Bath Echo - Issue 090 - 01/11/2024

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Friday 1st November - Thursday 14th November 2024

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Issue No. 090

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6KM OF CYCLE ROUTES

Views sought on latest plans to improve cycling options in Bath - P2 Inside: Food & drink, archive photos, what's on listings, our £20 crossword & more!

Latest housing scheme for Homebase site revealed - P4

Allotment holders given notice to vacate plots in Combe Down - P4

Council ‘faces legal challenge’ over new waste recycling site - P5

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Views sought on active travel schemes which will

In this issue...

Top Stories

Friday 1st November - Thursday 14th November 2024

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Pictures from the Past

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Crossword

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Food & Drink

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What's On

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Community

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Education

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Health

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Business

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Politics

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Sports & Fixtures

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Becky Feather Reporter

PEOPLE are being asked to have their say on a new active travel scheme for Bath which would see more than 6km of cycling routes installed, and the loss of around 200 parking spaces.

Bath & North East Somerset Council is inviting comments from residents, businesses and visitors on the proposed Bath Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Links scheme.

Comprising of four routes, it aims to broaden active travel options, creating cycling routes through advisory lanes, dedicated spaces and quiet routes.

It will also provide walking and wheeling improvements, such as upgraded crossings and more convenient and safer options.

The four routes are: • Weston to Bath city centre • Links to the RUH • Oldfield School to Newbridge Hill • The city centre to the Kennet & Avon Canal The project would increase Bath’s cycling network by more than 10% and see around 193 on-street car parking places being lost for dedicated cycling routes.

The proposed routes would integrate with broader transport projects, such as the Bath City Centre Sustainable Transport Corridor, the A4 Bath to Bristol Project, the Liveable Neighbourhoods programme and the National Cycle Network (NCN).

The council now wants to gather feedback from the community on how the routes will affect residents and businesses.

A public consultation is running until Friday 29th November with drop-in events at: • Bath Spa University Locksbrook Campus on 4th November (3pm to 7pm) • Sydney Gardens Pavilion, Bath on 11th November (2pm to 5pm) • Brunswick Room, Guildhall, Bath on 12th and 13th November (3pm to 7pm).

Councillor Sarah Warren, the

How the changes could look at Sydney Place | Images © B&NES Council

council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for climate emergency and sustainable travel, said: “We are committed to making Bath a place where walking, wheeling and cycling are safe, accessible, and convenient

for everyone.

“The Bath Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Links scheme is a key part of our ambition to create healthier, more connected communities, but it’s essential that we hear from the people who

live and work here.

“Your views will help us ensure that we get the balance right and design routes that work for everyone.”

Liz Eyles, director of campus life at Bath Spa University, said: “The Bath Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Links scheme is an important project that promises to improve movement across the city through sustainable and safe means.

“We continually look to improve student connection with the local areas and consider investment in this area vital for wellbeing and experience.”

To find out more and have your say visit https://beta.bathnes. gov.uk/bath-walking-wheelingand-cycling-links-scheme

‘When will pedestrians’ votes be as important as cyclists?’

Reactions to the latest active travel route proposals came flooding in after B&NES Council asked for feedback.

Comments on Facebook include: “I love how the council seems to think that the only reason people drive in Bath is because of the lack of cycle lanes. I dread to think how much money was spent installing a cycle lane along the Upper Bristol Road and I never see a bicycle using it!”

One person said that pedestrians want safe walking routes on pavements and crossings throughout the city: “We don’t want to share the pavements with scooters or bikes, we don’t want the hazards of abandoned scooters.

We’d like to be able to avoid trip hazards, push wheelchairs and buggies, walk toddlers through town safely. We are the majority. What are you doing for us? 31% of us are over 50 and many have mobility issues or are disabled.

“When are WE going to feel welcome in our own city? When

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will our vote be as important as cyclists? When will our council tax go towards something that will benefit us? When will the disabled bays in Southgate car park not be full of cars without blue badges? Asking for a lot of friends. So far, we are all being totally ignored.”

Another warned that losing parking spaces in Royal Victoria Park and removing the Park Lane entrance would penalise families trying to use the free outdoor space: “The blocked entrance will mean more cars driving round the circuit trying to locate one of the rare spaces.

Cycling through here isn’t the issue! Crossing the road as a pedestrian at the end of Weston Lane is precarious, and across the top of Park Lane.”

One commented: “All I have witnessed from the recent cycle lanes installed along Upper Bristol Road is: 1. More backed-up traffic due to less room for buses to pull over. 2.

Lots of near-misses as drivers cut across cycle lanes to leave/ join the road. 3. Delivery vans/ mopeds frequently blocking the cycle lanes to deliver goods.

“So as a result of increasing cycle routes, the council hasn’t made the road any safer and has increased the potential for more air pollution from cars waiting in traffic.

“So my question to the council is this: Where is your data and study material that suggests these cycle routes are a good way to spend taxpayers’ money?”

Another person who responded said: “No one uses the cycle lanes now, never mind the new ones, but please, please tell us the solution for the elderly, disabled and anyone who physically can’t get round this city on less than four wheels, and when are you going to stop making them feel guilty, useless, and a burden to Bath, or is it that the whole point of this plan?”

It has also been pointed out that a lot of people in Bath don’t cycle because the hills to the north and south are too steep for most people to manage on a bike.

On a more positive note, another person simply commented: “What a great initiative.”

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Your City, Your News - Bath Echo

add 6km of cycling routes across the Bath area Spotlight on the four routes - where will the changes be made?

Weston to Bath city centre The route begins at Weston High Street and goes along Weston Park before joining Weston Road, through Royal Victoria Park and down Royal Avenue to reach Queen Square.

The mini-roundabout at the Weston High Street/Lansdown Lane junction would be altered to slow traffic to improve walking, wheeling and cycling links to the new routes.

The council says it has looked at options for improving the cycle route along Weston High Street but traffic flows are high and space for segregated cycling “very limited”.

The centre line would be removed to reduce traffic speeds. Heading south east towards the city centre, the cycling route would continue to travel along with one-way traffic. Away from the city centre, cyclists would continue to use the advisory cycle lane on Crown Road.

The zebra crossing on Crown Road would be converted to a parallel crossing - with walking and cycling separated. On Crown Hill and Weston Park, the cycle route would follow a ‘quietway’.

Existing on-street parking would be formalised with defined parking bays narrowing the road and calming traffic.

At Weston Road new advisory cycle lanes on both sides are proposed, using white painted lines. The centre line would be removed.

The mini-roundabout at the junction of Weston Road and Park Lane would be altered to allow more space for active travel and to slow traffic.

The access road used as a short cut into Royal Victoria Park at Park Lane would be closed to vehicles. Cars would have to access the park via Weston Road or Marlborough Lane.

There would be some loss of parking along the access road from Park Lane and the southern park circuit. This could be up to 82 spaces but disabled parking bays would be retained.

The council says stakeholder feedback has indicated that parking in Royal Victoria Park is “not at full capacity”.

Using the Park Lane access road, heading south east towards the city centre, the cycle route would join a segregated cycle track going against the flow of traffic.

Travelling in a north-west direction, cyclists would share the road with the one-way traffic.

From the Victoria Obelisk, the cycle route would cross Marlborough Lane and follow Royal Avenue and the quietway

only would be created into the hospital, with the RUH’s agreement.

The southern part of the route begins at the RUH at Evelyn Road and goes along the A431 Newbridge Hill. It turns at

A cycle lane is proposed on the A4 Newbridge Road | Images © B&NES Council

on Queen’s Parade. Street lighting improvements are the only change proposed.

At Queen Square a new twoway segregated cycle track from Queen’s Parade to Princes Street/ Chapel Row on the west side is proposed. The existing narrow pavement next to the park in Queen Square would be widened and about eight parking spaces removed.

The junction at the south-west corner would be modified to create a safe cycling route from Chapel Row and exit the track into Princes Street.

From Queen Square, the route continues south via Princes Street towards Beaufort Square to join the National Cycle Route 4.

Links to the Royal United Hospital (RUH) The northern part of the route links Weston High Street to the RUH via Penn Hill Road and Chandler Close.

From 1-10 Penn Hill Road, cycling would be permitted northbound against the flow of traffic. There would be new advisory cycle lanes on both sides of the road between the junction with Anchor Road and Chandler Close and the centre line would be removed.

Chandler Close would be a quietway and a new access for walking, wheeling and cycling

Chelsea Road before continuing on to Station Road and Bath Spa University’s Locksbrook Campus.

From the RUH, cyclists would use the existing access onto Evelyn Road. On Newbridge Hill the existing zebra crossing near Evelyn Road would be converted to a parallel crossing.

A new two-way segregated cycle track from Evelyn Road to Chelsea Road (a Liveable Neighbourhoods location) is proposed. At the south end of Chelsea Road, the design of the junction with Newbridge Road is ongoing and will need to complement the proposals as part of the Bath to Bristol Strategic Corridor scheme and the Chelsea Road Liveable Neighbourhood.

Station Road would be a quietway.

The route would connect with the River Avon towpath and onward to the Two Tunnels path and to the south of the river via Fieldings Road footbridge.

Oldfield School Newbridge Hill

to

This route begins at Oldfield School and goes along Kelston Road before joining the previous route from the RUH. The pedestrian crossing by Oldfield School would be changed to a new toucan crossing that can be used by people walking, wheeling, and cycling.

On Kelston Road new segregated

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cycle tracks are proposed on both sides of the road.

Between No. 6 Kelston Road and the Kelston Road/ Old Newbridge Hill junction, the existing speed limit would be reduced from 30mph to 20mph.

At Newbridge Hill the footway at the junction with Newbridge Road would be widened.

Between Old Newbridge Hill and Evelyn Road new segregated cycle tracks are proposed on both sides.

On Newbridge Hill the zebra crossing near Evelyn Road would be converted to a parallel crossing. From Evelyn Road to Chelsea Road a new twoway segregated cycle track is proposed on the south side of Newbridge Hill.

At the junctions between Newbridge Hill and Penn Lea Road, Apsley Road, Evelyn Road and Rosslyn Road, there would be raised tables to help pedestrians cross.

News in Brief Curo teams up with PCC Bath-based housing association Curo recently welcomed Clare Moody, the Avon & Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), to discuss plans for the future.

The visit to Curo’s offices highlighted ongoing efforts to create safer, more resilient neighbourhoods and explored how the housing association has been working in collaboration with the police.

During her visit, Clare Moody outlined her priorities in the Avon & Somerset Police and Crime Plan 2024–2029, including her focus on supporting victims, reducing violent crime, strengthening neighbourhood policing, improving standards of policing, and preventing crime.

Curo outlined its approach to addressing anti-social behaviour (ASB) and enhancing community safety, which centres on early intervention, restorative justice, and building strong relationships with customers through its Navigator programme.

City centre to the Kennet Bath Echo's 9th birthday & Avon Canal Today, 1st November, marks our The route begins west of Pulteney Bridge before crossing into Argyle Street and Great Pulteney Street.

This route is part of National Cycle Route 4.

On Argyle Street and Laura Place, way-finding improvements are proposed and there would be continuous footways over the junctions with William Street.

Sunderland Street and Edward Street.

At the A36 Sydney Place crossing, the existing signals would be upgraded to a toucan crossing.

A small area of pavement either side would be made into a shared use path.

A right-turn pocket for cyclists would connect to the crossings from Great Pulteney Street and Sydney Place.

Also proposed is a new toucan crossing over the A36 Beckford Road between the Kennet and Avon Canal and access to Sydney Gardens.

There would be an improved pedestrian crossing over the A36 Beckford Road at the Beckford Road/Sydney Road junction. The pavement between the upgraded crossings on the south side of Beckford Road would be widened and made shared use.

There would also be a new shared use path from the canal to the new crossing.

9th birthday! We'd like to take the opportunity to thank those who have supported us over the years, including all of our advertisers.

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Weather Forecast Fri 1st Sat 2nd Sun 3rd Mon 4th Tue 5th Wed 6th Thu 7th

14°c 14°c 13°c 13°c 16°c 17°c 15°c

Long range forecast:

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(8th to 14th November) Dry and settled weather is set to continue for most, staying cloudy at times. As the week develops, wet and windy weather may begin to emerge for the area.

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Friday 1st November - Thursday 14th November 2024

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Latest plans for housing on Homebase site are revealed Becky Feather Reporter

A NEW planning application to redevelop the old Homebase site at Pines Way in Bath has been submitted to the council.

The proposals are for 275 homes in a mix of one to three-bed units, 180 shared living units and flexible retail and/or office space.

The proposed buildings will be up to six storeys high.

Parking for just over 50 cars is proposed, along with more than 700 cycle spaces.

At the start of this year, developer HUB and Bridges Fund Management announced they had acquired the vacant 4.5-acre brownfield site for £18.5 million and planned to transform it as the final piece in the wider regeneration of the Bath Western Riverside enterprise area, with build-to-rent and affordable homes.

They held a public consultation and say community feedback has been incorporated into the evolving design.

The main access into the site is via a priority junction on Stothert Avenue, off the Pines Way Gyratory.

The old Homebase unit, which closed in 2020, was equivalent to two residential storeys in height and had 270 car parking spaces. At the end of 2020 plans for a waterside retirement village on the site, with up to 288 flats and care facilities, were rejected

by Bath & North East Somerset Council because of the proposed buildings’ six-storey height,

aluminium-clad design and impact on the World Heritage Site.

But following an appeal in June 2021, the refusal was overturned by a planning inspector.

Demolition of the Homebase site took place in early 2023.

However, the redevelopment never happened.

Under the latest proposals, lodged by Pines Way (Bath) LLP, the build-to-rent homes would be owned by a single company with on-site property management.

Under such an arrangement, tenants are provided with a range of services and facilities that might not be available in traditional rental properties, such as gyms, shared lounges and dedicated communal, maintained gardens.

The application explains that shared living is emerging as an alternative approach to delivering high-quality rental accommodation in accessible locations.

It says: “The proposed shared living accommodation is professionally managed with a focus on creating a residential community where everyone has their own independent studio style home (with kitchenettes) designed and furnished for one to two people, as well as an extensive range of communal spaces for dining, leisure, exercise, wellbeing and socialising.

“A reception is proposed with a concierge service and management team available onsite full time, who also provide additional services including cleaning, linen changes and

How the buildings could look | Image © Haze

event schedules.”

A total of 51 car parking spaces, all able to accommodate ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) will be provided on-site, including 14 disabled spaces, plus one car club space.

A total of 704 cycle parking spaces are proposed and there will be a mobility hub for e-scooter and e-bike hire.

The proposed development will also provide 1,126sqm flexible retail and/or office floorspace.

The redevelopment aims to deliver over 29% biodiversity net gain (BNG), more than twice the mandatory requirement.

The application says that the “consistent positive feedback” during the consultation stage earlier this year reflected strong community support for the development.

It says: “The project team actively incorporated community feedback into the evolving design.

“Key adjustments included introducing new routes across the site, committing to affordable housing, enhancing green spaces

Allotment holders given notice to vacate plots at Combe Down site ALLOTMENT holders at a threatened site in Combe Down have been told by Bath & North East Somerset Council that they must vacate their plots by October 2025.

The landowner recently served a notice to the local authority to quit his land, which it leases for the allotments.

The site has 64 plots and has been allotments for more than 100 years.

Due to the statutory requirement to give a minimum of 12 months’ notice to terminate an allotment tenancy, the council has now had to serve notice on allotment holders.

Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “We are extremely disappointed to have to send a notice to quit to our allotment holders.

“This is not the outcome the council desires. Our preferred option is the purchase of the site which we will continue to work towards in our negotiations with the landowner.”

Letters to allotment holders

say the council’s interest in the allotment site in the absence of any other circumstances prevailing will come to an end on 30th November 2025.

As a result, allotment holders are being asked to vacate their plots by 31st October 2025 which allows enough time for the council to reinstate the land as required by the terms of its own lease.

Councillor Ball added: “We have requested meetings with the landowner to understand why he wants the council to vacate the land.

“Unfortunately, all requests to meet have, to date, been declined through his solicitor.”

Earlier this year the council wrote

to allotment holders setting out the legal situation, the progress that the council had made to date, its willingness to engage with the landowner and its commitment to remain on the site so that the long history of food-growing and allotments afforded to the community of Combe Down could continue.

Following a successful nomination by a group of residents, the council has added the site to its list of Assets of Community Value.

The application – from the Unincorporated Friends of Combe Down Allotments – was assessed by the council and found to meet or exceed all criteria needed to be added to the list.

Although the owner of an Asset of Community Value (ACV) is free to sell to any buyer of their choice, they cannot dispose of it without notifying the council of intended disposal.

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with native planting, creating outdoor community areas, integrating the site’s industrial heritage into the design, and balancing building heights.

“Commercial spaces were developed to allow for flexible uses, and efforts were made to minimise light pollution and encourage sustainable transport.”

Despite overall support, the developers acknowledge that some concerns persist, including diverging opinions on parking provision, apprehensions about building heights and density, and ensuring new architecture complements Bath’s traditional aesthetic without negative impact.

They say: “Open communication will be maintained, providing updates and opportunities for further input.

“The team will continue to explore solutions to remaining issues, aiming to balance planning requirements with community preferences.”

Victoria Manston, Development Director at HUB, said: “Pines Way is a fundamental component of

Bath Western Riverside’s wider regeneration. The scheme has the opportunity to transform a vacant brownfield site into a thriving new neighbourhood – delivering new commercial space alongside high quality homes for the city’s growing community of workers.

“Bath is hailed globally for its historic design; we have worked alongside Bath & North East Somerset Council, local stakeholders, and heritage advisors to ensure the project complements the area’s UNESCO World Heritage status.

“We have seen firsthand how the build-to-rent and shared living models catalyse regeneration; we are confident this scheme will enrich this historic city whilst addressing the region’s recently doubled housing delivery target.”

Adam Amijee, Investment Manager at Bridges Fund Management, said: “Our proposed transformation of this derelict site on Pines Way will provide much-needed highquality new homes for Bath’s growing population, while also helping to revitalise this attractive riverside area. From our experience of building thousands of new homes across the UK, we understand how to create developments that meet local needs while also minimising environmental impact, through reduced embodied and operational carbon emissions.

“We believe this development can be a real asset to the city and the local community.”

The deadline for comments is 21st November. The planning reference is 24/03831/FUL.

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Council ‘faces legal challenge’ over new waste recycling site Becky Feather Reporter

BATH & North East Somerset Council is being warned it will face a legal challenge if its controversial plans for a waste recycling site at Locksbrook Road in the city are approved.

The council-owned site is being lined up to replace the existing recycling centre in Midland Road, where there is already planning approval for 176 new affordable and market homes.

The Midland Road site will close once the new centre is operational. The council hopes that will be next autumn, and says that Locksbrook Road was chosen after more than 50 other sites within and around Bath had been considered.

But last week Andy Ridings, owner of Waste Recycling @ Bath Ltd at the former Fullers Earthworks at Odd Down, reminded councillors that his well-established site already has all the relevant permissions.

He said that in summer 2021 the council’s cabinet had unanimously agreed the Odd Down facility to be the only suitable replacement for the Midland Road recycling centre.

Mr Ridings told the Echo: “There is a modern waste recycling site sitting on the edge of the city, ready for B&NES to use. I am outraged that we have spent extensive time, effort and costs, to allocate our site for exactly the things that councillors are now proposing to build elsewhere.

“Our Odd Down site has all the relevant permissions for the waste they now suggest would

be processed at the Locksbrook Road development and is allocated for these uses under B&NES’ own waste strategy.

“Because of this, we obtained further permissions and added new bespoke buildings to our Odd Down site and kept in close contact with the council throughout. They went silent on us last summer, and now have decided that unnecessary duplication is their big idea.”

He continued: “B&NES’ new development is flawed on so many levels, not least because it fails the so-called ‘sequential test’. This means the council has to demonstrate there is no other more suitable place for what they are proposing. But there is; there has been for many years; and they know it.

“They’ve been talking to us about using our allocated site for these very same purposes for years.

They can’t feign ignorance now.

“The Odd Down facility is tailormade to address B&NES’ future recycling needs and is operated by waste experts with many years’ experience. All the relevant permissions have been in place for some years, meaning there is no need for lengthy planning applications or enquiries to make any transition happen.”

He added: “If councillors go ahead with this ill-judged plan, we will bring a legal challenge.”

A letter of objection has been sent by the company’s planning consultants to the council. It sets out “flaws” with the council’s plans which include: • The Locksbrook Road site is in an area at high risk of flooding, making it inappropriate for the type of hazardous waste it

The proposed location of the new recycling site on Locksbrook Road in Bath

would need to house.

• The site is too small for the intended use.

• Selecting Locksbrook Road is not based on valid evidence relating to planning matters, but simply a result of the council already owning the land.

• It undermines the agreed waste strategy.

The Lib Dem-controlled council has received more than 160 objections to its plans for Locksbrook Road including the impact on traffic; the proximity to homes and the smells and noise that residents will have to suffer; that the plans fail to adequately address the flood risk; and safety concerns about the proposed model of using stairs and gantries.

It has also been flagged up that this side of Bath already has easy access to the upgraded and

Defence company highlights its concerns A letter of objection to the proposals has been lodged on behalf of Horstman Defence Systems Ltd, which is based next to the proposed recycling centre.

It highlights the impact on the Enterprise Zone as well as traffic, parking and pollution concerns.

The objection letter also notes that the council’s own aboricultural officer has objected as drainage associated with the proposal would result in damage to the roots of trees on the site, and that the proposal fails to plan for the avoidance of adverse impact on trees during construction works.

The letter adds: “While it is understood that a recycling centre is needed to meet the needs of the city, this highly constrained and sensitive location is completely inappropriate for such a use.

“The proposal is contrary to policies in the development plan and would result in unacceptable impacts on highway safety, the Bath Enterprise Zone objectives, residential amenity, and potentially result in increased pollution.”

Hortsman is based next to the proposed recycling centre site

expanded Keynsham Recycling Hub, and that traffic from the east, the north and the south will have to come straight through the city’s congestion zone to get to Locksbrook Road.

The local authority’s street cleansing team are currently based at the site earmarked for the new centre. They will relocate further along Locksbrook Road to the site that used to house the council’s fleet works and MoT test centre. Those services have already relocated to the new £41m Keynsham centre.

The site used by the VW dealership in Locksbrook Road,

which it uses to store vehicles, is owned by the council and is included in the recycling centre plans. The council has advised the dealership to “explore alternative arrangements”.

Four Lib Dem councillors Samantha Kelly and Michelle O’Doherty, who represent Newbridge, and Paul Roper and George Tomlin who represent Kingsmead – have jointly asked for the proposals to be called in for the council’s planning committee to debate and decide in public, rather than delegate to planning officers.

A decision is expected in January.

University says proposed recycling site ‘undermines’ its expansion plans Bath Spa University (BSU), which has a campus at Locksbrook Road, has commissioned a detailed report from planning consultants to formally object to the plans to relocate the recycling centre.

The report says the site of the proposed recycling centre is within the Bath Enterprise Area Masterplan, also known as the Enterprise Zone, and it would not contribute to the area’s economic growth and prosperity.

And BSU’s vision for consolidating facilities around Locksbrook Road is being “undermined” by the inclusion of the recycling centre.

The university is currently in “advanced talks” with B&NES about combining landholdings at Locksbrook Road to jointly deliver a comprehensive mixed-use development that can accommodate the Bath Fashion Museum Collection Archives and the university’s future uses.

These include incubator or ‘grow-on’ space for small businesses, linking up with current and past students to develop this. The report says that BSU and the council are also in the process of applying for West of England Combined Authority funding to help further this venture.

The 26-page report from consultants CBRE also highlights that B&NES Council is in the process of preparing its Local Plan and that business owners and operators within the Locksbrook Estate recently met with the council to talk about the vision for how Locksbrook “can be reimagined as a key employment destination”.

The report says: “The proposal site would sit within the identified ‘Eastern Gateway’ of the area and overall, the vision for the Estate is to develop the identity of a Production Quarter for Bath, integrate the Estate with surrounding natural assets including river walk areas, enhanced nature zones, etc., and deliver improvements to movement around the Estate and beyond.

“Granted the conversations are at an early stage, however it is difficult to reconcile this vision and plan for economic prosperity and enhanced employment opportunities with the proposed use of this ‘gateway area’ as a recycling and waste centre.”

CBRE’s report also says: “The applicant submits that there are no other suitable sites in B&NES that could accommodate the development, however no evidence of this has been supplied.”

And it flags up concerns about the transport implications of the proposed recycling centre, including on-street parking and queuing traffic.

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Friday 1st November - Thursday 14th November 2024

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Pictures from the Past Lansdown Cemetery

Back in 1847 a Bath publican had planned to turn the tower and gardens into pleasure gardens

Kirsten Elliott Akeman Press

THIS photograph of Beckford’s Tower and Lansdown Cemetery probably dates from around the 1870s, when the grass was clipped and everything immaculately maintained.

The tomb just visible under the tree on the left is that of William Beckford, and it has a

curious history.

When he commissioned the tower, it was surrounded by ornamental gardens, and it was amid these that he wanted to be buried. So in 1842 he designed and erected a pink granite tomb in the shadow of the tower, next to the grave of his beloved dog Tiny.

When he died two years later, however, it was determined that he could not be buried in unhallowed ground, so the

tomb was carted across town to the Abbey Cemetery, where he was interred. Three years later, the tower and gardens were sold to William Knott, a Bath publican who apparently wanted to open them as pleasure gardens.

Beckford’s daughter was so horrified that she bought them back and presented them to the Rector of Walcot for use as a cemetery. Once the ground was consecrated, the tomb, now containing

Beckford’s remains, was returned to its original location.

Although Beckford would obviously have been happy at this turn of events, he would have been less pleased to discover that Tiny’s grave was not deemed fit to be retained in consecrated ground. It was removed – where to, no one knows – and some claim that the ghost of Tiny still haunts the cemetery, seeking its master, to this day.

COLUMN | Clare Moody, Labour Police and Crime Commissioner

A

S we complete my Police and Crime Plan consultation, I want to first take a moment to express my deepest thanks to everyone who participated.

Whether you attended one of the public forums, completed the survey, or contributed in the focus groups, your input has been invaluable in shaping the future of policing across Avon and Somerset.

Over the past couple of months, we’ve held six public forums, held here in Bath and across our area. Meeting so many of you face-to-face was one of the most rewarding aspects of this consultation. From the heart of BaNES to the corners of the Avon and Somerset region, people from all walks of life came together to share their experiences, concerns, and ideas.

What struck me most was the

passion and care people have for their neighbourhoods.

Many gave up their evenings to engage in thoughtful, constructive discussions about the challenges they face and how we can work together to address them. The insights shared confirmed the priorities I set out in my draft Police and Crime Plan, and now, it’s time to move to the next phase: turning these priorities into action.

What’s Next: The Police and Crime Plan Action Plan Now that the consultation has closed, the feedback we’ve gathered will play a key role in finalising the Police and Crime Plan, which will set the strategy for policing in our area over the next five years. But our work doesn’t stop there. This input will also help shape the Police and Crime Plan Action Plan, a

roadmap for how we will deliver on the priorities you helped to define.

The five key areas of focus remain clear: • Strengthening neighbourhood policing with a visible police presence to tackle antisocial behaviour and engage with communities.

• Reducing violent crime, particularly focusing on male violence against women and girls, and serious youth violence, including knife crime.

• Preventing crime by working in partnership with local organisations and communities.

• Supporting victims of crime, ensuring that they get the timely help they need.

• Improving police standards to provide a fair, effective service for all.

These priorities reflect not just my vision but the aspirations of the communities I serve.

Now the work begins to turn these ideas into concrete actions that will make a real difference in people’s lives.

Your Say on Local Police Funding: The Precept While the consultation on the Police and Crime Plan has concluded, there’s still an important way you can shape the future of policing—through your input on the police precept.

Each year, I’m responsible for setting the amount of money you contribute to local police services via your council tax.

This precept accounts for 43% of the funding that Avon and Somerset Police rely on, with the rest coming from central

Government.

I understand that any increase in the precept impacts household budgets, which is why it’s crucial for me to hear from as many of you as possible. The Government sets limits on how much I can raise through the precept, but it’s your views that will help guide my decision on what’s right for our communities.

You’ll have the opportunity to share your thoughts on this in the coming months, and I encourage you to get involved. Your feedback will help ensure we strike the right balance between maintaining the quality of local policing and keeping the cost fair for taxpayers. You can participate by completing a short survey on my website: https://www. avonandsomerset-pcc.gov.uk

Issue 090

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Your City, Your News - Bath Echo

Crossword

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Across 1 Judge (7) 5 Kind of duck, perhaps (7) 9 Former and current Canadian PM (7) 10 Hot spot (7) 11 High speed cats (8) 12 "White Christmas" writer (6) 13 Fad (5) 14 Explosive issue (3,6) 17 Sanded yew badly in the middle of the week (9) 19 Royal domain (5) 20 Like the Watergate evidence (2,4) 22 Light warship (8) 25 How you might meet someone (7) 26 Breadwinners (7) 27 Guaranteed academic employment (7) 28 Implored (7)

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Food & Drink

Friday 1st November - Thursday 14th November 2024

Melissa Blease Sponsor our Food & Drink section! Get in touch via advertise@bathecho.co.uk

Food Writer

Tasty Dates For Your Diary The Hudson Steakhouse (London Street/London Road) is opening on Mondays from Monday 11th November all the way through to Monday 16th December ... with a fabulous deal to start your week off in fine style: enjoy a main course, dessert and cocktail from the Hudson's marvellous menu for just £40. Prefer a starter instead of a dessert? No worries!

Make the swap for a supplement of just £5pp. www.hudsonsteakhouse.co.uk Bath on Ice slides into view in Royal Victoria Park for the winter season from Friday 15th November complemented/ supplemented by Mogul's Alpine Bar where you'll find luxury hot chocolates, mulled wine, signature wood-fired pizzas and more, all served up in a beautifully-decorated cabin decked out in suitably seasonal

garb. www.bathonice.co.uk Chase the winter midweek blues away at the Marlborough Tavern (Marlborough Buildings) with their new Prix Fixe menu: 2/3 courses from a stylish selection of classics and specials for just £19/£24 every Monday - Friday between 12-6pm. www.marlborough-tavern.com Get yourself along to Corkage (Chapel Row) from 5.30pm on Thursday 21st November for an evening of French frolics and Franglais fun to celebrate the release of Beaujolais Nouveau 2024. Stripes, berets and onion garlands are optional but a 3-course rustic French menu accompanied by the tipple du jour (bien sûr!) and an ambiance de fête française come as standard, all for just £27.50pp. www.corkagebath.com

Book an a la carte dinner at the fabulous, Michelin-starred Restaurant Hywel Jones at Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa (Colerne, less than 30 minutes drive northeast of Bath) for any Wednesday or Thursday evening throughout November and enjoy an automatic upgrade to the incredible Tasting Menu – like, wow! https://bit.ly/403ul6m Get yourself in the Christmas party mood at Independent Spirit (Terrace Walk) on Friday 22nd November when the Big Xmas Whisky Tasting previews (and shares samples of ) the biggest and best drams of the season in uniquely characterful surroundings (£35pp). https://bit.ly/3YoZ1N3 Experience an authentic taste of the USA at a celebratory Thanksgiving Lunch hosted

by the American Museum (Claverton Manor, Claverton) on Saturday 23rd November. The banquet-style menu includes traditional Thanksgiving delights such as roast turkey with green bean casserole and Pecan or Pumpkin Pie and the £55pp ticket price (£25pp for children up to age 17) includes admission to the museum's garden, shop and American-themed deli. https://bit.ly/4dZiERL MasterChef: The Professionals finalist Kasae Fraser returns to the kitchen she formerly presided over at Robun (George Street) for one night only on Friday 13th December. Kasae and her partner Vincent will present and host a seasonal 7-course tasting menu highlighting festive flavours in the restaurant's uniquely stylish setting, followed by an exclusive after-party featuring a live DJ for

those who want to keep the party going (£120pp). https://bit.ly/3NIvyZu Check out the big deals currently trending at the Green Park Brasserie: pizza and prosecco/a pint or a burger and a pint (or prosecco) for £14 from noon6pm every weekday; 2 cocktails for £15, a bottle of house wine for £23 or a bottle of prosecco for £25 from noon-5pm seven days a week. Cheers! www.greenparkbrasserie.com Melissa regularly reviews restaurants across Bath and the surrounding area.

You can find out more at: www.theprandialplayground.uk Follow Melissa on X Find her @ThePigGuide

Recipe: Pea and Ham Soup There's nothing more comforting than a big bowl of hot, thick soup on a chilly night and the classic Pea and Ham combo has topped Best Classic British Soup charts for centuries for very good reason: silky ham in a thick broth laden with root vegetables; low in fat, high in protein and fibre, and satisfyingly filling to the max. Top it with parsley cream (SO simple to make!) and you add a touch of luxury!

Ingredients (serves 6-8) • 1k (approx) gammon joint, smoked or unsmoked • 500g dried yellow split peas • 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock • 2 large brown onions, peeled and quartered • 2-4 carrots (around 300g in total), peeled and cut into chunks • 4 celery sticks, chopped • 4 bay leaves For the parsley cream • 1 bunch of parsley, stalks'n'all • 6 tbsp crème fraîche

Method • Rinse the split peas thoroughly, drain well and put into a big, lidded saucepan. Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Add the onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves and gammon. Bring back to the boil, skim off any froth that has gathered on the surface, then reduce the heat to very low and simmer (partially covered) for 2 hours or until the split peas are soft and velvety.

• Remove the gammon (which will be fall-apart tender by now) from the pan with strong tongs and set aside on a large plate to cool down a bit.

Remove and discard the bay leaves, then blend the stock with a stick blender until thick but smooth (or, mash with a potato masher).

• Remove and discard the skin and visible fat from the gammon and shred the meat into chunks. Put the gammon chunks back into the pan and, while you're heating the soup through for serving, make the parsley cream: simply tip the parsley and the crème fraîche into a blender and blitz until smooth.

• Serve the hot soup in warm bowls or big mugs topped with a dollop of parsley cream.

Multi Award Winning Classic Indian Restaurant Set in a Grand Georgian Triple Domed Ballroom

8A Quiet Street, Bath, BA1 2JS | Tel: 01225 422323 466401 info@pearlofindia.co.uk | www.pearlofindia.co.uk

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Friday 1st November - Thursday 14th November 2024

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What's On

Friday 1st November - Thursday 14th November 2024

Funny Mummy

Alice Through The Looking Glass

Fireworks on the Rec

Bonfire Night

Ustinov Studio 1st & 2nd November Enjoy this hilarious one-women comedy show, all about the bonkers world of parenting. From pregnancy and playdates to school runs – if you’re a parent, then this show is for you!

The Mission Theatre 1st & 2nd November Have you ever stepped through a looking glass? Alice has. On a cold winter's day, Alice steps through her living room mirror and discovers the curious looking glass land.

Recreation Ground 2nd November, 4.30pm Bath Rotary's Annual Fireworks Display on the Recreation Ground in the centre of historic Bath is a highlight of the year for families, residents and visitors alike.

All proceeds go to charity.

Bath City Farm 2nd November, 5.30pm Celebrate bonfire night at Bath City Farm. No fireworks. Sparklers for sale.

Enjoy a great view over the city! Hot dogs and hot drinks available to buy from the Roots to Work Cafe.

End of Season Gala

The Real Inspector Hound

Flock

Bath Mozartfest

Avon Valley Railway 2nd & 3rd November Bringing their 50th anniversary year to a close with an end of season steam gala. Featuring two home fleet steam locomotives, two passenger sets, and a goods set travelling along the line.

Rondo Theatre 6th – 9th November Tom Stoppard’s play within a play hilariously parodies a manor house murder mystery, with outrageous red herrings, unclear motives, sudden deaths and romantic intrigue.

The Egg 6th & 7th November A new play by Lin Coghlan. Robbie wants nothing more than to be a grown up, and live with his sister Cel. Cel wants to go to university and find the kind of love her mother never had.

Remembrance Concert

Festive Origami

Remembrance Sunday Parade

Bath Abbey 9th November, 7pm On this poignant weekend, hear the renowned Abbey choirs give a moving performance of Brahms' A German Requiem. Performed by candlelight and including the Piano duet and readings.

The Museum of East Asian Art 9th November, 11am-4pm Get creative with this festive origami activity. Use the traditional Japanese paper-folding art to make beautiful decorations or gifts for the winter season.

Upper Borough Walls 10th November, 1pm The Parade and services are organised by the Royal British Legion. The Parade will start from 1pm along Upper Borough Walls. The Service will commence in the Abbey at 2pm.

Festive New York Dog Trail

Filumena

Eleanor McEvoy

Medieval Myth Busting

American Museum & Gardens 12th November – 31st December An exciting dog trail with the delightful dogs from Alice Tait’s storybook No, Nancy, No! A Dog Chase in New York.

Explore the American garden and find all the dogs in their Santa hats.

Theatre Royal 12th – 16th November Amidst the heat of a Neapolitan spring, Filumena Marturano (Felicity Kendal) lies on her deathbed, waiting to marry the man who has kept her as his mistress for 25 years.

Chapel Arts Centre 14th November, 8pm Eleanor McEvoy got her first big break in 1992 as the composer, producer and co-performer (with Mary Black) of A Woman’s Heart, the title track for the best-selling Irish album in Irish history.

BRLSI 14th November, 7.30pm In this talk, archaeologist James Wright visits the BRLSI to explain the development of such myths and investigate the underlying truths behind them.

Various Venues 8th – 16th November For over 30 years, Bath Mozartfest has built an enviable reputation for artistic excellence in chamber and orchestral music. Enjoy the finest classical music performed by world-renowned artists.

A Most Noble Water: Gin Tasting Topping & Company Booksellers 11th November, 7pm A tasting evening of Sipsmith Gin with award-winning drinks historians Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller to celebrate A Most Noble Water: Revisiting the Origins of English Gin.

BATH CRAFT FAIR Weston Free Church

(Moravian) High Street, Weston Bath BA1 4DB Located at the bottom of lansdown lane

SATURDAY 9th November 2024

12pm - 4pm Featuring OVER 25 CRAFT STALLS, A SEASONAL Children’s trail & HOME-MADE REFRESHMENTS SUPPORTING local independent crafters Free ENTRY & REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE!

www.bathcraftfair.co.uk

Issue 090

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Community

Share your news with us Email: news@bathecho.co.uk

Grenville Jones announces decision Unmarked speed to step down from Bath choirs camera vans on the way GRENVILLE Jones, who is affectionately known as “Bath’s Mr Music” due to his popular concerts and charity work, has announced he will be standing down from leading his choirs in the city.

After 30 years of conducting choirs in Bath, he will be stepping down at the end of this year.

Grenville’s association with Bath choirs started when he was invited to conduct an established Bath mixed-voice choir in 1997 which was in decline.

During the 11 years with them, he rebuilt numbers to over 80 singers and took them to Europe, Canada and New Zealand.

He also introduced ‘celebrity’ concerts, with named stars such as Jamie Cullum, Alfie Boe, Aled Jones, Hayley Westenra, Clare Teal and Katherine Jenkins.

Grenville is the founder of the nationwide charity GoldenOldies, which he launched in 2007. The charity, of which Sir Cliff Richard is Patron, has continued to grow and now hosts over 180 singing sessions for older vulnerable people across England and Wales.

Part of his reason for stopping his choir work locally is to allow more time to direct and manage the ever-growing Goldies Charity, which has received numerous accolades and awards in past years.

Bath Spa University awarded Grenville an Honorary Doctorate for his community music work and in 2018 the Goldies Charity won the prestigious National Lottery Awards Education Category.

Photo © Grenville Jones / Grenville Music

It is 16 years since he started the Bath Good Afternoon Community Choir and there are now 32, including four new afternoon choirs in South London.

Grenville is also the founder of the celebrated City of Bath Male Choir, which were finalists in the BBC’s ‘Last Choir Standing’ TV series with tours across Europe, Boston, Nashville and Japan.

His son Laurie took over as Musical Director last year, but Grenville maintains close links with the choir and is currently planning a visit to Bath’s twin city Alkmaar next April with a group of over 60.

He said: “No I’m not retiring! I will continue conducting my new mixed-voice Tuesday evening choir in South Gloucestershire and the Devizes Good Afternoon Choir on Friday afternoons.

“Bath has too many choirs in my opinion, hence my bowing out!

There just are not enough people who want to sing and getting

audiences has become tougher these last few years.

“I’ve loved the time spent with some wonderful people, but it seems that every week there’s yet another Bath evening choir starting.

“Time for me to concentrate on my music business, growing my afternoon choirs across the UK and leading developments with the Goldies Charity.”

Grenville has raised thousands of pounds for various charities, plus over £1 million for his own charity.

After the death of his middle son, Kieron, in 2023, he arranged and funded a special memorial concert in Bath Abbey which supported the local ‘We Get It’ cancer support charity in Bath, raising over £8,000 for their work.

Grenville’s final Christmas charity concert will be in St Michael’s Church on Saturday 21st December. Tickets are available from grenvillemusic.ticketlight. co.uk or by calling 0844 888 9991.

UNMARKED speed camera vans are being introduced across Avon and Somerset as part of efforts to address persistent speeding issues in targeted locations.

The aim is to deter speeding and prevent serious collisions by encouraging consistent safe driving behaviours.

The latest initiative from Avon & Somerset Police follows extensive evidence gathered from community reports, Community Speedwatch schemes, and collision data, highlighting areas where excess speed is a recurring problem.

In addition to detecting speeding offences, the new vans are equipped with 360-degree cameras and long-range detection technology capable of identifying other road traffic offences, including failure to wear a seatbelt and using a handheld device while driving.

The vans also feature infrared capabilities for night-time enforcement and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology. This means that offences can be detected day or night.

The deployment of the unmarked

vans is part of a broader strategy focused on changing driver behaviour and addressing the “Fatal Five” offences: speeding, drink/drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt, careless driving, and using a mobile phone at the wheel.

Unlike marked enforcement vehicles, unmarked vans are designed to encourage drivers to maintain safe speeds at all times, not just when enforcement is visible.

Chief Inspector Robert Cheeseman, Head of Roads Policing and Road Safety, said: “The use of unmarked speed detection vans is not about catching people out; it’s about protecting lives.

“Speeding is one of the leading causes of fatal and serious injury collisions, and we are committed to using every tool at our disposal to address this.

“The introduction of unmarked road safety enforcement vans represents a significant step forward in our commitment to reducing road fatalities and serious injuries. We urge all motorists to adhere to speed limits and recognise that road safety is a collective responsibility.”

People being sought to test new 5G pilot network in Bath VOLUNTEERS are being sought to take part in a pilot project to test a new 5G mobile network aimed at improving connectivity in the centre of Bath.

More than 200 people will be given project-specific E-Sim and SIM cards to test the network, and at least 50 high-specification handsets are also being provided to test the network’s resilience in a high-density environment.

Earlier this year Bath & North East Somerset Council secured a £773,132 government grant to fund the 18-month scheme called One Word.

The scheme will test a nextgeneration 5G mobile network in the city among three other locations in the South West.

One Word aims to address the mobile network connectivity and capacity issues experienced in Bath and reduce a digital inequality gap.

Anyone who is interested in

taking part in the six-month period testing the network is being asked to fill in the form at: https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/ sign-test-5g-bath Councillor Paul Roper, cabinet member for economic and cultural sustainable development, said: “We want to give residents and frequent visitors to Bath city centre the opportunity to join us on this project as One Word testers.

“Volunteers will be given specific SIM cards and pilot the scheme which will then provide the information we need to improve investment, accessibility and connectivity in the city.

“Many of us are familiar with the poor mobile phone reception areas in the city centre, especially on busy days such as a Saturday match at The Rec. “If successful, this pilot will resolve that issue and reduce digital inequalities which impact on business and people accessing

services.”

A report on the One Word Mobile Network Pilot highlights a market failure in the sector, with lack of investment from private telecoms companies which is exacerbated by the UK Government restricting some international vendors.

As a result, the Department for Science Innovation and Technology has issued a series of Open Network Ecosystem (ONE) funding calls to unlock investment in new next generation open mobile networks that multiple vendors can share.

The project has been given a Certificate of Lawfulness for a network of around 15-20 small cell radio units to be installed in key locations on lamp posts around the heart of the city.

During the pilot phase, a number of test events would also take place where users place high demand on the network at the same time and location, with additional for testing to occur

An example 5G transmission unit | Library image

during events such as sports fixtures and the Bath Christmas Market.

The grant for the One Word pilot has come from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) which put out an Open Networks Ecosystem (ONE) funding call in March 2023.

The ONE fund was developed in order to tackle key barriers to the adoption of open mobile networks: with trials in areas of high demand, and to allow for the development of new Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) software and hardware solutions to improve the performance of these networks.

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Concerns raised that city's homeless £4.3m hoard of coins hostel at risk due to cuts set to tour to Bath John Wimperis

John Wimperis

BATH’S homeless hostel on Manvers Street is “at risk” as the local council plans cuts, the charity which runs it has warned.

Julian House’s hostel has provided emergency shortterm accommodation for rough sleepers in the city for 35 years.

But its lease for its location in the basement of Manvers Street Baptist Church is set to end in two years and Bath & North East Somerset Council is planning to cut £802,000 from the funding it gives charities such as Julian House in coming years.

The chief executive of Julian House, Helen Bedser, warned: “Our Manvers Street Hostel for rough sleepers is at risk from the council’s planned cuts.

“With our lease ending in August 2026, we are working with the council to find a replacement site, but funding is yet to be confirmed.

“Over the years, the hostel has supported thousands of vulnerable people. Last year alone, the service gave 116 people a safe place to live, recover from the trauma of rough sleeping and take their next steps towards independence and security.

“Our supported housing across B&NES offers our clients a crucial stepping stone on the route to their own home, with an expert and passionate staff team to provide them with traumainformed support.

“But this is also at risk from planned cuts, with no clear strategy for what will replace this provision if it goes.

“We know that the council’s budgets are tight and will likely continue to be so. But B&NES needs a long-term strategy and appropriate funding to tackle homelessness.”

Bath & North East Somerset Council had planned to cut

A “REMARKABLE” hoard of coins from around 1066 is set to find a permanent home in Somerset where they were found.

The hoard of 2,584 silver pennies was found by metal detectorists in the Chew Valley in 2019 and it is the highest value treasure find ever — valued at £4.3 million.

Coins from the hoard will go on display at the British Museum from 26th November and will tour museums in the UK, including Bath, before finding a permanent home at the Museum of Somerset.

The coins date from 1066 to about 1068, and are believed to have been buried for safekeeping during the chaos of the Norman conquest.

About half bear the face of Harold Godwinson and the other half bear the face of William the Conqueror.

The hoard contains twice as many coins of Harold Godwinson — England’s last Saxon king — than had ever been found before.

Three coins are “mules”, coins with a different king on each side, of which one depicts Edward the Confessor.

The Heritage Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “This remarkable hoard gives us unique insight into our country’s rich history and one of the most important moments in our history, when these islands were thrown into turmoil by the Norman Conquest.

“The Treasure Act 1996 ensures that these coins, dating back to 1066, will be displayed in museums across the UK before residing in Somerset, giving people from different regions the opportunity to see this extraordinary treasure, learn more about our past and protect this part of our heritage for future generations.”

Seven people discovered the

Local Democracy Reporter

Local Democracy Reporter

Helen Bedser, chief executive of Julian House | Photo © Julian House

£802,000 from funding it gives to charities when it set its budget for this year in February, but the cut was spread over the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years after local charities and people experiencing homelessness in Bath warned the cuts would be catastrophic.

Julian House was told in March it would not face cuts in the current year.

But charities warned in September they were not being involved in discussions about the cuts. Now Julian House is concerned where next year’s cuts could fall.

Ms Bedser said: “This is at a time when homelessness is on the rise in B&NES, with official figures showing rough sleeping increasing by 25% in 2023. Julian House delivers daily rough sleeper outreach with DHI, another vital local charity — and so far in 2024, the team has connected with 30-45 rough sleepers each month.

“These are some of the most vulnerable people in our community, let down by systems that should protect them and isolated from the support and services that most of us take for granted.”

Bath & North East Somerset Council’s cabinet member for built environment, housing and

sustainable development, Matt McCabe, said: “We value our third sector providers, including Julian House, however we are faced with the need to make some difficult savings while getting the best possible outcomes with the funding we have available.

“As a result we have had to undertake a very complex piece of commissioning work, very quickly, to be clear about the many existing contracts with many providers which include Julian House. We know this has caused concern and uncertainty for providers but we will be working with them to get the benefit of their expertise and the thoughts of their members in this next phase of our community services review which needs to make best use of the council’s limited resources.”

Last year, Michael Dixon, who slept rough for eight years on and off before a Julian House outreach team met him and brought him to the Manvers Street Hostel, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “This is a vital ground service that leads to a lot of other services. If services like this were cut, it could lead to people not getting services higher up.”

He added: “They shouldn’t be making cuts.

“They should be building more of these places.”

treasure while metal detecting in the Chew Valley area of Bath and North East Somerset on 26th January 2019.

They reported the find via the British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme.

The acquisition and associated engagement project were possible by a £4.4 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and £150,000 from Art Fund, alongside “smaller but vital grants” from the Friends of The Museum of Somerset and the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society.

Collections cared for by the South West Heritage Trust are permanently owned by Somerset Council.

Somerset Council leader Bill Revans said: “We are absolutely delighted to bring the Chew Valley Hoard to the people of Somerset. The county has a rich heritage and this acquisition will help bring history to life; residents and visitors will be able to engage with the hoard through learning activities and workshops.

“As a former history teacher, I am excited by the educational benefits that seeing the hoard in the Museum of Somerset will bring to generations of school children.

“We look forward to seeing this remarkable collection of coins inspire programming and participation in a variety of community spaces and welcoming the permanent display at the Museum of Somerset in Taunton.”

Harold Godwinson was crowned in 1066 but was famously killed later that year at the Battle of Hastings, where William the Conqueror invaded and began Norman rule of England.

William’s grandson Henry du Blois established Taunton’s Norman stone castle, which today houses the Museum of Somerset where the coins from the period of his grandfather’s conquest will soon be housed.

COLUMN | Councillor Kevin Guy, Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council

B

ATH is brimming with exciting activity this autumn.

The city was truly buzzing during half-term, with many residents taking advantage of Museums Week, a vibrant celebration of our local museums. It was great to see lots of families with young children exploring our city’s heritage sites. Parade Gardens and the Colonnades were an especially popular destination.

Our visitor economy received a wonderful boost following the launch of Michelin’s first Key Award celebrating excellence in the hotel sector. The award is the hotel equivalent to restaurant stars – and our area is absolutely smashing it, second only to

London, with the number of hotels achieving the accolade – well done to all those who work in this important sector.

In more good news, our city won the top prize at the coveted Britain in Bloom Awards run by the Royal Horticultural Society.

Bath was the overall winner of this prize when it was first held 60 years ago. I want to congratulate everyone in our community who contributed to this outstanding result, including B&NES Council’s Parks team who keep our treasured green spaces looking their best all year round.

Bath’s iconic Christmas market launches with the residents’ evening on Wednesday 27th November. It runs through

Sunday 15th December. This year’s market has the strongest focus yet on South West regional and local traders.

Poor digital connectivity is a problem in the city centre, especially when the city is packed for events. The council is running a pilot mobile network to improve reception and capacity and reduce a digital inequality gap. B&NES secured a £773,132 government grant to fund the 18-month scheme, called One Word, which will test a next generation 5G mobile network in the city centre. Anyone interested in taking part in the six-month testing period can apply on the council website at https://bit. ly/40slHP8

I visited volunteers at Weston Library, which has benefitted from £27,100 of community funding awarded by the council from its Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), to help with the library's refurbishment.

The levy is a planning charge on new developments, introduced by the Planning Act 2008. Since its introduction, many local community schemes, including parks and youth projects, have benefitted. Watch out for news of the next eight local projects to benefit from forthcoming funding totalling £325,000.

Giving people a bigger say is one of our priorities. We would like

your views on exciting new proposals to introduce four active travel routes to make getting around the city safer and easier without having to get into your car. The aim is to create more than 6.2km of cycling routes across Bath on advisory lanes, dedicated spaces and quiet routes as well as providing significant walking and wheeling improvements, such as upgraded crossings. The Bath Walking, Wheeling, Cycling Links consultation only takes 10 minutes to fill in and runs until 29th November. There are dropin events, and you can find out more on our website - https://bit. ly/3YKLq44

Issue 090

Your City, Your News - Bath Echo

Fire service trials use of vegetable oil as alternative to diesel for vehicles AVON Fire & Rescue Service hopes to significantly reduce its vehicle emissions following a successful trial to use vegetable oil as an alternative to diesel.

The trial, which used Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), was initiated by the Fleet, Technical Services and Environment teams at Avon Fire & Rescue Service (AF&RS), to explore potential environmental benefits and financial feasibility.

It involved running one of their workshop vehicles on HVO for 1,065 miles, with the technicians driving the vehicle not seeing a drop in performance.

Head of Transport & Technical Services, Matt Derrick, said: “In an era where environmental concerns and operational efficiency are at the forefront of everyone’s mind, emissions reductions have become a critical focus for us as an emergency service to assist in our sustainability targets.

“I’m pleased to see the success of this trial, as we’re keen to trial new methods to reduce our carbon footprint as a Service.

“We are looking forward to progressing with the use of HVO and other renewable energy sources and we are now rolling it out to some of our Euro 6 Volvo fire engines and also all Euro 6 ancillary vehicles, including cars and vans.”

HVO is a renewable fuel that can directly replace diesel in modern engines without needing any vehicle modifications.

One of its major benefits is that it produces

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Have Your Say...

Opinions & Letters

Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal 2024

First Bus is the Last Bus I’m getting

Dear Editor, At this time of year, especially, we remember all those who have died in the service of their country.

Volunteers at the Royal British Legion Poppy Depot are busy sorting out the wreaths, poppies, and collecting tins, ready for distribution.

They will also have a lot of additional products available in the poppy shop, at 4 Chapel Row, Bath, BA1 1HN (just off Queen Square), including crosses, the ever-popular pin badges (for 2024), wrist bands, clipon, dayglo poppies and items specially for children.

The shop will be open from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm every day, between 28th October and 9th November, and if you would like to help with the Appeal, perhaps by doing some street collecting, please drop in and ask for either Ian or Pearl.

Each year over 100,000 exservicemen and women, including their dependants, are helped by the Royal British Legion.

Although the survivors of the Second World War are fewer each year, the needs of those remaining increase.

It is important to remember that the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal also aids those who were involved in Korea, Malaya, Borneo, the Falklands, the Gulf, Northern Ireland, the Balkans,

Dear Editor, I'm sure many people in Bath take issue with the morals and practice of how First Bus runs its business here in our beautiful city, so I don’t have to tell you twice all of the ways that the company falls short. One thing I know for certain is that Bath Spa University students have had enough.

Since the 28th of July 2024, bus prices have risen across the South West and this has particularly impacted students and those with low income. Where student tickets used to have a 20% discount, they now have a 10% discount, which makes single tickets £1.80. While this isn't such a dramatic change, First Bus has been discreetly making changes to how and where these students can actually buy these tickets.

Students are now prevented from buying discounted tickets from a driver on a bus and are refused refunds for any Tap On, Tap Off tickets they decide to purchase. These underhand techniques force students to use the app where they are still afforded a deduction, but this often comes with hidden charges or regular fines of £1 that are never refunded, and many Bath students are starting to wonder how long it will be before First Bus removes this option as well.

Adult single tickets are now £2, which is also the common charge students are receiving,

Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Dedication of the Field of Remembrance will be held on Sunday 3rd November at 2.00 pm, in the Abbey Church Yard The Remembrance Sunday Wreath Laying Ceremony will be held at the City's War Memorial, Royal Victoria Park, on 10th November at 11.00 am.

In the afternoon the Royal British Legion Parade will march past the Guildhall at 1.29 pm and a Service will be held at Bath Abbey at 2.00 pm. (No tickets necessary).

On Armistice Day, Monday 11th November at 11.00 am, a short Service being held in the Abbey Church Yard. A Bugler will mark the start and finish of the two minutes' silence to remember those who have died in the service of their country.

Standard Bearers from the Royal British Legion will be located there, generally the area where people gather to join in this act of remembrance.

I would like to personally thank all the volunteers who give their time and efforts, which are so vital to the success of the Poppy Appeal.

Councillor Michelle O'Doherty Mayor of Bath You can donate to this year's Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal by visiting their website at: https://bit.ly/3YJcqkE

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods Dear Editor, I find Mary Allan’s comments (Iss. 089, P3) of Sydney Place a tad arrogant and misplaced. Like it or not the majority of us need to use some form of motorised transport but there is a view that there is far too much cherry picking by the Transport Committee here in

Bath in its approach to the LTN. There appears to be no overall strategy, resulting in a piecemeal approach which favours the few at the expense of many.

We continue to have almost Kafkaesque proposals from, I presume the same committee who proposed the fiasco over

North Road. Bath & North East Somerset Council must stop working in a vacuum, listen to its residents and come up with a top-down LTN strategy which is fair, practical and in the interest of those who live here.

Harry Doodson Bath

and while this cost is not much higher than the student prices, it has impacted students greatly.

With the removal of the return ticket in the South West, and subsequent increase of the day ticket from £3.60 to £5.40 and monthly tickets from £67.10 to £75.42 in July, students are finding it increasingly difficult to head to lectures and seminars as the cost of everything rises.

The average student in Bath is expected to pay between £800 and £1,500 on rent and bills every month, just to have somewhere to live. Added to this is the rise in food prices, transport costs and nights out, leaving many students deciding that they would rather stay in than experience university life. Students in Bath can earn anywhere between £8 to £13 an hour so taking this into account, a student would have to work between 100 to 188 hours a month to afford rent alone. That is 25 to 46.8 hours every week.

The University of London states that during a "seven day period starting on a Monday and ending on a Sunday" students should work no more than 20 hours a week. Maintenance loans have also stayed stagnant despite the rising costs and in some cases have also decreased providing students with no government assistance in this difficult time.

So while the increase in price may not affect many of the working population, students are struggling.

Students of Bath Spa University have been campaigning for the last year to increase the standard of the First Bus service after there have been 2 bus crashes in the last 18 months, leaving them without double-deckers.

First Bus has substituted these four double deckers on the U5 route with five single deckers with one additional bus at peak times. Clearly, this is an undersubscription for what they should receive. This carelessness has led to injuries and health concerns with students standing on overcrowded buses or being late to seminars when buses haven’t shown up. First Bus has also dismissed their environmental concerns and the students’ open letter directly addressing all of their flaws.

When interviewed, one First Bus employee stated that “it's only a short journey, so it doesn’t matter if people are standing” which not only ignores the sometimes hour or two wait for the bus but also ignores students with physical disabilities and shows a complete lack of empathy to students. Drivers have also been seen making light of and joking about the two Twerton Bridge crashes. All of this points to the greediness of the multi-millionpound company.

But these issues don’t just affect students, as many parents, disabled and elderly people are also feeling the effects of First Bus decisions. The rise in prices of tickets is directly targeting those who are the most vulnerable in society. First Bus as a company made £83.6 million in profit during the 2024 financial year.

During this time when everyone is struggling with the rising cost of living, First Bus is starting to show just how selfish those in control really are, and we are all left to deal with the consequences.

A Struggling Student Bath

To submit your letter, you can either email it to us via letters@bathecho.co.uk or pop it in the post to: Letters, Bath Echo, PO Box 5395, Bath, BA1 0YA

HMO planned at St Michael’s Surgery Dear Editor, I have a lot of history of the background of Twerton doctors' surgery, I worked for Doctor Donald Pilton in the early 1970s when he first became a doctor, he had a small practice in the front room of Hope Cottage, that soon became too small, an annexe in his front garden was then used to accommodate his growing patient list, then that also became too small.

Twerton was growing fast with a lot of new housing developments.

Doctor Pilton acquired the land at the side of our house, after selling his land at the back of Hope Cottage for a housing development.

Dr Pilton wanted local people to have a nice surgery, not travelling

too far. He had visions of building a health centre, that was when the first middle section was built, I was still working there. After that, a three-storey extension, built at the rear, where he had special clinics, and further office space.

Although he was a doctor, he was also a business man; he had so many patients, he then acquired The Beehive at the top of The Hollow, that was his next venture for his patients in Upper Twerton and Southdown.

He knew that Twerton also badly needed a NHS dentist, so that was built next in 1983. The dentist had the ground floor and doctors' staff had offices on the first floor. Later dentists had the whole building. This is the

St Michael’s Surgery at Walwyn Way in Twerton

building that the present doctors want to turn into a HMO, right next to our house. Our boundary has now become the south wall, as the previous boundary fence

was removed when it was built, also built on a public right of way.

We were assured it would only be used during office hours; it is not suitable for students or any

other living arrangements, so we have objected. We were told it's not personal it's business, but it is very personal to us as it will have such an impact on our daily lives.

Until recently I was the key holder being called out when alarms were activated, now we are nobody.

There is ample student accommodation all along Lower Bristol Road. The Brook has just opened, and another block is being built.

Now the dental surgery is vacant, the present doctors no longer want it. What has happened to the NHS? Surely there is some other use for this building.

Now that Doctor Pilton has passed away, the current doctors want to turn his visions into a HMO.

Valerie Miklos Walwyn Close, Bath

Issue 090

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Pupil referral unit is More student accommodation proposed on the Lower Bristol Road ‘transforming lives’ Becky Feather Reporter

PLANS to convert purpose-built offices on the Lower Bristol Road in Bath into student accommodation have been submitted to Bath & North East Somerset Council.

Eagle One Estates Ltd is behind the plans to create up to 34 bedrooms at Berkeley House, which forms part of a group of buildings known as The Square.

A planning statement submitted with the application says that the building is currently occupied

by BMT which will be vacating due to its intended relocation to recently completed floorspace within Bath Quays South.

The statement says: “The site occupies a highly accessible location close to the city centre core and is well positioned to serve the requirements of both of the city’s universities.

“It is situated in a transport corridor in an area of mixed uses comprising commercial and, increasingly, residential

uses, including student accommodation.

“It is also in an area of transition given the recent redevelopment of the land and buildings on the north side of the Lower Bristol Road as part of the Bath Quays South project (for predominantly office accommodation/managed workspace with a separate, as yet to be implemented residential consent), the redevelopment of the former Pickfords site to the east for provide student accommodation (Aquila Court), and the conversion of the adjacent building, Marr House, to residential accommodation.”

There are currently 22 car parking spaces in the courtyard. This will be reduced to 21 spaces to provide operational and accessible parking, with the residual 17 spaces available for occupiers of the accommodation.

Secure storage for 24 bicycles is also proposed.

An accompanying report written by a partner at property consultants Carter Jonas considers that “Berkeley House is not strategically important office

accommodation for Bath”.

The report adds: “It has reached a state of natural obsolescence for its existing use, in common with similar office buildings across the country.

“The nature of the property’s built form severely limits the ability to adapt to meet modern office standards.”

The report adds: “In 35 years I have never worked in such a poor market for offices. It is not hard to understand why an investor such as Eagle One is reluctant to invest in this sector as financially it does not make sense.”

The property would be run by an experienced, dedicated student accommodation management company.

The planning reference is 24/03730/FUL. The deadline for comments is 21st November.

Winners of this year’s Fireworks Safety Poster competition revealed THIS year’s Fireworks Safety Poster competition saw entries from children at 34 schools across the Bath area, it has been revealed.

The competition, which is sponsored by Bath Building Society and supported by The Rotary Club of Bath, is held annually to help youngsters learn about the dangers of fireworks.

The posters were judged on their safety message and artistic merit.

The judges for this year’s competition were Councillor Michelle O’Doherty (Mayor of Bath), Meghann Elvin (Children & Young Persons Manager from Avon Fire & Rescue), Emma Grist (Intervention Facilitator, Avon Fire & Rescue), Paul Suchley (The Rotary Club of Bath) and Richard Ingle and Tiffany Hardie-Albutt from Bath Building Society.

The winners of the five categories were given a money voucher to open a Bath Building Society Account, an art set and a Bath Building Society goody bag.

The winners were: Age 4-5 Group: • Rosie Collins – Weston All Saints Primary School • Bilal Hammad – Widcombe Infants School • Millie Prior-Bennett – Combe

OFSTED has praised the work of pupil referral unit St Matthias Academy, which has a site at Rush Hill in Bath.

The 56-pupil academy, which also has sites in Bristol - at Alexandra Park in Fishponds and Machin Road in Brentry – was visited by a team of four inspectors last month.

From September 2024, schools are not given an overall effectiveness grade but the Ofsted inspectors said that during their visit the academy was good in terms of quality of education, leadership and management, pupils’ behaviour and attitudes and personal development.

In March 2022 the academy was told by the education watchdog that it needed to improve. The following year it was taken over by the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership.

Both the Fishponds and Rush Hill sites serve Key Stages 3 and 4 while Brentry caters for Key Stage 3.

The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) at

the academy is well above the national figure.

The proportion of pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding is also well above the national figure.

In their report the inspectors said: “Many pupils come to St Matthias Academy with negative experiences of education.

However, the school swiftly transforms their attitudes, enabling them to engage with learning successfully. Pupils are very positive about the personalised support they receive from staff, particularly when they feel anxious. They feel safe and well cared for.”

Pupils are said to be “kind, empathetic and respectful to others”. They learn how to interact successfully with their peers and adults and how to manage their emotional responses.

They also learn a range of subjects well. Those with SEND “thrive” through bespoke support for their social and emotional needs.

The academy is said to have “high expectations and aspirations for pupils”.

HALLOWEEN POSTER COMPETITION

Emma Davis with Benz Richards | Photo © Bath Building Society

Down Primary School Age 6-7 Group: • Ana Blaylock De Oliveira – St Philip's Primary School • Jagan Krishnan – Oldfield Park Junior School • Kit Fitzpatrick – St Stephen's Church School Age 8-9 Group: • Benz Richards – Combe Down Primary School • Alexia Mawby – Kings Edward's Junior School • Izzy Willis – Weston All Saints Primary School Age 10+ Group: • Mia Perdicchia – St Philip's Primary School • Arlow Rees – St Philip's Primary

School • Barney Day – Weston All Saints Primary School Special Schools Group: • Charlie Awramenko – Three Ways School • Harley Johnson-King – Three Ways School • Kaylum Rawlings – Three Ways School The overall winner of the competition was Benz Richards from Combe Down Primary School.

The annual city centre fireworks display will take place on Saturday 2nd November at The Recreation Ground, organised by The Rotary Club of Bath.

Our congratulations to Rosie Gaze from Keynsham who won the £25 voucher in our recent Halloween poster competition. Well done!

Don't forget to tell our advertisers that you saw them in the Bath Echo newspaper

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Friday 1st November - Thursday 14th November 2024

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Health New Joint CEO appointed for hospital trusts across the region CARA Charles-Barks has been announced as the Joint Chief Executive Officer of the Royal United Hospitals Bath, Great Western Hospitals and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trusts.

The appointment follows a decision by the boards of each of the three NHS Trusts earlier this year to establish a group model that will deliver better outcomes for people across the region.

Ms Charles-Barks, who will be in post from Friday 1st November, has worked in the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire health system for eight years, having been Chief Executive at Salisbury and the RUH. She said: “I am delighted to have been appointed Joint Chief Executive Officer of the three Trusts in Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire at this pivotal moment in the NHS’ history.

“As three trusts we now have the opportunity to learn together, to tackle inequalities in access to services, to work together to remove barriers to good health and provide improved health outcomes for all our communities.”

Sue Harriman, Chief Executive of Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board (BSW ICB), said:

Cara Charles-Barks | Photo © RUH

“Cara’s appointment is excellent news for our three hardworking acute hospitals and our wider health and care system.

“True collaboration adds real value to patient care and all three hospital trusts have a unique role to play in strengthening the support that local people and communities count on at every stage of their lives.

“Under Cara’s expert leadership, our hospitals will be stronger together and I look forward to seeing the benefits of these new arrangements over the coming years.”

The collaboration between the NHS trusts will see all three remain as separate organisations with dedicated executive teams

and boards.

Ms Charles-Barks qualified as a Registered Nurse in 1990 in Australia. She has 30 years’ experience in the public and private health care sector and has been named as one of the NHS’s top 50 Chief Executives five times.

She has been the Chief Executive Officer of the RUH since September 2020. Before that, she was CEO at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, during which time she received an MBE as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours for her leadership during the Novichok incident.

In June 2019, she was appointed Honorary Colonel of 243 Multirole Medical Regiment, part of the Army Medical Services.

Extra support offered for patients undergoing joint surgery EXTRA support is being offered to patients having major joint surgery thanks to a new initiative at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

The team from the hospital’s Philip Yeoman Ward has created a two-hour fortnightly ‘joint school’ for people having hip and knee replacements to learn more before their operation.

Up to 15 people per week, plus a friend or relative each, get the chance to meet the team and find out what they can do to prepare, so they can return home after the surgery more quickly and make a faster, stronger recovery.

With the right support in place, many patients can even go home the same day.

Senior Sister Nicola Martin said: “Surgery like a hip or knee replacement can feel really daunting, and we know that people often have questions.

“So, as a team we decided to set something up to give patients the support they need, in the format that they’d like it.

“The sessions are proving really popular and we’re hearing fantastic feedback. It feels good

to be able to put people’s minds at rest, and ultimately help people to take control of their own recovery using our simple tips and guidance.

“Topics include things people can do in advance at home so they’re comfortable when they leave hospital, what happens during anaesthesia, the options for pain relief, and important exercises – the ultimate goal is that people go home feeling really informed and reassured.”

The RUH carries out around 20 hip replacements and 20 knee replacements each month, and all non-emergency patients are invited to the joint school sessions.

If they can’t attend, the team will arrange a phone call instead, to share the key information and answer any questions.

Representatives from the Philip Yeoman team are involved in the classes including doctors, nurses and healthcare support workers, administration colleagues, and physiotherapists and occupational therapists.

The venue for the sessions has been funded by hospital charity

Friends of the RUH. The team’s top pre-surgery tips include practising simple leg exercises twice a day, following a healthy diet, and planning ahead by stocking the freezer with meals and decluttering the home to remove trip hazards.

After surgery, the team recommends using pain relief to help exercise and movement, eating and drinking well, and making sure to attend post-op check-ups.

RUH Chief Nursing Officer Toni Lynch said: “Listening to how we can support patients in all aspects of their care is of upmost importance.

“We know that when we get that right, that actually helps our patients make the best possible recovery.

“The joint school is a great example of responding to what really matters to the people we care for, and I’m really proud of the team for taking the initiative to introduce it.”

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Healthcare heroes celebrated at annual awards ceremony

Simon Milner, Cara Charles-Barks, Alison Ryan and Paul Doyle Photo © Sulis Hospital / RUH Bath

LOCAL healthcare heroes have been celebrated for their work during an annual awards ceremony for staff at the Sulis Hospital near Bath.

The awards, held on Saturday 5th October, celebrated those who have gone above and beyond in their roles and their achievements and dedication to supporting healthcare for the local community.

The special evening acknowledged those who were working at the hospital when it first opened its doors to patients in March 2010 as well as those who received the most staff recognition awards in the last 12 months.

The ceremony also included a category for team members to nominate colleagues for Special Recognition Departmental Awards.

In a testament to the culture at the hospital, heartfelt and inspirational nominations from colleagues were made.

Over 30 of these awards were given across departments, with recipients such as: • Helen from Cardiology, who “always puts her patients first and is always very helpful and supportive.”

• Rasa from Endoscopy, who “provides amazing support and knowledge, mentors new members of staff and is a great team player.”

• Michaela from Hospitality, who “is always smiling and caring for all the patients who walk through our doors. She has been called inspirational by many members of the team.”

A 2024 staff survey revealed that Sulis has built a strong foundation of trust and compassionate leadership within its culture.

“The strong camaraderie in the team makes it a very happy place to work,” said one member of staff, while over three-quarters would recommend Sulis as a great place to work.

The evening was attended by senior leadership from Sulis Hospital, Royal United Hospitals Bath and the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire

Integrated Care Board.

The event also featured a charity raffle, raising £655 for local hospice charity Dorothy House.

Simon Milner, Hospital Director, said: “People are the bedrock of hospitals like Sulis.

“It is their skill, commitment and compassion that drives the delivery of exceptional care, and which ensures patients are put first. Initiatives like this are important pillars of recognition for the amazing work these teams do, from clinical leads and pharmacists to hospitality staff and porters.

“I want to emphasise that our team members are all brilliant and everyone equally contributes to the success of our organisation.

“We are incredibly proud of the work our teams have done not just within Sulis, but in supporting the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Trust as well.

“As part of the RUH family, we’ve been able to help increase capacity and improve NHS patients’ access to high-quality care.”

Carol Furnell, who won the Business Development team award, said: “It’s an honour to be recognised in this way. Working at Sulis Hospital is a rewarding experience and being part of such a supportive and dedicated team makes it even better.

“Knowing that our work has a direct impact on people in our local community truly is the cherry on top. It makes me incredibly proud to be part of this organisation.”

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Issue 090

P17

Your City, Your News - Bath Echo

Business Entrepreneurs win go-ahead to revamp historic Combe Down pub

SouthGate Bath’s floral displays recognised

This summer’s display at the shopping centre | Photos © SouthGate Bath

The King William IV pub in Combe Down

Becky Feather Reporter

A COUPLE with an impressive track record of transforming pubs have won permission to breathe new life into the vacant Grade II listed King William IV at Combe Down.

New owners Amanda and Charlie Digney applied to Bath & North East Somerset Council for planning permission and listed building consent for a singlestorey rear extension, to convert outbuildings to accommodation, and to carry out refurbishments and landscaping works.

The application said the works were considered necessary to avoid the same fate suffered by so many pubs which are either falling into disrepair or are being converted into housing.

There will be less space for

vehicles but the new parking area is designed to be predominantly used by either disabled guests or those using the bedroom accommodation. As the pub is in a sustainable location, visitors will be encouraged to travel on foot or by bike.

The King William IV, which has been closed for some time, was built in the 1830s as part of the original Combe Down Brewery Company.

In a statement submitted with the application, the Digneys outlined how they have successfully turned around failing local pubs including the King William on Thomas Street, The Garrick’s Head and The Oakhill Inn near Radstock.

The couple said they had bought the King William IV at Combe Down “because we can see the potential that this majestic building has and we are

passionate about good quality, well-run pubs”.

The couple said their plans will ensure it becomes “a viable, thriving business that the village of Combe Down will be proud of”.

The council received 18 comments of support for the proposals, which highlighted the economic and social benefits.

There were also two objections with concerns which included parking.

Council planning officers said the benefits of the development would outweigh the less than substantial harm to the listed building including as a result of alterations to accommodate a pizza oven, said by the applicants to be “integral” to the business.

Ecology conditions are attached to the planning permission requiring a sensitive lighting scheme to avoid harm to bat activity and other wildlife.

THE SouthGate Bath shopping centre has been recognised with two awards at this year’s South West in Bloom competition.

Part of Britain in Bloom, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, South West in Bloom awarded SouthGate Bath with a Gold Award in the Business, Leisure and Tourism category and a Silver Award in the Denise James Art in Landscape Award.

The awards were given in recognition of the centre’s floral displays, with hanging baskets of flowers and succulents overarching the streets in the city centre.

This year the centre partnered with local charity St John’s Foundation, one of the country’s oldest charities, to create a floral arch, with shoppers given the chance to snap a selfie and make a donation to the charity.

SouthGate’s display was also enhanced with a phone box decorated by world-famous artist Mr Doodle, which has since been filled with flower boxes.

South West in Bloom celebrates communities which have used the planting of trees, shrubs, flowers and landscaping, conservation and recycling projects, to improve and regenerate local environments and neighbourhoods.

Guy Henderson, centre director at SouthGate Bath, said: “It’s fantastic to be recognised for the hard work our teams put into making the centre look great for our customers.

“This year, we’re particularly proud that through our flower and plant displays we’ve been able to support the local community through our partnership with St John’s Foundation.”

Café-takeaway on Westgate Street gets planning approval Becky Feather Reporter

A NEW café-takeaway called Frites Caesar looks set to open in the city centre.

An application for changes including a new shopfront at 27 Westgate Street – previously Thyme Deli – was submitted to Bath & North East Somerset Council in the summer.

Applicant ATA International Trade and Consultancy Ltd said the aim was to give a “more modern frontage to reflect the branding of the new operators of the café”.

Council planners said that the initially submitted plans for the Grade II listed building were for a fascia sign to match the size and

material of the existing one, with a large logo and lettering to the centre.

However, it was noted that the existing sign “does not appear to have consent”.

The planners said: “The shopfront was proposed to feature twopanelled glazing with steel framing and wooden pillars to the side and infill panels to the bottom. The sign was not appropriate in terms of material and size, and the shopfront proportions looked incongruous.

“The scheme was recommended to be revised to incorporate a more traditional and sympathetic design.

“Following revisions, the new fascia sign and lettering have been reduced in size and will be made of timber with timber

moulding framing.

“The logo ‘Frites Caesar’ will be a vinyl sticker of appropriate size and colour placed in the centre of the fascia. The shopfront will feature three-panelled glazing with timber mullion and wood panels to the bottom and side pillars.”

While planning officers said the trading area fit-out already undertaken could remain in place, they attached a condition to the planning approval to remove the extraction system and suspended ceiling, both of which had previously been installed without consent, once they are no longer required.

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The former Thyme Deli premises on Westgate Street

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Friday 1st November - Thursday 14th November 2024

Politics

Public Notices

Controversial parking charge plans watered down following public outcry John Wimperis

Local Democracy Reporter

PLANS to end free parking in Midsomer Norton and Radstock have been watered down after a public outcry, and plans to charge motorbikes and scooters to park have been scrapped altogether.

Bath & North East Somerset Council announced last December that it was planning to roll-out emissions-based parking charges, like in Bath, to the free car parks in Midsomer Norton and Radstock and make motorbikes pay for parking too.

But Midsomer Norton locals warned it would “kill the town” and local councillor Shaun Hughes (Midsomer Norton North, Independent) called the charges “a tax on the poor”.

Now the council has said that the charges will come into force in January 2025 but that changes have been made following public feedback.

Charges for Midsomer Norton and Radstock’s currently free car parks will be lower than what had been proposed, and people will be able to park for free for two hours.

Plans to charge motorbikes for parking have also been dropped.

Members of the Motorcycle Action Group had ridden to the district to warn the council that the charges would be “disproportionate” and would see them pay more to park than some more polluting cars.

But the council plans on looking again at charging motorbikes

Parking charges will be based on vehicle emissions

through a separate consultation in future.

The roll-out of emissions-based charges and price increases to council-owned car parks in Bath, Keynsham, and Saltford will happen throughout November.

The roll-out to on-street paid parking locations in Bath will happen in January 2025.

Councillor Manda Rigby, the council’s cabinet member for highways, said: “We’ve had great feedback from our consultation, and I’d like to thank all those that took the time to share their views with us.

“We’ve listened and made changes to what was originally put forward and will now introduce two hours' free parking in Midsomer Norton and Radstock car parks with a reduced tariff for longer stays.

“Currently there will be no parking charges for motorbikes.

These changes reflect our policy and also show we listen and adapt

proposals in light of feedback, and do not have a one size fits all mentality when it comes to the implementation of our schemes.”

Parking at Midsomer Norton’s South Road car park and the Church Street and Waterloo Road car parks in Radstock will cost 10p less than parking in Keynsham. Three hours parking will cost between £1.20 and £1.80, depending on how polluting your vehicle is.

You do not need to know your vehicle’s emissions to park. Pay and display machines look up a vehicle’s emissions from the DVLA and charge based on how much carbon is emitted or, if this information is not available, the capacity of the engine.

Emissions-based parking was first introduced in car parks in Bath in September 2023, intending to tackle air quality issues in the city.

Despite the changes to the plan, Councillor Hughes said the

council were still “not listening”.

He said: “The public have made it clear. Over 4,000 responses that they don’t want the parking changes — it will damage the town — and they have just ignored it.”

4,322 people responded to the council’s consultation on the parking charges, as well as two signed petitions.

80% of respondents said they were opposed to rolling out emissions-based parking charges to all council paid-for parking.

The highest levels of opposition were for parking charges to be rolled out to the free car parks in Midsomer Norton and Radstock, where 82% and 80% respectively of respondents were opposed to charges being introduced. Just 7% supported it in the towns' car parks. Other proposals faced less opposition. Only 55% of people said they were opposed to motorbikes being charged to park, while 22% were in favour of the move.

77% of respondents expressed concerns about air quality and its impact on health, while 58% felt it important to tackle and improve air quality. Councillor Rigby added: “Air quality in Bath and North East Somerset is improving, we know it’s a concern for people living here and the changes we’re making to parking charges is another step to improve further.

“While targets and legal levels exist for air pollution, there is no safe limit. We want to reduce congestion, change behaviours and encourage more sustainable ways to travel.”

NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF PREMISES LICENCE UNDER THE LICENSING ACT 2003 Darren Wilkinson applied to Bath & North East Somerset Council on 19 October 2024 for a licence to use the premises at: Vintage Bar mobile unit, Bath Christmas Market – Stall Street Bath for the sale of alcohol; Sunday to Wednesday 10:00 – 20:00 and Thursday to Saturday 10:00 – 21:00 for consumption on the premises.

Notification of the application made to the Licensing Authority is available on a register at www.bathnes.gov.uk/licensingregister.

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 16th November 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: 01/11/2024

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COLUMN | Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath

T

HIS month brings with it a time to reflect and show gratitude to those who have come before us.

With Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday around the corner, I will be paying tribute to the many valiant Bath veterans who fought for our country and have shaped our lives today.

This year, I’m planting a cross in the Westminster Garden of Remembrance to honour the 815 Naval Air Squadron, led by Commander James Woods at RNAS Yeovilton, and mark the squadron’s bravery in the Battle of Taranto in 1940.

James is an outstanding Bath resident whose unit was recently awarded the Australia Shield.

I also look forward to boarding GWR’s ‘Poppies to Paddington’

train to lay Remembrance wreaths at the war memorial in Paddington Station.

We must never forget the ultimate sacrifice so many have made for our lives today. While we remember the hope brought by the agreement to stop fighting on Armistice Day over a hundred years ago, we must keep in mind all those lost in ongoing conflicts across the globe.

Our incredible NHS services and hardworking staff also deserve our gratitude for showing so much resilience despite years of neglect and mismanagement at the hands of the Conservatives.

Following the Chancellor’s Budget this week, I am sure many of us in Bath will be considering how the new measures will impact our day to day. Prior to

the announcement, I demanded that the NHS be ‘winterproofed’ to put an end to the annual winter crises in the health service. So far this year, there have been over 4,000 waits in Bath’s A&Es where patients waited for over 12 hours to be seen. That’s why I called on the government to launch a ring-fenced fund of £1.5 billion to build resilience in hospital wards, A&E departments, ambulance services and patient discharging.

The past month has been filled with inspiring visits in and around Bath to wonderful local businesses. I recently dropped in to the Huntsman, one of our city’s most famous pubs, to meet the team and celebrate their work supporting people to kickstart their careers through the Fuller’s apprenticeship scheme.

Nearly 200 people have completed the scheme with Fuller’s since their programme began in 2016. This has been especially important in Bath as we have seen the number of people starting apprenticeships drop in recent years.

It’s fantastic that these schemes are available to support people in developing the skills for the future and preparing them for successful careers.

I’m passionate about ensuring people thrive at work – it’s something I pushed the previous government to deliver on for many years.

This past month was no different as October saw my Worker Protection Act come into effect to

create safer working environments for employees and stronger protections against sexual harassment at work. The Act requires employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment against their employees in the course of their employment.

I was also pleased to see that the current government proposed measures in their Employment Rights Bill last month to make these protections even stronger, as I suggested in my original Worker Protection Bill.

I will continue to hold them to account on their promise to workers until we stamp out sexual harassment in the workplace once and for all.

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Tributes paid to former improvements at councillor and mayor Safety accommodation

Councillor Rob Appleyard | Photo © Bath and NE Somerset Lib Dems

TRIBUTES have been paid to former councillor and Mayor of Bath Rob Appleyard, who has passed away.

Mr Appleyard, who was 72, was made an Honorary Alderman in 2023 and first served as a councillor on Bath & North East Somerset Council for Westfield and then for Lambridge between 2007 and 2023. He was the Chair of Council in 2012/2013, and served as cabinet member for adult services in 2019 to 2021.

He was Mayor of Bath in 2022/23 and also worked with a range of other bodies including the Planning and Licensing Committees and the Avon

Pension Fund.

Paying tribute, the leader of B&NES Council, Councillor Kevin Guy, said: “Rob served the council and our community with great passion, commitment and common sense and was known for his work in advocating for the elderly and vulnerable.

“He also worked closely on local community projects and his efforts significantly improved the lives of many residents.

“Our thoughts and condolences go to Rob’s family and friends. He will be greatly missed.”

A minute’s silence to pay respects will be held at a council meeting on 21st November.

Changes to cladding and insulation to improve safety at two student accommodation sites in the city are proposed.

The application for Widcombe Wharf at Widcombe Road has been submitted to Bath & North East Somerset Council by SPA Students 1. Similar proposals for Canal Bridge at Pulteney Road have been lodged by SPA Students 2. The plans involve removing timber planks and frames and replacing them with cement-based boards of a similar colour and pattern.

Cavity fire barriers will be installed where necessary. Combustible PIR insulation will removed and replaced with non-combustible mineral wool insulation. The planning reference for Widcombe Wharf it is 24/03801/FUL and for Canal Wharf 24/03802/FUL. The deadline for comments is 21st November.

Six-bed HMO approved Plans to build a single-storey rear extension at a property in Whiteway and change the use to a six-bed house in multiple

Planning Round-up occupation (HMO) have been approved.

B&NES Council planners said the proposed extension at 39 Garrick Road is “modest”, there is parking for two cars, and adequate space for bike and bin storage. The council keeps a register of HMOs as a cumulative impact can impact a neighbourhood. In this case officers said the conversion to an HMO would not result in 'sandwiching' between other HMO certified properties, and data showed it will result in 11 of 122 properties within a 100-metre radius being HMOs, just under the 10% threshold.

Conversion go-ahead A planning application to turn a boutique bed and breakfast hotel in Widcombe into a private house has been approved. The change of use is for Brindleys at 14 Pulteney Gardens. The six-bed family-run hotel has been operated by the current owner for the past seven years. The application to B&NES Council said no changes would be required to convert the B&B. The existing site has off-street parking for one vehicle and a condition of the planning

approval is that secure storage for at least four bicycles will be provided in the paved courtyard.

Solar scheme at farm Plans for a small-scale renewable energy project at Chelscombe Farm at Fonthill Road, Lansdown, are being considered by B&NES Council. The plans involve installing two rows of solar panels, each nine metres and two metres wide. The application says the environmental benefits are sufficient to outweigh the limited harm that would be caused to the openness of the Green Belt.

The planning reference is 24/02589/FUL. Anyone wishing to comment has until 21st November.

Office plan for City Farm B&NES Council is being asked to approve a planning application for a new office at Bath City Farm at Kelston View at Whiteway.

The office will have a ‘green roof’ to increase biodiversity net gain. The plans also include landscaping. The reference is 24/03999/FUL. The deadline for comments is 15th November.

COLUMN | Dan Norris, Labour MP & Mayor of the West of England

I

RECENTLY joined the Prime Minister and other regional leaders in the first meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions up in Edinburgh.

While the name may sound a little grand, it’s in reality an important step towards a more equal relationship between national government, the devolved parliaments, and regional mayors.

And by working together, we can unlock much more of the great potential we have in the West of England.

That’s why as mayors we have committed to producing Local Growth Plans, which will identify what we need from central government to help us tackle

challenges around transport, housing, and skills.

This Plan will show the way to greater economic growth.

Alongside that, a new era of genuine partnership working with Westminster will see regional mayors given further powers to further deliver for our communities.

Central to delivering that Growth Plan is bringing investment into the region. I was proud to show off the West of England to investors from around the world at the Prime Minister’s International Investment Summit, showcasing our existing strengths and the enormous potential we have here.

In the West of England, we

already have a strong record of delivering investment to create better infrastructure and public services.

Just in the last few weeks, the second new railway station in 100 years has opened at Ashley Down.

Since being elected Mayor, I have been working to deliver our very own “reverse-Beeching”, opening new stations for the first time since those disastrous rail cuts back in the 1960s.

Now two new stations have opened in the last year and there are more planned, including at Henbury and North Filton, and I hope, at Saltford.

Now, in Ashley Down, thousands of residents are closer to a train station that at any time

since before Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. With it, there are now more sustainable travel options to get into the centre of Bristol.

I have always believed that if you give people affordable and reliable public transport options, they will take them up.

Good transport infrastructure is also crucial to delivering business investment and these new stations will support our ambitions in this area.

But we also know that, even as we invest in securing growth, we also must transition to a greener and more sustainable economy.

That is why my Mayoral Combined

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The West of England is going from strength to strength, and a new partnership with national government will help us deliver even more in the future.

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Sport

Upcoming Fixtures

Paralympic coach becomes head of rowing TEAM GB Rowing Paralympic coach Nick Baker has joined Monkton Combe School.

After 11 years with the Paralympic programme, directly coaching crews to six World titles, two World Championship Silvers, a World Championship Bronze, four Paralympic Golds and a Paralympic Bronze, Nick has been announced as the school’s new head of rowing.

He leaves Team GB as the most successful Paralympic coach since its inclusion in the 2008 Paralympic Games. He led the 2024 squad to the best Paralympic results by any nation in that period.

Richard Miller, director of sport at Monkton, said: “Nick’s stellar

Nick Baker was a Team GB coach | Photo © Ben Tufnell / British Rowing

reputation and experience at the highest level of competition, combined with his passion for

developing athletes, makes him an outstanding addition to our rowing programme and a great fit

for Monkton’s ethos.”

The school says Nick’s dedication to high performance and his ability to nurture talent, no matter the starting point, aligns perfectly with Monkton’s vision for fostering excellence in both sports and character.

His arrival signals an “exciting new chapter” for Monkton Rowing and the school says it is eager to see where his leadership takes them, from success in national competitions to continued personal growth for each team member.

Nick Baker said: “I’m really excited to see what I can do with the club in the years to come and really can’t wait to join what seems like a brilliant community.”

Lansdown club appoints new general manager LANSDOWN Tennis, Squash & Croquet Club has appointed Stephanie Bryan as its new general manager.

Stephanie joins from the University of Bath’s Department of Sports Development & Recreation (Team Bath) where she has worked for the last two years as marketing and communications manager.

Having started her career in London with a global communications agency and in television, Stephanie then relocated to Bath and has worked within independent education and hospitality, representing The Bath Priory and Gidleigh Park hotels.

She is also a keen tennis player and has had experience working as a volunteer over many years at her local tennis club.

Chair of the Lansdown Club, John Higgins, said: ‘‘We have

ambitious plans for our club; improving the playing and social facilities, having a better offer for members and a more professional approach to our operations.

“Stephanie’s appointment is central to those plans and I’m delighted to welcome her to the team.’’

Stephanie said: ‘‘I’m proud to be joining Lansdown Tennis, Squash & Croquet Club. I’m familiar with Lansdown and its rich history, and it’s a really exciting time to be joining as we look to the future and the opportunities which are open to us.

“There are some fantastic facilities here and the clubroom, which is at the heart of the club, is a great place to relax and socialise before or after a match.

“Lansdown is widely regarded as Bath’s premier private members’ club and I can’t wait to get to

Bath City FC Sunday 3rd November – 2pm Bath City (W) v Purton (Away) League Tuesday 5th November – 7.45pm Bath City v Slough Town (Away) League Saturday 9th November – 3pm Bath City v Weston Super Mare (Home) League Sunday 10th November – 2pm Bath City (W) v Downend Flyers (Home) League

Bath Rugby Saturday 2nd November – 1.30pm Bath Rugby v Ampthill (Away) RFU Premiership Cup Mens’ – R1

Saturday 9th November – 1pm Bath Rugby v Bristol Bears (Home) RFU Premiership Cup Mens’ – R2

Get Involved

Stephanie previously worked at the University of Bath

know the members, coaches, staff and the committee here.’’

The club is affiliated to the Lawn Tennis Association and England Squash and often hosts regional

and national competitions.

Tennis and squash coaching at the club is available and open to all levels, from beginners to nationally ranked players.

Whether you'd like us to include your upcoming fixtures, or submit a match report for publishing, our team would love to hear from you. Please send fixtures lists for your team to sport@bathecho. co.uk and we'll add your next event to our sports calendar.

If you have photographs that we can use, we'd also like to include them within these pages, on our website and social media. We're happy to host match reports from across Bath. Please send them to sport@bathecho.co.uk with the subject Match Report.

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Crossword answers - Issue 089 (18/10/2024) Across: 1 Cling, 4 Arbitrage, 9 Malleable, 10 Leg up, 11 Simon, 12 Schedules, 13 Picnic, 14 Entered, 17 Grisham, 19 Enlist, 23 Maelstrom, 25 Brown, 26 Azure, 27 Variation, 28 The Needle, 29 Rears.

Down: 1 Comes up, 2 Islamic, 3 Greenwich, 4 Ambush, 5 Brezhnev, 6 Tiled, 7 Angular, 8 Exposed, 15 Tony Blair, 16 Improved, 17 Gymnast, 18 Ice cube, 20 Iwo Jima, 21 Tenants, 22 Emerge, 24 Suede.

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