday 22nd September, taking in a 20-mile scenic route around the city.
The event takes walkers on a route around Bath, starting from checkpoints which are open from 7.30am to 6pm.
The circular route takes participants along the beautiful outskirts of the city, on a diverse terrain of footpaths, canal paths and fields through to hills which provide walkers with views from Little Solsbury Hill, Lansdown, and Millennium Viewpoint. Along the way, participants can discover little-known snippets of local history.
While Julian House encourages people to tackle the full route, participants can choose their own distance and start point, thanks to the five checkpoints along the route and a free shuttle service between each, which allows for a shorter walk if preferred.
The whole route is family and dog-friendly, with part of the route suitable for prams, making it the perfect family day out.
There is a flexible arrival time with an advised early start for walkers who are planning to do the full 20 miles.
Walkers will receive their route directions at the starting checkpoint and as each section is completed, the route map will be stamped by volunteers so participants can prove their route to their sponsors. The route is fully signposted, due to a collaboration with Bathscape and Cotswolds National Landscape. Medals will be awarded to those who complete the 20-mile route. Money raised by the event will support Julian House in their mission to assist vulnerable and at-risk individuals across the South West and to deliver lifechanging and life-saving services to vulnerable people who need them for many years to come. Their services include support to rough sleepers, people recovering from substance abuse, individuals escaping domestic violence and refugees striving to build a new life in a safer place. Over the last 22 years, the Circuit of Bath Walk has brought together thousands of individuals all willing to make a difference and walk that extra mile to help Julian House.
In 2023, over 500 participants took part, raising over £50,000, and this year Julian House hopes to grow this number to encourage more people to get involved.
Gavin Osborn, Community and Events Fundraiser, said:
“The Circuit of Bath Walk is an important event for everyone of all ages.
“Participants get an incredible sense of achievement from walking 20 miles over challenging terrain, but also the knowledge that the sponsorship they raise will help to rebuild lives.
“By taking part, you are enabling us to support at-risk people in our emergency hostel and domestic abuse refuge. You will literally be helping to save lives.”
Tickets cost £15 for an adult and £8 for a child, with a discount on family tickets.
The participant’s entry fee goes towards the cost of organising the walk and every penny raised
through sponsorship goes towards helping Julian House support vulnerable people. For those unable to take part in the walk, donations are welcome via www.julianhouse.org.uk/ donate
Becky Feather Reporter
Inset: The party in the garden | Above: 107-year-old Joan Long and 100-year-old Kathleen Crowley
PARENTS and carers across the Bath area are urged to ensure their children catch up on missed vaccinations as they head back to school, ahead of an anticipated spike in measles cases.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) South West is launching the second phase of the Childhood Immunisation Marketing Campaign across England amid fears of a further surge in measles in youngsters. In the South West, by the time they’ve started school, almost one child in 10 is not fully protected from MMR. This campaign, being delivered by UKHSA, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England, reminds parents and carers of the risk of their children missing out on protection against serious diseases, including measles, whooping cough, meningitis, diphtheria and polio.
Since 1st January 2024, there have been 28 cases of measles in the South West.
There have been a number of major measles outbreaks in the West Midlands, North West and London with sporadic cases across the country – resulting in the highest number of cases in England since 2012.
This prompted the launch of wide-ranging MMR catch-up activities targeting communities with low uptake led by NHS and other partners between August 2023 and April 2024, for children who missed MMR vaccines.
An MMR Evaluation Report published by UKHSA assesses the impact of the catch-up activity. This shows that parents are coming forward and there has been a significant increase in MMR uptake, particularly among deprived and ethnic communities.
The report shows that between August 2023 and April 2024:
• The NHS has delivered 180,000 additional doses, with over 51,000 of these given to children aged five or under;
• Over 13% of previously unvaccinated children aged five years or under were vaccinated with MMR1 during the campaign period compared to baseline;
• There was a 4.9% increase in uptake of MMR2 in Black, Black
British, Caribbean, or African children aged between three years seven months and five years.
However, MMR uptake rates are still too low in some areas in England and there is still potential to see outbreaks, particularly as children start mixing more on starting or returning to school.
For the period between January to March 2024, 94.3% of 5 year olds in Bath and North East Somerset had received 2 doses of the MMR vaccine, compared to 85.4% in Bristol, 90.5% in North Somerset and 91.9% in South Gloucestershire.
Measles spreads very easily among those who are unvaccinated, especially in nurseries and schools. It can be a very nasty illness and, in some children, can be very serious, leading to hospitalisation and life-long complications and tragically even death in rare cases.
Getting vaccinated not only gives children protection but it also helps to prevent the spread of the disease and protect those more vulnerable.
Professor Dominic Mellon, Deputy Regional Director, UKHSA South West, said: “As a father and health professional, it is especially tragic to see kids suffering when these diseases are so easily preventable.
“Two MMR jabs offer the best and safest protection against measles, but if unvaccinated children are at risk of serious illness or lifelong complications. No parent wants this for their child.
“It is encouraging that parents, whose children have missed
vaccines are now coming forward, but we are a long way from ensuring all are protected and safe.
“And importantly vaccination is also about not spreading the disease to others who may be more vulnerable.
“Measles is highly infectious and is still circulating in many areas across the country including the South West. It only takes one case to get into a school or nursery where many children are unprotected for numbers to suddenly surge.
“Our campaign will be visible across multi-media channels and sees children urging their parents to get them protected.
“Parents should check their child’s vaccinations Red Book to ensure they are up to date with MMR and all their vaccines. If unsure, contact your GP practice, who can check and provide the vaccinations your child needs.
Don’t put it off, please act today.”
The campaign shares the urgent message that “if children aren’t vaccinated, they’re not protected” with parents across the country for the next six weeks.
This will go live as the new early years settings and school term begins, in an attempt to prevent a rise in measles cases similar to that seen in October 2023.
Dr Alison Mackenzie, Consultant in Public Health Medicine and Screening and Immunisations
Lead for NHS England South West, said: “We know that measles can be very serious, so it’s critical that our children in the South West are fully protected through vaccination.
“We’re making progress, but
need to do more, especially to protect those who haven’t had their second dose, which is about 10 per cent of five-year-olds across the region, and nearer 15% in some areas. Each of those children is at higher risk, so I would urge parents to check that their children have had two doses of the MMR vaccine and if they are unsure to contact their GP with the new school term about to begin.”
Minister for Public Health and Prevention Andrew Gwynne, said: “Measles cases have spiked significantly in recent years and can spread quickly among those who are unvaccinated. It can be a serious and sometimes deadly disease. Vaccines are our best form of protection, and it is vital that children receive all their vaccinations.
“With the autumn term just around the corner, I am urging all parents to catch up on any missed jabs to keep children safe as they return to the classroom or nursery.”
Over the past decade uptake levels of childhood vaccines offered through the routine NHS vaccination programme in England have been falling across all vaccines, including those that protect against whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella, polio, meningitis and diphtheria – with England no longer having the levels of population immunity recommended by the World Health Organization that is needed to prevent outbreaks. Crucially, lower vaccine uptake within communities is directly linked to wider health inequalities.
Health Expert
Mr Andrew Chambler Orthopaedic Consultant and Specialist
Shoulder surgeon Sulis Hospital
I have a shoulder injury that started to affect my daily life, I struggle with shopping, lifting, and gardening. Is shoulder surgery the only option?
The simple answer is no. However, it’s important to know the full extent of the injury so you can establish the best management options available. Many shoulder injuries heal in time, without surgery, but that’s not to say you won’t need physiotherapy or steroid injections alongside your healing process.
With severe damage, such as a torn rotator cuff tendon, then surgery would become an option. It’s well established and yields impressive results, however it is not always a permanent solution. This type of tissue is not as robust, and re-tear rates can be up to 3050% depending on the damage. To combat this, biological products are now being used to support the surgical repair of tendons, such as Regeneten. This is reconstituted bovine type one collagen (derived from cows) and results are very promising, especially in reducing re-tear rates.
To know what will work for you it’s important to start with an accurate diagnosis. Consider contacting a qualified professional for a consultation, examination, and investigation such as an MRI to better understand your injury and what options are available.
Around 10% of five-year-olds in the region haven't had their second MMR vaccination
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www.goughs.co.uk
Customers and visitors will be ‘offended’ by chain’s name
Becky Feather Reporter
A BATH book shop owner is worried that her customers and tourists will be offended by the name and look of a burger restaurant that is planning to open in the city centre.
Last month we reported that The Beefy Boys had put in plans to open a restaurant with a courtyard bar at 24 Milsom Street, on the corner with George Street. The owner of the book shop at nearby Edgar Buildings has now written to Bath & North East Somerset Council to outline her concerns and highlight her fears for Bath’s reputation as a World Heritage Site if the proposals are approved.
24 Milsom Street was previously The Milsom restaurant and hotel but closed after less than a year. Before that, the Grade II listed building was the Loch Fyne restaurant.
Cult burger chain The Beefy Boys already has restaurants in Hereford, Shrewsbury and Cheltenham.
The company’s plans include works to the courtyard to erect a freestanding covered pergola, bar and a decorative fireplace, listed building consent to fit out the ground-floor restaurant, and advertisement consent for replacement signage.
No works are proposed to the upper floors and the application says the existing extract and ventilation system will be reused.
Writing on the council’s planning portal, the owner of Persephone Books says: “I object very strongly indeed to my shop and the people in it having to look at a sign saying The Beefy Boys.
“If permission is given for this I shall appeal. It is SO out of keeping with Bath and somehow the words are particularly ugly and gross.
“Bath Preservation Trust, please step in here (even though obviously this application comes at a time, early August, when so many people are away) in order to stop the elegant and marvellous houses in Edgar Buildings having to look at THE BEEFY BOYS. Even the people in the tourist bus will be offended by the sign.”
She also says: “Of course we should not allow the applicant to stick a picture of a hamburger on every window. In Bath! A World Heritage Site! One could think of a thousand places where this kind of ugly signage would not matter.
“Here, in George Street and Milsom Street (adjoining the house where Mary Wollstonecraft lived, which will have a plaque one day when any of us have the energy to campaign for one) it would be grotesque.”
She goes on: “We know and understand that the council tax is important to B&NES but surely it would be possible to run a restaurant without sticking up multiple signs saying The Beefy Boys and plastering it with pictures of hamburgers?
“If this is allowed to go through,
Bath will be a laughing stock and its days as a World Heritage Site surely numbered.”
She also highlights the “terrible” ventilator on the first-floor flat roof, which does not have planning permission but somehow no one has made any effort to get it removed”.
She says she has offered to pay for its removal but cannot get anyone from the council or Bath Preservation Trust to respond to her emails.
Her objection also highlights: “It’s very sad that this corner of Bath is now entirely drinking
places apart from my own shop, which, happily, brings people to the upper town during the day, but then we close at 6 when the drinking begins.”
A report submitted with The Beefy Boys’ application says the proposed works will not have any harmful impact on the heritage significance of the listed building or wider conservation area.
No comment from Bath Preservation Trust has, as yet, been posted on the planning portal.
Another objector says the number of restaurants in Bath has increased significantly over the years, which has significantly increased the amount of litter, attracting a “dramatic rise” in the numbers of rats and seagulls. They add: “There are a multitude of burger restaurants in Bath already and it does not need another one. “This dramatic rise in restaurants in Bath over the years demonstrates a worrying lack of imagination in the planning process of B&NES Council that diminishes the character of Bath.” A decision by the council is due by Tuesday 10th September.
More than 21,000 people visit Reuse Shop in its first year
MORE than 21,000 people have visited the Reuse Shop at the Keynsham Recycling Hub since in opened in October 2023, and customers are now being welcomed from outside the B&NES area.
The shop provides quality products at a fraction of the price of new, while being a positive step towards a circular economy for Bath and North East Somerset. Around 44 tonnes of household items have been kept in circulation and reused or refurbished rather than being recycled or disposed of at the local authority’s three recycling centres.
Donated items that may be of benefit are passed on to the internal council welfare teams or local charity partners – Mercy in Action, Julian House, The Sofa Project and Small Stuff Baby Bank, to support their services.
Share and Repair Bath are another local organisation that benefits from the shop's success. Its volunteers carry out PAT safety testing on all donated electrical items and the money made from those sales is shared equally
between Share and Repair and the council.
Lorna Montgomery, Chair of Trustees of Share and Repair, said: “We are thrilled to be a partner with the council’s Reuse Shop to keep more electrical items living longer.
“Share and Repair volunteers visit the shop at least twice a month and have carried out PA Tests on items including an organ, coffee
machines, keyboards and many table lamps.
“On their last visit, they tested more than 80 electrical items and the majority have been given a new lease of life.
“The shop is becoming more and more popular as the mountain of electrical items grows bigger.
Share and Repair can also pass on suitable items to low-income households via the charities
supporting them.
“This is such a great way of reducing and repurposing waste – all of these items would previously have been put into landfill/ recycled when they were actually in working order. Bath & North East Somerset Council Waste Team have done a great job to get this shop operating to benefit the community and the environment.”
The shop’s visitor numbers are set to be boosted again with the opening of the adjacent car park on a Saturday, allowing customers from outside the B&NES area, who are not allowed to drive into the recycling centre, to leave their cars and walk across to the shop.
Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said: “Thank you to everyone who has donated and helped to make the Reuse Shop such a success.
“We have had some fantastic items donated including a Victorian high chair and a Chinese day bed as well as more practical household items.
“It is enabling us divert items away
from waste, support our charity partners and offer products to residents at a fraction of the price of buying new, while extending the lifetime of products.
“Opening the adjacent staff car park on Saturdays means that even more people will be able to visit and that can only be a good thing.”
The Reuse Shop is cashless and staff only take card payments.
The money raised goes towards the running costs of the shop and any profit at the end of the year will be reinvested into improving recycling services further.
Sustainable, peat-free compost made from the garden waste collected in the district is sold in the shop. It costs £4 for a 40L bag.
The Reuse Shop and the staff car park on Worlds End Lane are open to the public every Saturday from 9.30am to 3pm.
During the week, the shop is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 9.30am to 3pm to B&NES residents visiting the recycling centre, or other members of the public on foot. It is closed on Monday, Sunday and Bank Holidays.
The site that will be redeveloped for the new burger restaurant
Inside the Reuse Shop in Keynsham
BT to hold event to highlight planned switch to digital phonelines
BT will be holding an event in Bath to help raise awareness of the change from analogue to digital landlines by the end of January 2027.
The telecommunications company will hold events across the region throughout September to visit communities to talk to customers about how landlines will be changing over the coming years.
This will include the steps affected customers will need to take and the support available.
Neighbourhood Watch, who have teamed up with BT to help raise awareness of the switchover, will also be hosting a number of engagement events from the start of September until March 2025, with four dates already announced.
Moving customers to digital phonelines, which, for most customers, will see calls made over a broadband line, is being prioritised urgently by telecoms providers as the 40-year-old analogue landline technology is becoming increasingly fragile.
The event in Bath will be held in Morrisons car park, York Place, Bath, BA1 6AN on Friday 27th September between 10am and 4pm.
Vicky Hicks, Senior Engagement Manager at BT, said: “We will be
visiting Somerset throughout September to speak to our customers face-to-face and answer any questions they may have about the essential upgrade from analogue to digital landlines.
“The landline is here to stay, and for the majority of customers, making the switch simply means plugging your phone into a broadband router instead of into a wall-mounted phone socket.
This will bring new benefits like advanced spam call blocking. On average, we prevent 15,000 scam calls a day from reaching our customers.
“Thanks to upgrades to the South West’s broadband infrastructure, the vast majority of homes and businesses have access to superfast broadband and more than one million can now get ultrafast, full fibre broadband using the Openreach network.
“This means most of our customers won’t experience much of a difference in their service when they make the switch.”
From this autumn, BT will be offering a new, more advanced battery back-up unit, which enables digital calls to be made in the event of a power outage.
The new battery – available free to customers with additional needs – is smaller and lighter than the current version and features a standby mode which can be used during prolonged power cuts.
BT recently announced an update to its timetable for moving all customers off the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and onto digital landlines by the end of January 2027, outlining a series of improvements to better protect vulnerable customers and those with additional needs, including telecare users.
It also confirmed that customers who identify as vulnerable, have additional needs or who use a telecare alarm system will not be switched until spring 2025 at the earliest. This allows time for data sharing agreements with local authorities or telecare companies to be in place and inhome support for telecare users to become available.
The company also announced plans to offer a dedicated landline service for customers who don’t use broadband from the autumn. This will allow customers to use their landline in the same way as they do today until a digital solution becomes available.
‘Parklet’ plan for city pub is withdrawn
PLANS for a ‘parklet’ outside a city centre pub have been withdrawn after council concerns about the heritage impact.
Star Pubs and Bars put in the application for The Trinity Inn in James Street West, near Kingsmead Square.
They said they wanted to improve the outside drinking area where there is currently a pavement licence for customers’ use, with picnic benches, umbrellas and café barriers.
The intention was to remove the portable furniture and provide a new more permanent structure - a timber-framed ‘parklet’ with seating booths and all sides and roof sections provided with a clear plastic roll-up wind protector.
Heaters and festoon lighting were also proposed.
The application pointed out that
The Trinity is in a “vibrant” area with bars and restaurants, most of which already have external seating areas.
But Bath & North East Somerset Council planners had concerns about the heritage impact of the proposed parklet.
They told the applicant that the substantial planter and high trellis structure enclosing the seating area would “privatise
public space” and the parklet would appear overly dominant, detracting from the inn and the open character of the street.
“The use of substantial benches and communal tables rather than individual seats and smaller tables, adds to the dominance of the structure.
“Furthermore, the intended utilisation of festoon lighting and clear plastic roll-up sheet wind protector intended to be securely fixed and locked down during closure will exacerbate the dominance and significant privatisation of public space.
“Given this, we are unable to support the proposal on heritage grounds.”
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The Trinity Inn in Bath
Politics
Funding axe will have ‘disastrous consequences’
John Wimperis Local Democracy Reporter
LIBERAL Democrat politicians across the county have warned that the government’s plan to axe universal winter fuel payments will have “disastrous consequences” in Somerset.
Winter fuel payments of up to £300 had been due to be paid to all pensioners again this winter, but the new Labour government announced they were cutting the payments for the vast majority of pensioners after claiming to have found a £22 billion black hole left in the country’s finances by the Conservatives.
Only pensioners who receive pension credit or certain other benefits will still receive the payment — despite energy costs being set to rise.
Liberal Democrat politicians across Somerset have hit out at the move, as their party plans to bring a motion to attempt to block the cut in Parliament. Bath MP Wera Hobhouse called the government’s decision “a huge mistake”.
She said: “I have already heard from countless pensioners across Bath who are worried sick about losing this vital support and whether they will be able to afford their energy bills as the weather starts to get colder.
“Stripping support from many of the poorest pensioners in Bath just when energy bills are set to rise again is simply wrong.
“It could force vulnerable elderly people in our community to choose between eating and heating this winter.”
She warned that, according to House of Commons figures
for 2023, there were 15,000 pensioners in the city who did not receive pension credit and would therefore now lose their winter fuel allowance under the government’s plans unless they received other benefits.
Meanwhile, the leader of North Somerset Council, Mike Bell, has warned that the cut would hit more than 30,000 pensioners in that district.
He said: “These decisions will have disastrous consequences for some of our most vulnerable residents and will put extra strain on our under-pressure care and health services.
“Whilst we all understand the financial mess left behind by the Conservatives, Labour do need to think again about this.
“Last winter, pensioner households in North Somerset got up to £300 extra in cost of living support as well as £200 in winter fuel payments. This
year 90% of local pensioner households will be worse off by £500, just as energy bills are due to rise by 10%.
He added: “While there is an argument for ending the universal winter fuel payments and means testing more, eligibility is being squeezed to too narrow a group. Those just above the benefit thresholds will be hardest hit and with the least flexibility to make ends meet.”
Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke warned that the cut would hit rural Somerset “harder” and put a “disproportionate burden” on its public services.
She said: “It is well known that Somerset has a much older population than the national average, with a quarter of us now older than 65.
“This is compounded by the fact that rural areas like Glastonbury and Somerton rely on off-grid gas supplies to heat our homes
COLUMN | Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath
THE beginning of September signals a fresh start for many of us – whether it’s going back to school, beginning a new job or, in my case, returning to a new parliamentary session. But the fresh start I know we have all been looking forward to is one for our public services. It’s time we turned the page on the chaos and mismanagement that became the norm under the Conservatives. As the mature and constructive opposition, my fellow Liberal Democrat MPs and I will continue holding the new Labour government to account. Together, we will make sure that they prioritise fixing the crisis in the NHS as well as improving our transport infrastructure and the quality of education in our children’s schools.
To be specific, as the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Transport, I will focus on improving our railways and securing a fair deal for passengers. Commuters have lost around a million minutes due to delays caused by signal failures in recent years.
To put an end to this disruption, I’ve been campaigning to rapidly improve infrastructure and investment as well as immediately freezing rail fares. With the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill returning for its third reading in the Commons this month, I will urge the government to keep passengers at the heart of their decisions.
I’m sure that Ofgem’s recent decision to raise the energy
and our houses tend to be less energy-efficient.”
She added: “The government has said that those with the broadest shoulders should bear the heavier burden, so it cannot be right that Somerset has to bear the brunt of these changes simply because we are a rural area with an older population.”
The 72 Liberal Democrat MPs in Parliament have backed a motion — known as a prayer — which is set to be tabled once Parliament returns this week to block the government’s changes and keep the current system of winter fuel payments.
With a large Labour majority, the motion is unlikely to pass unless there is a major Labour rebellion.
Ms Hobhouse said: “My fellow Liberal Democrat colleagues and I will do everything we can to block these plans as soon as Parliament returns in order to deliver a fair deal for pensioners in Bath and across the country.”
Under the government’s plan, you will still be eligible for a winter fuel payment, except under certain circumstances, if you were born before 23rd September 1958 and receive one of the following benefits:
• Pension / Universal credit
• Income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)
• Income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA)
• Income support.
Full details of whether you will be eligible can be seen here: https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuelpayment
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Planning Round-up
Seven-bed HMO proposed in Twerton
Plans to change the use of 53 Freeview Road in Twerton from a three-bedroom house to a seven-bed house in multiple occupation (HMO) have been submitted to Bath & North East Somerset Council.
The planning application has been submitted by Rivers Birtwell who specialise in accommodation for students and young professionals.
The plans for the semi-detached house include the erection of a single-storey rear extension, external wall cladding and bicycle storage.
The application says that as there is not a concentration of HMOs in the area, there would be no impact caused to neighbours or the community. Sound reduction measures are offered to reduce any potential noise.
The planning reference is 24/03294/FUL. The deadline for comments is 26th September.
Plan to turn boutique hotel into a house
A planning application has been lodged with Bath & North East Somerset Council to turn a boutique bed and breakfast hotel into a house.
The change of use is for Brindleys at 14 Pulteney Gardens, Widcombe.
The family-run hotel has six bedrooms and has been operated by the current owner for the past seven years.
The planning application says no changes will be required to convert the B&B into a private house. It has four storeys and is at the end of a terrace of 14 houses.
The deadline for anyone wanting to comment on the proposal is 27th September.
The planning reference is 24/03216/FUL.
price cap by 10% will have come as distressing news for many in Bath, especially as we approach the colder months. As Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Energy and Climate Change, I will continue pushing for cheaper energy bills for consumers, alongside a ten-year emergency upgrade programme to provide free insulation and heat pumps to those on low incomes. My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I are also campaigning to block the government’s plans to cut the winter fuel payment. Stripping support from many of the poorest pensioners in Bath just when energy bills are set to rise again is simply wrong. If you are worried about the increase in energy bills or in need of support, please get in touch with me at office@
werahobhouse.co.uk, and I will do all that I can to help.
While the Conservatives’ legacy of neglect is still being felt across several of our public services, there are many things we have to celebrate here in Bath. Let’s not forget the countless moments that have brightened our city over the past month. It was great to see Bath come to life with its first ever Pride event in August, and I hope it becomes a tradition we can celebrate each year. While we have come a long way on the journey to securing LGBTQ+ rights, there is still lots of work to do to protect these freedoms. Make no mistake, I will fight tirelessly to defend the rights of
people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, including trans and non-binary people in Bath.
Our community also had many sporting celebrations to be proud of over the past weeks. I expect many households across the city were cheering as Tom Dean and James Guy brought home a gold medal in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay quartet. I couldn’t be prouder of how hard all the Bath-based Olympians and Paralympians flying the flag for Great Britain have worked. Their success is such a testament to our city and its world-class facilities. In historic moments like these, who wouldn’t want to be a Bathonian?
The cut to payments will see vulnerable residents become more at risk this winter
Thousands more homes required across B&NES
John Wimperis Local Democracy Reporter
THOUSANDS more homes will need to be built across Bath and the surrounding countryside as the government is set to more than double the area’s housing target.
Bath & North East Somerset Council had already been looking at how it could find space for 725 new homes to be built in the district every year — the amount it had been ordered to build by the Conservatives.
In order to hit the target, the council was considering building a new village near Bath — a plan met with shock by the awardwinning zero-carbon farm the village would be built on.
But now the area will have to accommodate twice as many homes again, with the new Labour government set to increase the target to 1,466 homes a year amid changes to the national planning policy framework (NPPF).
The target will run for 15 years, meaning 21,990 new homes will have to be built across Bath and North East Somerset by 2040.
The council had been consulting on its new Local Plan, the document that sets out its planning policies and where new developments should go for the next 15 years. Now it faces having to factor twice as many homes into the plan.
Matt McCabe, the council’s cabinet member for built environment, housing, and sustainable development, said: “Here in B&NES, we are committed to delivering the right homes in the right places, and homes that are genuinely affordable.
“We also have an aspiration to be building hundreds of council homes every year. So, I welcome any changes that help us deliver on our priorities.
“However, the current NPPF consultation proposes a more than doubling of our current housing targets, when compared to the figures included in our new, emerging Local Plan.
“We had been intending to put a
draft plan out for consultation at the beginning of 2025, with draft plan submission to the planning inspectorate next June.
“We need now to carefully consider the impact of the draft NPPF on this programme. We will therefore be seeking more clarity from central government on their methodology for arriving at their new figure, as well as on their levels of commitment to providing more support for affordable housing delivery.
“Crucially, our residents would expect any additional housing to be supported by much-needed infrastructure — including sustainable transport, health, education and community facilities — and we will be making these points clearly in our response to the consultation.”
Meanwhile, in neighbouring North Somerset, where a huge amount of new development is already under way next to Weston-super-Mare, the council had been told by the Conservative government that it needed to build 20,000 new homes across the next 15 years.
Councillors battled to get the number down to 14,985 but now the Labour government has told it to find space for 23,805.
Councillor Mark Canniford, North Somerset Council’s executive member who is responsible for spatial planning, placemaking and economy, said:
“The government’s planning reforms have major implications for our proposed Local Plan.
“The new standard method is 23,805 dwellings in North Somerset over the next 15 years – that’s nearly 9,000 dwellings more than our current Local Plan target.
“This figure also doesn’t take into account the needs of our neighbours, as the government has asked all councils to work together to jointly address unmet need.
“In light of this, we will not be proceeding with our planned final consultation on the Local Plan. We’re working hard to review our draft plan in the light of the government’s announcements, and hope to progress this as quickly as we can.
“As a council, we support the government’s commitment to growth and meeting the housing need of our communities. All our communities will need to play a role in helping to meet this challenging housing requirement, and we’ll work
closely with them as we develop a revised plan.
“However, we want to create a Local Plan that also reflects the needs of our environment.
Around 85 per cent of our land is at risk from flooding, part of the Mendip Hills landscape, highquality Green Belt or protected in other ways for environmental or heritage reasons.
“This is a practical geographic constraint on the amount of development that’s possible in North Somerset.
“New homes also need to be supported with the right infrastructure, so communities have access to the services they want and need. We want to make sure that infrastructure challenges are being met before we consider further development.
“We appreciate that this has been a long process. It’s really important that we get our Local Plan right, as this will shape development in our area for the next 15 years. Thank you to our residents for your patience, and to our officers for their continued hard work.”
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NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A GRANT OF PREMISES LICENCE UNDER THE LICENSING ACT 2003
Friend-For-Ever Ltd applied to Bath & North East Somerset Council on 30 August 2024 for a licence to use the premises at FriendFor-Ever Ltd 17 St. James Parade Bath BA1 1UL for the sale by retail of alcohol for consumption off premises Monday to Saturday 11:00 - 19:00 and Sundays 11:00 - 18:00.
Notification of the application made to the Licensing 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 licensing@bathnes.gov.uk by 27th September 2024
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: 30/08/2024
The target is set to be increased to around 1,500 homes being built each year
Charity seeking volunteers to mentor youngsters
AN appeal for volunteers has been launched by the Bath Rugby Foundation as part of its continued efforts to change young lives across the city.
Each year Bath Rugby’s charitable arm helps around 4,000 vulnerable youngsters to succeed through programmes that focus on health, education and employability.
The charity is looking for volunteers with a range of experience to help mentor and support disadvantaged young people in the Bath area.
Bath Rugby Foundation is keen to hear from people who can help students with CV writing and interview skills, and those with administrative skills.
The charity is also looking for volunteers to support its Hi5! Club, which runs activities for youngsters with special needs, as well as people who can help with fundraising on match days.
The law firm Mogers Drewett are among the latest volunteers to pledge their time and support.
Sean McDonough, managing partner at Mogers Drewett, said:
“As a business sponsor, we already support the life-changing work of the Bath Rugby Foundation, but wanted to do more to help.
“Becoming a volunteer is another great way to support the foundation and its fantastic programmes such as the Alternative Learning Hub, which helps young people who struggle with mainstream education.
“We would encourage other businesses and individuals to pledge their support and help transform the lives of disadvantaged youngsters in our community.”
David Trick, Bath Rugby Foundation’s corporate fundraiser, said: “Volunteering at Bath Rugby Foundation can be an extremely rewarding experience.
“Over the years I’ve spoken to so many who almost feel guilty as they get so much out of it personally.
“I take that as a ‘win-win.’ The volunteer, the foundation and
most importantly, our students all benefit.”
Volunteers have dedicated hundreds of hours this year to support Bath Rugby Foundation in many ways, including helping its community team deliver sports and life skills.
Expert volunteers have also gone in to deliver business-focused
sessions and events while events volunteers have helped to fundraise on match days and at dinners.
For more information about becoming a Bath Rugby Foundation volunteer, contact David Trick on 07843 283801 or email david.trick@ bathrugbyfoundation.com
Young patients enjoy activities at Team Bath
MORE than 100 young people under the care of Bristol Children’s Hospital enjoyed a range of accessible sports and fun activities during a special event in Bath.
The third annual Make a Move! event was held at the Team Bath Sports Training Village, offering youngsters and their families the chance to have a go at archery, athletics, badminton, ball sports, boxing, judo, kin-ball, mini golf, rowing, table tennis, tennis, volleyball and much more.
Team Bath star Ellie Ervine was on hand to offer netball expertise, while British Skeleton’s Amelia
Coltman and Isabella Fassnidge helped people have a go at their Winter Olympic sport on the indoor sprint track.
Team Bath Tribe and Team Bath Tennis coaches also helped to deliver sports on the day.
Two-time Paralympic swimming champion Stephanie Millward joined in the fun too, providing a motivational speech at the start of the day before the participants took part in a mass dance-along warm-up in the sports hall and then performing the starter’s duty for a group run around the 400m athletics track.
It wasn’t just sports that
youngsters got to enjoy – circus skills workshops, bike and trikes, dance and yoga, a climbing wall, caving and soft play were also on
offer.
Make a Move! is specifically for past and present patients under the care of the Paediatric Oncology and Benign Haematology Department.
First staged in 2022, it was created in partnership and with funding from The Grand Appeal, the dedicated charity for Bristol Children’s Hospital.
The event encourages those undergoing treatment for cancer and blood conditions to get active and have fun, helping to combat the physical and mental side effects caused by these conditions and their treatment.
Saturday 7th September – 3pm Bath City v Chelmsford City (Away) League
Saturday 14th September – 3pm
Bath City v Merthyr Town (Home) FA Cup Bath City FC Bath Rugby Friday 6th September – 7.15pm Bath Rugby v Cardiff Rugby (Away) Pre-Season Series Saturday 7th September – 3pm Bath Rugby v Ealing Trailfinders (Home) Pre-Season Series
Friday 13th September – 7.15pm Bath Rugby v Dragons RFC (Home) Pre-Season Series
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