Bath Echo - Issue 103 - 09/05/2025

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Friday 9th May - Thursday 22nd May 2025

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Issue No. 103

Criticism over £10m recycling centre cost Page 4

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£768K FOR MUSEUM

National Lottery funding awarded for Bath's Fashion Museum - P3 Inside: Food & drink, archive photos, what's on listings, our £20 crossword & more!

‘Confusion’ over Curo’s new car park plans - P2

Pay cut ‘kick in the teeth’ for council workers - P3

Appeal launched after dog drowned in River Avon - P4

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‘Confusion’ over Curo’s new car park plans

In this issue...

Top Stories

Friday 9th May - Thursday 22nd May 2025

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Pictures from the Past

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Crossword

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Food & Drink

P8-10

What's On

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Community

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Health

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Education

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Business

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Politics

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Sports & Fixtures

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Becky Feather Reporter

HOUSING association Curo says there is “confusion” over the planning application for a car park at its Mulberry Park development in Bath, which has sparked more than 25 objections from local residents.

Last month, we reported that Curo had admitted there isn’t enough parking for the community hub on the estate and had submitted a planning application for a “permanent vehicular parking area with associated landscaping and infrastructure” at land off Foxhill, opposite Bradford Park Road.

In a pre-application enquiry to the council, Curo was told that current policy seeks to promote sustainable travel modes and “only if there is no alternative will the council consider the principle of allowing the creation of this additional car parking”.

The Hub has 14 allocated parking spaces for visitors, and there are also four general parking spaces along Mulberry Way. The land off Foxhill is currently being used as temporary parking for 19 vehicles belonging to Hub staff.

Curo says that unless additional permanent provision is made for parking for The Hub, it will lead to more unplanned parking on local roads, impacting residents and compromising plans to extend the No. 2 bus service.

In a covering letter to Bath & North East Somerset Council, Curo said: “The site is currently hard-surfaced and utilised as a car park, although it falls within the area which has reserved matters consent to become a park serving the new community of Mulberry Park.

“The proposal seeks to amend the existing temporary parking design approved in the current park plans to establish a more formal parking facility.”

A report from Curo’s consultants says: “The application proposes to increase the parking by 22 spaces, bringing the total parking provision for The Hub to 36 spaces.

“The purpose of this additional parking is to reduce the existing issue of on-street parking occurring, which has been found

The site at Mulberry Park which is currently being used as a car park

to restrict movement of buses within the site, to accommodate the office staff parking which will be displaced once the temporary office staff parking area is removed, and to provide additional and accessible parking for events to be held at The Hub or on the new park.”

One objector says a permanent car park for The Hub goes against what residents were told

from half a mile away able to demand parking amenities at our expense?”

Another suggests that as a large organisation, Curo should take Wessex Water’s approach and bus its staff in.

It is also pointed out that commuters are already using Mulberry Park as a ‘park & ride’, leaving their cars and getting the bus down into town.

The Hub at Mulberry Park

and what was submitted in the original planning documents.

She said: “This change feels like a betrayal of the original development vision and sets a worrying precedent.”

Another says it is “really disappointing to understand that Curo have prioritised a ‘staff’ car park over valuable green space that has no benefit to the local resident whatsoever”.

One comments: “Mulberry Park residents pay the maintenance for The Hub and parking. Why are non-residents who drive

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There are 10 comments of support to date. They include: “More parking for visitors is needed in Mulberry Park, this seems like a reasonable and relatively low impact way to address that.”

One calls it “a great idea”, adding: “There is not enough parking around The Hub at the moment, and it is leading people to park dangerously.”

Another observes: “The continued viability of The Hub is essential to the local community.

The proposal does not detract from the original concept of the

open space.”

A Curo spokesperson told the Bath Echo: “We understand that there seems to be some confusion regarding the parking area, so we want to clarify that no changes are proposed to the design of the wider park.

“We still intend to deliver the park in full, including play area and bandstand. This area was always going to be used for occasional parking – but this application allows more regular use.

“The overall design of the car park remains unchanged other than a different surface (intended for more regular use) and slight reconfiguration of this small area, so the changes really are mostly administrative to allow staff at The Hub to park there more regularly once the park is complete.

“We’re also planning on opening the parking up to the public so people can park and visit The Hub or new park on weekends if it’s needed.”

The new car park includes a dedicated access from Foxhill, as the current access requires vehicles to drive over the footpath.

The proposed access will also allow Wessex Water to access a sewerage tank under the park area. The current approved scheme does not provide wide enough tracks or adequate provision for turning.

Consultation closes on 23rd May. The planning reference is 25/01479/FUL.

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Issue 103

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Your City, Your News - Bath Echo

Lottery funding awarded for Fashion Museum BATH & North East Somerset Council’s project to reopen the Fashion Museum has been awarded £768,000 of initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The money will be used to progress the development of the Fashion Museum at the Grade II listed Old Post Office in the centre of Bath.

The development funding will also help with plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant of £7.2 million next year.

Thanks to the money raised

by National Lottery players, development funding will support the progress of designs for the new museum, along with an extensive community consultation, engagement and outreach activities programme with a range of audiences and partners.

Fashion Museum Bath holds one of the world’s leading collections of fashion. The collection is designated as one of outstanding significance, containing 100,000 items and spanning 400 years of human creativity, from 1600 to the present day.

It includes many of the best examples of fashionable dress

in worldwide collections. It is the variety and extent of the collection, accessible in a single museum, that sets it out as rare and unusual on an international scale.

Funding from the Heritage Fund will transform access to the heritage collection, ensuring it continues to be researched, new stories and diverse voices uncovered, and lost skills rediscovered and shared.

An innovative digital programme will further enhance access, with the development of a new sustainable online catalogue making the collection available to audiences around the world.

The funding will also support the sustainable retrofit of the Old Post Office building. One of only a few listed 20th century buildings in central Bath, it will be restored, and repaired, turning it into a ‘museum on the high street’.

Fashion Museum Bath is anticipated to reopen in 2030.

During the development phase, there will be a programme of community-driven talks and events, consultations, engagement and outreach activities with a range of audiences and partners across

Councillors Kevin Guy (council leader) & Paul Roper | Photo © B&NES Council

the district.

Councillor Paul Roper, cabinet member for economic & cultural sustainable development, said: “We are thrilled to have received this initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Thanks to National Lottery players we can now further develop our plans to create our new Fashion Museum of national and international significance.

“This is going to be a new, worldclass institution in a UNESCO World Heritage City and there is huge excitement that, at long last, we will be able to display our unique and outstanding fashion collection in a location and setting that it fully deserves, supporting and facilitating the creative industries as well as providing a boost to the visitor economy on which the city relies.

“The new museum is a key part of our plan to develop a creative centre in central Bath and provide a further boost to the visitor economy.

“As an anchor element of the Milsom Quarter Masterplan, the museum will enhance footfall and dwell time in the area and increase the desirability of the city centre”.

Stuart McLeod, director of England – London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We’re pleased to offer our initial support to this transformational project that will give Fashion Museum Bath a home in the city’s historic centre.

“Not only does this mean a Grade II listed building will be brought back to life, but also a globally significant collection will be accessible to everyone, both in person and digitally.

“What stood out for us was how the project is looking to be at the forefront of sustainability, showing how heritage can adapt for the future.

“We’re looking forward to continuing to work with the team as they progress their plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant at a later date.”

Pay cut ‘kick in the teeth’ for council workers John Wimperis

Local Democracy Reporter

SOME of the lowest-paid council workers in Bath and North East Somerset could see their pay cut this summer, in what unions have called “a kick in the teeth”.

Some people who work in waste and recycling, passenger transport, and IT at Bath & North East Somerset Council are facing a reduction in pay.

The new pay offer, if approved by the council’s employment committee, would come into effect on 1st June, although plans for pay cut in passenger transport and waste and recycling would be addressed separately in the next three months.

Amy Rushton, the branch chair for trade union Unison, which represents workers at the council, said: “This is a kick in the teeth for workers, who are being hit twice here.

“Many of our people facing cuts in real pay are already some of the lowest-paid workers in the council.

The Guildhall in Bath

“To make things worse, those that live in BANES will see their council tax rise by nearly 5%, making living costs even more unaffordable.”

Some in the union suspect the pay cut might be to help the council avoid an equal pay claim. The council recently brought some adult social care contracts in house, meaning that a low-paid, predominantly female workforce has TUPEd (transferred under protected employment) to the council.

Council social worker and Unison activist Toni Mayo told

the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “As a woman and a social worker, I don’t want equal pay to be addressed by men being paid less. We want women to be paid more.”

A spokesperson for Bath & North East Somerset Council said: “We value all our employees and have been working with unions and staff over long period of time to look at a wider set of changes to pay and role profiles.

“The council intends to implement these pay proposals by 1st June subject to the decision being agreed at the employment

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“More than 800 of the council’s lowest paid staff would see an increase in salaries. The council acknowledges that some staff will be affected and see a reduction in their pay and will continue to discuss these roles with the unions and those staff who are affected. It has also listened to the unions on pay protection and has agreed a period of three years to protect affected staff.”

Unison said that members rejected the pay offer in its consultative ballot, and Unite and GMB, which both also represent council workers, had yet to report their consultative ballots to the council.

Unison also wants any decision on approving the pay offer to be made by the full council, rather than the employment committee, which is only made up of three councillors.

The employment committee will be meeting to decide whether to implement the pay cut during the council’s “values week”, when council workers have to do training on the council’s values.

News in Brief Could you be a hospice volunteer?

Dorothy House Hospice Care at Winsley is hosting a volunteer open afternoon during Volunteers’ Week on Tuesday 3rd June. The event in Bloomfield Hall from 2.30pm to 8pm and there is no need to book.

People interested in volunteering are invited to drop in for a chat with the team about the wide range of roles available.

There will be presentations at 3.30pm and 7pm. Refreshments will be available.

Building works planned at the Roman Baths Building work is planned in part of the Grade I listed Roman Baths complex in the city centre. Works to the roof structure of the King’s and Queen’s Baths, and to the 1970s office block at the complex, are proposed by Bath & North East Somerset Council’s heritage services team.

The King’s and Queen’s Baths operate as an exit point from the Roman Baths museum, as a retail space, commercial kitchen and office space. The proposal involves replacing the deteriorated asphalt roof covering with felt and renewing the insulation, roof lights and ventilation ducts. The project also includes reconfiguring timber partition walls on the second and third floors of the office block to create breakout space and an open-plan working zone.

The planning reference is 25/01587/REG13. The deadline for comments is 24th May.

Weather Forecast Fri 9th Sat 10th Sun 11th Mon 12th Tue 13th Wed 14th Thu 15th

20°c 22°c 23°c 22°c 21°c 21°c 20°c

Long range forecast:

      

(16th to 22nd May) Rain, at times heavy and thundery, is possible as the week progresses, with clearer spells after.

Temperatures will be above normal for the time of year.

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Friday 9th May - Thursday 22nd May 2025

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Criticism of £10 million cost for Locksbrook Road recycling centre

Appeal after dog drowned in River Avon

Becky Feather Reporter

IT has emerged that Bath & North East Somerset Council will be spending just over £10 million to relocate Bath’s recycling centre to Locksbrook Road.

Objectors have branded it a “political failure” and asked: “How do you spend £10 million and end up with a recycling centre that is inferior to the one it replaces?”

Last month, the council’s planning committee approved the plans for a new household waste and recycling centre, despite 189 objections.

The site at Locksbrook Road currently comprises the council’s street cleansing depot and a car park used by the nearby VW garage.

The current recycling centre at Midland Road, half a mile away, will close as planning permission has been secured for 176 homes as part of the Bath Western Riverside regeneration programme.

The council has maintained that Locksbrook Road was chosen after more than 50 other sites within and around the city had been considered.

But objectors to the choice of Locksbrook Road have cited concerns about flood risk, reduced services, accessibility due to a gantry system, and the impact on the local business and residential community, including environmental health, traffic safety and congestion issues.

A total of 19 Bath businesses have publicly opposed the scheme, including Bath Spa University.

A report says that in order to begin construction, the cleansing services team will move out of the site to the council’s transport depot which is also in Locksbrook Road, and which was recently vacated by the authority’s fleet operations.

The report notes: “This site is currently not fit for purpose and requires remodelling and refurbishment.”

It says that reviewing the transport depot was part of the Keynsham Pixash Site Redevelopment Capital Project, as fleet operations relocated to the new Keynsham Recycling Hub last year. Retaining Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) passenger transport service operations alongside cleansing services at the transport depot, and upgrading facilities, is now proposed.

The Liberal Democrat cabinet members are being asked to approve a capital budget allocation of £4.554 million to build the new recycling centre, and a further £5.543 million to refurbish units 1 and 2 of the Locksbrook Road transport depot to provide “fit-for-purpose facilities” for the SEND passenger transport service, which remains

How the redeveloped site will look | Image © B&NES Council

on the leased site in Unit 2, and the cleansing services team, which will relocate to Unit 1.

This includes a virement from the Keynsham centre redevelopment budget of £1.4 million; in addition, the “abortive” cost of £58,000 from alternative site proposals will revert to revenue.

The cabinet members are also being asked to delegate to council officers the power to appoint contractors.

The report explains that in order to allow the housing construction to commence at Midland Road, the recycling centre “must relocate in line with the Liberal Democrat commitment at the local elections in 2022 to maintain recycling facilities in Bath”.

It adds: “Following exhaustive site searches over several years, the site at Locksbrook Road was chosen as the most feasible and appropriate location to maintain recycling provision for the residents of Bath and aligns with the council’s climate and nature priorities and aims to further increase recycling rates across B&NES.” It goes on: “Cleansing services currently occupy the site of the proposed recycling centre at Locksbrook Road and will relocate to the transport depot site, also on Locksbrook Road (north side) which enables them to maintain easy access to Bath Recycling Centre which will house their tipping bays for street sweepings, weed waste and litter bin bags.

“The highways service city centre team will also share the cleansing service facility to maintain efficient operations following their vacation of Argyle Works, also being developed for housing.

“The SEND passenger transport currently occupies the other half of this site and will remain here following the decision not to relocate this service to Odd Down.

“The whole site requires refurbishment to provide facilities of an acceptable standard for staff and enable efficient operations.”

The Stop the Locksbrook Tip campaign group told the Bath Echo: “How do you spend £10 million and end up with a recycling centre that is inferior to the one it replaces?

“At a time when councils across the country are going bust, B&NES is lavishing huge sums of money by giving people of Bath

less for more.

“The Lib Dem majority endorsed the Locksbrook tip on narrow technical grounds in the planning committee. Now we can see what the Lib Dem majority in cabinet think about the political failure that this tip represents.

“The local councillor Lib Dem Paul Roper is the cabinet member for economic and cultural sustainable development, and the Locksbrook tip is publicly opposed by local businesses as being bad for their businesses.

“Will he demand an economic impact statement before waving through the tip?

“The people of Bath have to question the lack of transparency about this tip. The council is saying there “are no suitable, feasible sites of sufficient size and capacity within the district”, but they won’t release their review of alternatives and won’t explain why they turned their back on the former Fuller Earthworks at Odd Down: the site that B&NES previously endorsed to be the new tip.

“Instead, they plan on spending half of the £10 million cost just to relocate the current cleansing unit 50 metres across the street.

That money could be used to build a full capacity, state-ofthe-art recycling centre at Odd Down, and actually fulfil B&NES’ environmental responsibilities.

“Residents and local businesses are really scratching their heads on this issue. Huge sums of money wasted, services being cut, emissions being increased: the politics is simply bewildering.”

The Bath Echo sent the statement from the campaigners to the council for a response. The council did not address the issues raised in it, stating: “The planning application to build a new recycling hub on the former cleansing depot site in Locksbrook Road was approved earlier last month.

“Following that decision, the next stage is to implement the recommendations that have been made through the singlemember decision report to draw down the funds to enable work to start on site this autumn and for the council to appoint a contractor.”

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The weight that was tied to Buddy | Photo © RSPCA

THE RSPCA has launched an appeal for information from the public after a dog was tied to a rope attached to a weight before being drowned in the River Avon in Bath.

A member of the public made the discovery in the Weston area of the city on Friday 7th March.

Buddy, a black and brown Jagdterrier, was found dead with a rope around his neck that had been tied to a weight.

RSPCA Inspector Dan Hatfield, who recovered his body from the river, said: “Buddy was intentionally killed in a heartless and gruesome way, and we’re keen to find out who was responsible and bring them to justice.

“Since his body was discovered, we’ve been investigating what happened and are now asking

the public for their help to find out exactly who did this to him.

“Buddy was known to many people in Bath who will recognise him and may be able to help us trace his final movements.

“We understand he’d been dead for around 24 to 48 hours before he was found, so we’re hoping to speak to anyone who saw him in the final days of his life before his body was sadly found in the river.

“Did you see Buddy anytime from Saturday, 1st March? Where was he, and who was with him?”

If you have information which could help the ongoing investigation, call the appeal line on 0300 123 8018, quoting incident number 01464178.

Information can be shared anonymously, and your details will not be passed on to the person you have reported.

‘Abusive’ doorstep callers targeting locals

Library image

AVON & Somerset Police say they have received several phone calls about men knocking on the doors of Bath residents trying to sell items, and becoming verbally abusive when challenged.

They said the callers are widely known as ‘Nottingham Knockers’ and typically try to sell cleaning products, which are often overpriced or are poor quality.

Police have reminded residents they are under no obligation to answer the door to anyone if they feel uncomfortable or suspicious of their intentions.

Officers said: “Always use a door chain if you have unexpected

callers and ensure that any doors and windows are closed and locked whenever they are unattended.

“This prevents someone getting into the rear of your home while you are distracted at the front.

“Although these offences occurred in Bath, this type of offender is known to travel widely across the Avon and Somerset policing area.

“Contact the police if you feel threatened or intimidated.”

You should call 999 if you are receiving threats which you feel put you in immediate danger or at risk. You can report incidents to the police by calling 101.

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Knit and natter Every Thursday, 2pm - 4pm Join residents at Rush Hill Mews and help knit hats, teddy bears and blankets for our local hospitals and dog coats for local dog shelters around Bath. Whether you are an experienced knitter or just starting out, everyone’s welcome to join us. This is a perfect opportunity for you to create your own knitted items, chat to new people, and of course it’s all for a good cause.

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Friday 9th May - Thursday 22nd May 2025

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Pictures from the Past Holloway, 6th May 1935

Celebrating George V’s Silver Jubilee in May 1935

Kirsten Elliott Akeman Press

AS we reflect on celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, this week’s archive photograph takes us back another ten years, to George V’s Silver Jubilee on 6th May 1935.

It was, as such occasions still are, celebrated with gusto. Red, white and blue streamers, Union Jacks and strings of bright bunting transformed Bath’s main shopping streets into a riot of colour. Away

from the city centre, there were similar displays of patriotic fervour, and nowhere was so gaily bedecked as the ancient thoroughfare of Holloway, leading up from the Old Bridge to Bear Flat.

This photograph, taken on a sunny afternoon at the bottom of Holloway just over 90 years ago evokes a scene lost beyond recall.

Holloway had been the main road into the city from the south for centuries. Many of the houses lining it dated from the 17th century, if not earlier. It had four pubs – the Old Fox, the Young Fox, the Half Moon and

the Angel (which can be seen advertising George’s Beers on the right-hand side at the top). The buildings seen here escaped the Bath Blitz, although those further up Holloway were not so lucky.

In the 1960s, however, not only were they bulldozed but the street itself was scrubbed out to make way for a realigned Wells Road.

Back then, although voices were raised in protest, it didn’t matter that some of the oldest buildings in the city were destroyed.

They were old, ramshackle and rundown, and, as the developers so helpfully pointed out, stood in the way of progress.

It is surely just as well that, while we can look back into the past, we cannot see into the future.

The people frozen here in time by an anonymous photographer had no way of knowing that a decade later, almost to the day, the celebrations would not be for another royal anniversary but for the end of Europe’s most devastating war. Nor could they had foreseen that 20 years later all the buildings seen here would be wiped away.

More photographs from the 1935 Silver Jubilee will appear next time.

Issue 103

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Your City, Your News - Bath Echo

Crossword

Congratulations to Kim Lilley for winning £20!

You can find the answers to last issue's crossword on page 24

Complete our crossword for your chance to win £20!

Across

Down

2 Intensified (7,2) 8 Audible appreciation (4) 9 Cereal food (4) 10 Do later alteration for dancers (7) 11 Italian sausage (6) 12 Piste essential (4) 13 Consider it proper (3,3) 14 Vote (6) 15 Sea-girt land (4) 17 It may have come first (3) 18 Investigate closely (5) 20 Thick-furred dog (5) 23 Cardiologist's concern (3) 26 Cook (4) 28 Name of six Spanish kings (6) 29 Crude shelter (4-2) 30 "Quantum of Solace" Bond girl --- Kurylenko (4) 32 Very limited in degree (6) 33 Egalitarian Christian sect (7) 34 Muslim ascetic (4) 35 Fastens a knot (4) 36 Bookish (9)

1 Enjoyable (8) 2 Spread out (8) 3 Joins up (7) 4 Mentor's charge (7) 5 Doing business (7) 6 Seed containers (4) 7 Ramble (6) 16 Use it to travel on 12 Across (3) 19 Exploit (3) 21 Most important thing (8) 22 Muddled idolater is not ready-made (8) 23 It can be batted (7) 24 Well-bred (7) 25 Patron (7) 27 Party balloon filler (6) 31 Warts and all (2,2)

Entering our competition - via email or post For your chance to win £20, submit your full name, postal address and answers by email to puzzles@bathecho.co.uk or via post to: Crossword Competition 0905, Bath Echo, PO Box 5395, Bath, BA1 0YA The winner will be the first randomly opened entry with the correct answers on 21/05/2025.

They will be notified using the details they provide when entering the competition. Winners will be given the option of receiving a High Street shopping voucher or be provided the £20 via a BACS transfer.

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Friday 9th May - Thursday 22nd May 2025

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Food & Drink

Sponsor this section!

Get in touch with Rob Last via rob@mediabath.co.uk

Melissa Blease

Food Writer

Tasty Dates For Your Diary Good wine, good conversation, good people… and great cheese!

It’s all going on at St James Wine Vaults (St James Street) when their Wine and Cheese Night rolls around on Tuesday 13th May (£15pp). https://bit.ly/3GBd8K9 Get along to merrymaking hotspot Vino Vino (Saw Close) from 4pm every Thursday when the After Work Drinks Club brings selected cool cocktails for just £9 to the drinks menu between 4pm-7pm and a live DJ to the terrace from 5.30pm-10.30pm.

Doing lunch? Grab 3 small plates and 2 glasses of house wine for just £25 every Monday-Thursday, noon-5pm. Cheers! www.vinovinowinebar.co.uk Celebrate two years of the Sepoy

Review

Club (Broad Street) on Thursday 15th May with a complimentary drink on arrival all day long and the beautiful sounds of Jessica’s violin from 6pm-10pm. But before all that: dive into 3-for-2 cocktails at the Sepoy Club every Sunday-Friday from noon-9pm. www.thesepoyclub.co.uk

Exciting local brewery Electric Bear will be showcasing (and offering samples of!) their finest brews at their tap takeover at The Architect (Orange Grove) from 6pm on Thursday 15th May. Tickets are free but limited, so book yours today! https://bit.ly/4iKu660

Contemporary country house hotel Homewood (Freshford) will be unveiling their brand new ‘Mediterranean Summer Escape’ feasting concept La Taberna on Friday 30th May from which point it’s open to all, all summer long. https://bit.ly/3ESBVsq

The Redan Inn (Chilcompton) has officially opened their glorious garden for the summer season - and this year, it’s extragorgeously gorgeous, featuring alfresco opportunities a-plenty, run-for-cover options and easy access to the Redan’s Carriage menu: upmarket nibbles, perfect pizza… and lashings of that allimportant ice cream. Grab a pizza and a pint for just £13.50 every Monday-Thursday. www.theredaninn.co.uk

The summer season pop-up schedule at Picnic in the Park (Lark Place, off Upper Bristol Road) is well under way and includes local legends Chai Walla on Friday 23rd May, vegan Caribbean delights courtesy of Janifa’s Kitchen on Friday 13th June, Bush Trek Braai on Friday 6th June and Friday 25th July and a return visit from Our Table on Friday 4th July. Early booking for all dates essential! https://bit.ly/3YmMI5a

The Pony Garden Party at the Pony and Trap (Chew Magna) returns on Bank Holiday Monday 26th May featuring a terrace BBQ, cooking demos, a market and more. The event is free to attend, but BBQ time slots (£5pp to confirm your slot) and Ploughman’s Picnics (£32pp) must be booked in advance . www.theponychewvalley.co.uk Summer DJ Nights are back at the Royal Crescent Hotel!

The next one takes place on Friday 6th June: bar and terrace menus will be fully flaunted alongside the RCH’s legendary cocktails, while heated parasols guarantee elegant all-weather merrymaking.

The DJ nights are free to attend on a space-limited basis, but £15 tickets guarantee access and a complimentary glass of Champagne to get the party started . https://bit.ly/4d0BJ70 Melissa regularly reviews restaurants across Bath. You can find out more by visiting: www.theprandialplayground.uk Follow Melissa on X Find her @ThePigGuide

The Sepoy Club

York Buildings Broad Street, Bath, BA1 2EB 01225 464455 www.thesepoyclub.co.uk  @thesepoyclubofficial Almost exactly two years ago, The Sepoy Club - named after the Indian soldiers who served in the British Indian Army - magpied its way into the vast space vacated by the Ask Italian chain and opened their doors to a very special restaurant indeed.

Few restaurateurs would be brave enough to take on such a vast, cavernous space; there’s room for 200+ covers within the Sepoy’s clean-cut, brickwork walls.

But neat, subtle partitioning between distinctly different mood-areas from bar (which specialises in fabulous cocktails, by the way) to booths to flexible party-on areas and elegant ambient lighting create the very opposite of the Tardis effect; our booth table for two in the main dining room whispered ‘bistro’ rather than ‘buzz’ – a neat trick for any city centre restaurant to accomplish on any night of the week, let alone on a busy Thursday evening.

The Sepoy Club menu blends fusion, familiarity and the promise of fine dining beyond successfully. You can, if you so wish, take the well-trodden Tikka Masala/Jalfrezi/Biryanis (etc) route to satiation here. But why would you, when lesser-spotted, foodie-fabulous dishes such as Fauji Canteen Goat Curry and Dakshini Fish Curry are amongst the specialities of the house?

Two cases in point, for starters: Venison Doughnuts – soft, rich, gently spicy game encased in a crisp vermicelli shell – and Duck Seekh Kebabs: three supertender cigar-shaped tubes of sweetly meaty delight.

Venison Doughnuts as a starter

Taste buds are tingling, anticipation is piquing and expectations for the main event are now sky-high; had we peaked too early? Most definitely not.

For mains, a Goan Prawn Curry: plump prawns bathed in a rich, soporific coconut gravy shaken and stirred by sweet/tart kokum and citrusy curry leaves. And oh, the Scallop Lababdar!

Fat, pan-seared scallops in a richly aromatic tomato/onion

based sauce/gravy thickened with ground cashews, slightly spicier than Lababdars I’ve met before and all the better for it.

We had coconut rice with the Prawn Curry (the Lababdar came with a tidy little pile of its own pilau) and a peshwari naan to share too – all those who say you can have too much coconut don’t know what they’re talking about.

But we didn’t order side dishes, as The Sepoy Club don’t offer

The Scallop Lababdar

The Goan Prawn Curry

sides apart from rice, breads and – yes! – chips in plain, masala and chilli garlic format.

Tempting though those chips are, you really don’t need them; portions are generous and perfectly-balanced as they are – although that didn’t stop us sharing a Lady Kenny (a dessert named after Lady Canning, wife of the governor general of India during 1856-62, don’cha know) which was basically the classic

Indian Gulab Jamun elevated to subtly stellar heights, with nothing basic about it.

Fresh and modern without being flash-in-the-pan contemporary, old-meets-new without being stuffy and foodie-aspirational without being confusing: that’s how – and why – The Sepoy Club has earned its reputation for being a sparkling jewel in the Bath Indian restaurant scene crown.

A cocktail from The Sepoy Club

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Recipe

Lamb with Minty Broad Bean Salad

Friday 9th May - Thursday 22nd May 2025

Melissa Blease

Food Writer

This seasonal, satisfying salad is the perfect summer season lunch, whether the sun comes out to play or not.

If you prefer a warm salad, cook the lamb just before you’re planning to eat or wrap it in foil and reheat it in a medium-hot oven for 20-30 minutes.

The minty beans can be prepared in advance to be reheated too. For a vegetarian version, replace the lamb with roasted squash wedges.

Ingredients (serves 4)

Method

For the lamb: • 1 butterflied lamb leg (700g approx.)

• 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed • A few sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped

• Preheat the oven to 180c/gas mark 5, make little slits all over the lamb and rub with a rough paste made from the olive oil, garlic and rosemary. Roast the lamb for around 25 minutes per 500g, then cover with foil and allow to cool.

For the minty beans: • 430g broad beans (preferably fresh, but frozen work too) • 200g frozen peas • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed • ½-1 bunch of fresh mint • The finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon For the dressing: • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 2 tbsp red or white wine vinegar • 1 tbsp runny honey • 1 tsp Dijon mustard To serve: • 100g mixed salad leaves; a handful of pomegranate seeds; a handful of goat's or feta cheese

• Meanwhile, make the minty beans: simmer the broad beans and peas in boiling water for around 3-4 minutes.

• Drain and refresh under cold water, slip the broad beans out of their silvery skins (discarding the skins) and tip into the bowl of a food processor with the oil, garlic, mint, zest, ½ the lemon juice, 2 tbsp water and plenty of seasoning and pulse to create a fairly smooth paste. Set to one side.

• To make the salad dressing: whisk all the ingredients together in a small jug and season to taste.

• To serve, carve the lamb into generous slices. Tumble the salad leaves across serving plates and drizzle with the dressing. Top with the minty beans followed by the lamb, then sprinkle the cheese and pomegranate seeds across the whole affair.

• Serve at room temperature, preferably accompanied by a glass (or two!) of chilled rosé.

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are completely free to enter. Prizes of up to £500 will be awarded to our lucky winners.

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What's On

Friday 9th May - Thursday 22nd May 2025

Bath Spring Fayre

80th VE Day Celebration Concert

Circuit of Bath Walk

Holburne Plant & Craft Sale

Milsom Street 9th – 11th May A vibrant selection of stalls will showcase the best of Bath and beyond, featuring delicious street food, handmade treasures, refreshing drinks, and live entertainment.

St Michael’s Without 10th May, 7.30pm This Spring Concert will feature the City of Bath Brass Band joined by the Grenville Celebration Choir who will perform well-known songs from both World War I and World War II.

Batheaston & Odd Down 10th & 11th May, 10am – 4pm Join Cotswolds Wardens to do the whole 20.5 miles of the Circuit of Bath over one weekend. You can do one day, either day or both days. The walk leaders are from Cotswold Voluntary Wardens.

The Holburne Museum 11th May, 10.30am – 2.30pm The annual Plant Sale returns this May, this year with added craft! The work of local artists and makers will be on sale alongside plants, second-hand books and a display of local bees and honey.

Trials & Tribulations

Crash Test Dummies

Bath Digital Festival

The Mikado

Komedia 12th May, 7pm Your favourite 90s band providing ear worms for decades are back and they aren’t showing signs of slowing down.

Celebrate 30 years since the release of their album God Shuffled His Feet.

Various Locations 13th – 15th May Bringing people and technology together to explore the thriving digital scene in Bath. The event will celebrate the city with a focus on three internationally impactful themes.

Theatre Royal 13th – 17th May Opera della Luna returns to Bath with its most popular production ever, The Mikado. This astonishing and inventive company have achieved nationwide recognition for their innovative shows.

Party In The City

The Bath Festivals

Rec Fest: Bath v Leicester Tigers

Jolly Good Show!

Various Locations 16th May, 5.30pm The sound of live music will spill out of pubs, clubs, churches, museums and galleries, and into the streets. Some 2,000 singers and musicians will play at 39 venues and it’s completely free.

Victoria Art Gallery 2nd May – 6th July This year, Bath Literature Festival and Bath Music Festival will run in tandem over nine days. Bath Literature Festival celebrates its 30th birthday with an extra-special line-up.

The Recreation Ground 17th May, 2.30pm – 8pm Don't miss this summer celebration as Bath Rugby take on Leicester Tigers in the final scheduled home game of the season. Live entertainment, family fun and festival feels.

The Mission Theatre 17th – 18th May Step into a classic variety hall experience as the Adult Musical Theatre class from Everybody Sing takes to the stage. Like the shows of the past, this production has something for everyone.

Rare Plant Fair

Botanical Collage Workshop

Vitamin String Quartet

The Crucible

The Forum 20th May, 7.30pm VSQ are one of the most popular string ensembles in the world with over two billion streams and seven albums charting on both Billboard Classical and Classical Crossover charts.

The Egg 22nd – 24th May Salem. Massachusetts. 1692. A witch hunt begins. When a group of young women are discovered dancing in the forest, they are accused of witchcraft.

This classic is integrated with live music.

BRLSI 12th May, 7.30pm The 18th century ball was a dynamic space, a social whirl of dancing, cards, talking… and judgement. This talk will focus on what women needed to navigate to survive such an event.

American Museum & Gardens 18th May, 10am – 5pm For all plant lovers and garden enthusiasts, the Rare Plant Fair is an opportunity to buy interesting and unusual plants. Enjoy a horticultural day out with a visit to the incredible gardens.

No.1 Royal Crescent 19th May, 6 – 8pm Join botanical artist Angie Girling in this hands-on collage workshop. She will take you through the processes of making a collage picture using recycled paper.

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Sponsored by Howden Bath www.howdeninsurance.co.uk/bath

Community

Three food banks to merge to better Mental health charity serve area's residents launches phone line THREE local food banks are set to merge in June as part of efforts to better serve the community in Bath and the surrounding area.

The Somer Valley and Keynsham Food banks will join with Bath Food bank from 3rd June.

The combined food banks will still be part of the Genesis Trust and will be known as the “Bath, Keynsham & Somer Valley Food bank”.

Food banks have been facing increasing challenges in recent years. Along with a rise in the volume and complexities of clients’ needs, there has also been ever-expanding rules and regulations which inevitably result in increasing workloads and costs.

Merging the three food banks will help organisers better serve customers across the region.

The food bank will continue in partnership with Trussell and its nationwide network of food banks.

Clients from across Bath and North East Somerset are already able to access any of the three

A food bank warehouse | Photo © Trussell Trust / Alexandra Smart

food banks once they receive a voucher, so each food bank already support clients from across the district.

A spokesperson for Genesis Trust said: “We are so grateful to everyone from our community who supports the three food banks.

“If you contribute financially to Bath Food bank, nothing will change – the payment details will remain the same.

“If you currently support Somer Valley or Keynsham food banks, please look out for new details of how to continue to support us.

“And if you would like to start or renew support for the Bath,

Keynsham & Somer Valley Food bank then please do use the link to our website: www.bath. foodbank.org.uk.”

Grainne Moher, who manages Bath Food bank and is coordinating the merger, added: “We are delighted to be supporting clients across the region through the merger.

“I have been involved with Bath Food bank since it started in 2011 and believe this merger will best serve the people who need us.”

Follow on Threads Find us @BathEcho

A NEW evening mental health support phone line has been launched for residents across the district, thanks to local charity Bath Mind.

Bath Mindline offers free telephone-based support and crisis assistance every Monday to Friday, from 5pm to 9pm.

The service is available to anyone living in Bath and North East Somerset who needs a listening ear or mental health support.

Kate Morton, CEO of Bath Mind, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer a local and timely phone-based support and crisis service in direct response to the needs and wishes of the people of Bath and North East Somerset – especially at a time when mental health challenges are on the rise.”

This new service has been made possible thanks to the support of the Community Matters store on Chelsea Road in Bath, who selected Bath Mind as Charity of the Year in 2024, along with generous community donations and the support of those who use Bath Mind’s services.

Community fundraising is

The phone line is open 5-9pm

vital to Bath Mind, which is an independent charity with its own governance.

While affiliated with the national Mind charity, Bath Mind is entirely responsible for generating its own income, making community support crucial to sustaining and expanding its services.

If you, or someone you know needs support, call Bath Mindline on 0808 175 1369 (Freephone) and press option 2 to access the service.

To explore Bath Mind’s full range of free and low-cost services, selfhelp resources and mental health training opportunities, visit www. bathmind.org.uk.

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Julian House launches urgent funding appeal

Residents urged to make water savings during warm weather

THE Bath-based homelessness charity Julian House has launched a fundraising appeal, calling for donations to help it meet rising demand and increased costs.

With cuts to public funding for the services it provides, Julian House relies on donations from the public and fundraising to keep running.

The charity provides a lifeline for vulnerable individuals in the local community, including those who are rough sleeping or recovering from homelessness.

The appeal is a timely reminder that homelessness is a problem that persists throughout the year, not just in the winter, when people forced to sleep on cold streets creates greater sympathy from the public.

Helen Bedser, Chief Executive of Julian House, said: “Rough sleeping is only the most visible sign of a problem in our society.

“The signs of someone’s struggle may not always be obvious. Hidden homelessness, addiction, trauma or abuse is just as devastating for those experiencing it – and harder to tackle.”

Despite the rising number of people in need of support, Julian House is warning that its future funding is at risk while the

AS temperatures rise again, Wessex Water is reminding local residents to save as much water as they can to keep supplies and bank balances healthy.

While there are currently no water shortages and no prospect of a hosepipe ban, of which there hasn’t been one in the region since 1976, the company is offering water efficiency advice that could save billpayers money and benefit the environment.

Reusing rainwater collected in a water butt means there is no need to turn on the tap to keep plants happy, particularly if using a watering can in the morning or evening to avoid the hot sun.

Half of Wessex Water customers surveyed also reuse kitchen water in their gardens. They simply allow any water from washing, boiling or steaming vegetables to cool down, and some even save dishwater that’s not too dirty to water established plants.

A Wessex Water spokesperson said: “Many of us are already making the most of lighter evenings by spending more time outdoors.

“Now is the perfect opportunity to take steps to save water in the home and garden, such as installing a water butt to collect the rain that’s sure to make a return sooner or later!

Helen Bedser, Chief Executive of Julian House | Photo © Julian House

government considers its longterm spending plans.

This year, Julian House is expecting costs to rise by around £165,000 due to the increase in employer contributions to National Insurance.

This increase will put a real strain on its ability to deliver highquality services, the charity has said.

Helen Bedser continued: “We cannot face this crisis alone. Our job is to balance these different demands on our funding and ensure Julian House can continue its mission to support the most vulnerable and isolated people in our communities all year round.”

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Half of those surveyed reuse kitchen water in their gardens

“Plants prefer rainwater, which is richer in nutrients than tap water, while using a watering can is more efficient than a hose at targeting their roots.

“Hosepipes and sprinklers can use between 500 and 1,000 litres an hour, which is more than a typical family of four per day.

Households with a meter will save money on their bills by using a watering can instead.”

Gardeners could also consider drought-tolerant plants and herbs such as lavender, geraniums and verbena, while there is no shame in letting the lawn go brown – 60% of Wessex Water customers do so in the knowledge that their grass will turn green again when

it rains.

Using less water in the home could also mean big cost savings elsewhere, with washing machines and dishwashers both major contributors to increasing energy bills.

Wessex Water fixes more than 1,000 leaks on its network every month and has invested £230 million in a supply grid, which means water can be moved around the region to meet changing demands.

This year also marks the launch of an ambitious programme to upgrade water meters to smart meters, helping homes and businesses to better manage and understand their usage.

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Health Patient experience at Bath hospital recognised with awards STAFF at the Royal United Hospital have been recognised for going above and beyond to improve the experience of the people they care for.

The hospital’s recent Improving Patient Experience Awards recognised the teams and individuals who showed initiative and continuous commitment to improving patient experience in 2024/25.

First place went to the Maternity Triage Team for the successful improvements they made to their service.

The triage team provides individual care for women and birthing people who have concerns during or after pregnancy, ensuring those who need urgent care are seen first.

After listening to feedback, the team introduced a single point of access for all enquiries, leading to an immediate urgent care review if required. Feedback from women, families and birthing people describe a responsive and supportive team and positive experiences of the new system and department facilities.

The first runner-up was the Pain Clinic nursing team for developing a dedicated pain information session for patients.

The new session provides patients who have been referred to the service with additional

information and support about what to expect from their treatment and help them to make informed decisions about their treatment plan.

Joint second place runners-up were Art at the Heart, the RUH’s in-house art and design team, for their work on children and older patients’ wards. To improve patient experience, Art at the Heart introduced a musician in residence and artists in residence along with other ward-based art activities. These combined efforts create a therapeutic environment where patients can find comfort, joy, and healing through music and art, greatly improving their overall experience during their hospital stay.

The Listening Service was another joint runner-up.

Introduced by the Patient Support and Complaints Team, The Listening Service provides patients, families and carers with an opportunity to reflect on their or their loved one’s care and share their thoughts and feedback on the service they received.

This also provides an opportunity for the organisation to learn from experiences and help to facilitate change and improvements in care.

The other joint runner-up award went to the Critical Care Outreach team for the development of the

The Maternity Triage Team with Chief Nursing Officer Toni Lynch (in red) at the RUH | Photo © RUH Bath

Call for Concern service.

The service gives patients and families an additional way to raise concerns if they feel they or their loved one is not getting better or is deteriorating, regardless of hospital intervention. It allows those who know the patient best, or the patient themselves, to flag, to an identified team via a dedicated telephone number, signs of deterioration – some of which may be subtle, softer signs.

The service provides access to a 24/7 Critical Care Outreach team via a dedicated answerphone / mobile phone, for relatives, carers, and patients.

It is currently in 12 clinical wards and continues to be rolled out across the NHS Trust.

Chief Nursing Officer Toni Lynch, who presented the awards, said: “At the RUH we are committed to ensuring the people we care for have the very best experience

when they are at hospital.

“These awards recognise the hard work, commitment and innovation of our staff and are examples of just some of the initiatives that are taking place across the trust to benefit our patients. I have seen first-hand the difference that these projects have made to our patients and I’d like to thank all of our staff who go above and beyond every day for the people we care for.”

Professor Chris Whitty makes visit to University of Bath THE University of Bath had a special visit from Professor Sir Chris Whitty, the government Chief Medical Officer last month.

Professor Whitty met health and wellbeing researchers to learn more about the university’s ambitions in preventative health.

He spoke with a range of individuals and teams focused on health and wellbeing-related projects, discussing how Bath research can support current healthcare challenges in the UK. His day began with a focus on health and the built environment, drawing on work led by the University of Bath’s Departments of Architecture & Civil Engineering, Psychology and Institute of Policy Research looking at improving housing, urban planning and people’s health.

This included a focus on VSimulators, a major EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) project looking at human responses to vibrations and environmental effects in buildings, and TRUUD (Tackling Root Causes Upstream of Unhealthy Urban Development), a pan-university project focused on improving urban planning by better integrating health evaluation. The session was led

Prof Chris Whitty (right) and Prof Phil Taylor | Photo © Tony Roddam / UoB

by Professor Andrew Heath.

From there, Professor Whitty’s tour moved to The Edge, home to the new CAMERA studio at the university. CAMERA combines motion capture research with applications for the entertainment industry but also health technologies, including improving prosthetics.

A Research with Impact Health showcase, led by Dr Polly McGuigan and Dr Ben Metcalfe, covered diverse health innovations from Bath.

These included advanced prosthetics projects from CAMERA, the Institute for the Augmented Human; as well as applied health and medtech innovations from Bath such as advanced robotics and the ‘BathMat’ – a collaborative

project with the RUH. Over lunch, Professor Whitty met colleagues in the university’s Sports Training Village focused on public health projects, from individual level changes people can make to be healthier, to ways in which systems can be enhanced to support them.

The session was facilitated

by Professor Fiona Gillison, Professor of Health Psychology and Deputy Dean for Humanities & Social Sciences.

Finally, a roundtable discussion, hosted by Professor Sarah Hainsworth, was an opportunity to bring together a range of colleagues from around the university whose work speaks to the shifts in healthcare proposed by the government.

As part of this, Professor

Whitty heard from multiple Bath colleagues, including those developing systems to assess wastewater for disease, improving outcomes for patients for osteoarthritis, enhancing the function of hospital systems and developing new models for palliative care.

Professor Chris Whitty said: “The depth and breadth of the research I saw in Bath was remarkable, and much of it is directly relevant to preventing and treating disease and disability.

“The University of Bath brings together many areas of science such as engineering and sports science together with health sciences to address major health issues.”

University of Bath ViceChancellor and President Professor Phil Taylor, who invited Professor Whitty to the campus, added: “We were delighted to welcome the Chief Medical Officer to the university to learn more about how our health activities – from research to education and innovation – are all being applied in practice and can support current challenges he is facing.

“Our ambition is for Bath to play a much more active role at local, regional and national levels in relation to health and wellbeing.

“With the government’s 10-year

plan for the NHS soon to be published, this was an important opportunity to shine a spotlight on Bath’s health offer which is focused on preventative health.”

Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) Professor Sarah Hainsworth said: “The University of Bath has a rich history of delivering applied and impactful health research and innovation.

“Our research contributes to people’s health and wellbeing locally and regionally with partners in Bath and North East Somerset Council, the Royal United Hospital and the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board.

“At national and international levels we are also shaping policies and practice, from helping people with exercise and ageing, the way in which the built environment and sustainability influence health, to preventing harms from the commercial determinants of health in areas such as tobacco, alcohol and sugar.

“In addition, not only are we helping to improve the general population health through our research, but we are also developing people with the skills and training needed for the future health workforce at a critical time for the health service in the UK and internationally.”

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Your City, Your News - Bath Echo

Discover Life at Pemberley Place Luxury Retirement Apartments for over 55s SET amongst a historic countryside overlooking the elegance of Georgian Bath, Pemberley Place offers 2-bedroom apartments for sale, exclusively for over 55s at the heart of a beautiful community.

At the heart of a thriving new community, it combines the charm of its historic setting with the ease and comfort of contemporary living.

Built using locally quarried stone and smart, modern materials, these thoughtfully designed homes are secure, efficient, and finished to a high standard.

Every detail is considered to enhance your comfort, with inviting living spaces and access to a range of exceptional onsite amenities that encourage connection and a strong sense of community.

Residents can enjoy beautifully landscaped grounds, a welcoming onsite café, a modern hair salon, a stylish communal lounge, and a spacious Guest Suite for visiting family and friends.

Our Be Well 360 programme offers a holistic lifestyle, supporting health, activity, and wellbeing - helping residents live fully, stay connected, and feel their best every day.

Steeped in history, the area takes its name from the old Saxon word “sleight,” referring to the summer sheep pastures that once covered this landscape.

Just across the road stands the iconic Beckford’s Tower, built in 1823 by novelist and art collector William Beckford. Its breathtaking views of the Avon Valley were once described by Beckford as “the finest prospect in Europe”—and now, they’re yours to enjoy daily.

Located in Lansdown, just north of Bath city centre, Pemberley Place offers the perfect balance of peaceful countryside living with easy access to city connections.

The development draws inspiration from literary and local history, with its name, architecture, and surroundings referencing Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and nearby landmarks like Beckford’s ornamental gardens.

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Education

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University launches scheme to help Nursery pupils ‘shine creative businesses grow with independence’ BATH Spa University has introduced a new initiative to help freelancers, arts organisations and microbusinesses to apply for grant funding they would be otherwise unable to access.

Within Bath and North East Somerset in 2023, it was reported that 89% of enterprises are microbusinesses, with 16% classified as creative industry businesses.

Yet many of these are currently excluded from applying for significant funding programmes and development opportunities due to financial or structural barriers, a lack of knowledge around contracting, legal requirements or governance, or the onerous burden of reporting required by many funders.

With many of its graduates and creative community amongst those trying to kickstart their business, the university is now stepping in to help.

The initiative, called BSU Boost, will support creative and cultural businesses in B&NES, or within ten miles of its borders, to access the funding needed to thrive.

Stacey Pottinger, producer of BSU Boost and project manager if the inclusive communities unit at Bath Spa University, said: “We are really excited to launch this opportunity to work hand in hand with small creative industry businesses to support them to develop, grow and access

Becky Feather Reporter

Image © Bath Spa University

new funding opportunities and markets previously inaccessible to them.”

BSU Boost was piloted with the university’s cultural partner, Little Lost Robot CIC – a not-for-profit collective of artists working with social practice and managing community studios.

It was able to support Little Lost Robot CIC with bid writing, project administration, monitoring, evaluation and much more.

Reflecting on the successful BSU Boost pilot, Juliet Webb, codirector of Little Lost Robot CIC, said: “We are so fortunate to have partnered with the BSU Boost team. BSU’s support makes the difference between us having the ability to run the project or fading out of existence.

“The sharing of expertise and

support has been fundamental to our success.”

Kate Pullinger, academic lead of BSU Boost and co-director of the Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries (CCCI), said: “Access to funding is one of the key barriers for many microbusinesses in the region.

“Boost will enable arts and culture and technology businesses to develop new income streams and new ways of working.

“Partnering with creative businesses enables BSU to increase its knowledge of and support for the creative industries in our city and region, which is a key part of CCCI’s mission.”

BSU Boost is currently open to applications for the 2025 cohort.

To find out more, visit www. thestudioinbath.co.uk/bsuboost/

GUINEA Lane Nursery in Bath has retained its Good Ofsted rating following an inspection in March.

The report, published last month, says that leaders have clear intentions for what they want children to learn.

They place focus on the prime areas of learning and help children to develop the skills they need to become confident learners.

The inspector says: “Children shine with independence and staff support this from an early age.”

Leaders and staff are said to have high expectations for children’s behaviour. Staff are positive role models and reinforce good manners.

The report also highlights that staff have good awareness of how children learn. “They use observations and assessments well to identify children’s interests and next steps in learning.”

They support children to develop their understanding of mathematical concepts from an early age.

Staff also plan exciting and

varied activities that they know the youngsters will enjoy. They take the children on a variety of outings to enhance their understanding of the world.

Leaders are said to use selfreflection to positively impact on the overall quality of care and learning. For example, a recent revamp of an unused area of the garden now provides children with a specific area for planting. This space also provides an outside area for staff on their breaks.

The report says partnerships with parents are good and there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children’s interests first.

To improve further, the inspector has asked the nursery to plan more precisely for younger children’s individual next steps to maximise their learning, as well as strengthen support given to less experienced staff to ensure that interactions support babies’ emerging communication skills.

The nursery should also ensure that staff deploy themselves effectively to make full use of the outdoor areas.

The nursery is based in St Mary’s Church Hall and has 104 children on the roll.

College seeks permission for ‘chillout space’ for students Becky Feather Reporter

PRESTIGIOUS Norland College in Bath has applied to build a “communal chillout space” for its students.

The 240-student college, which has a global reputation for its prestigious training of nannies, nursery nurses and other childcare professionals, wants to add a single-storey extension at its main teaching site in Oldfield Park.

The college’s York Place campus on London Road in Bath was

Students at Norland College in Bath | Photo © Norland

previously used for teaching until student numbers grew and Norland moved to its new five-

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storey teaching and learning facility in 2016, having extended and converted the former

Hayesfield School Sixth Form.

The planning application for 3941 Upper Oldfield Park says the extension at the rear left corner of the main building will be built of Bath stone.

It will have a flat roof and have a “minimal” visual impact.

The application explains: “The proposal will provide Norland College with a much-needed communal chillout space for students to relax between lessons, spaces which are not available elsewhere in the college buildings.

“This space will have a positive contribution to the well-being

and learning of the students attending the college.”

The planning reference is 25/01644/FUL. In a separate planning application to Bath & North East Somerset Council, the college is applying to install two external air conditioning units within the balcony area on the west side of the building. The planning reference is 25/01733/FUL. The deadline for both applications is 6th June.

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Business Bath MP showcases city’s culinary businesses in Parliament

Workspace operator opens site in city centre

BATH MP Wera Hobhouse recently hosted local businesses at a special ‘taste of Bath’ event in Westminster, showcasing some of the area’s best food and drink.

The event on 23rd April, titled ‘A Taste of Bath,’ provided an opportunity to highlight the talent and passion behind the city’s culinary offerings and to encourage ongoing support for local businesses.

Nine businesses went to Parliament to showcase their food and drink.

At the event, attendees had the chance to sample a range of goods, including Bath Ales’ celebrated ‘Gem’ amber ale, street food from Chai Walla, and baked goods from Landrace Bakery.

Other local favourites included Bath Soft Cheese Company, Bath Gin Distillery, Bath Water, and Nata & Co. Sally Lunn’s sent a selection of their famous buns to give parliamentarians the authentic Bath experience.

The event also spotlighted Irina Malenko, a Bath resident originally from Ukraine, whose business, MAD for Cakes, offers traditional Ukrainian honey cakes.

A NEW flexible workspace has opened in the centre of Bath, offering a dedicated location for startups, SMEs and established businesses.

Runway East Bath has opened in Kings Court on Parsonage Lane, providing 23,000 sq.ft. of space and marking the B-Corp certified flexible workspace operator’s third location in the South West.

Early members at the site in Bath include design agency Zonkey, B2B eCommerce platform Spark Layer, and software management company HGEM. Natasha Guerra, founder and CEO of Runway East, said: “Where you work has never been more important, which is why I’m

Photo © Runway East Bath Wera Hobhouse with representatives from the attending local businesses

After the event, Wera took the vendors on a tour of the Parliamentary Estate, sharing behind-the-scenes stories and little-known facts.

Meanwhile, attendees of the event were overheard calling it “the best parliamentary event they’d been to”.

Wera Hobhouse said: “I want to thank our wonderful Bath businesses for making the journey to Parliament. It is a real privilege to share their incredible work with colleagues.

“Bath is fortunate to have a thriving local food scene that is second to none.

“From award-winning beers to freshly baked bread, cheeses, and traditional delicacies, the quality of our produce is simply outstanding.

“It has never been more important to support local businesses. By buying local, we not only ensure the survival of our independent shops and producers, but we also contribute to our community and help create a more resilient and sustainable economy.

“The ‘Taste of Bath’ is a perfect example of why it’s so important to shop local and support the fantastic businesses that make our city so special.”

passionate about creating offices people actually want to be in.

“We’ve got stunning interiors, coffee on tap, and an incredible team driving social energy across the space.

“Bath is one of the UK’s best places to live, but until now, there hasn’t been an office space to match — we’re here to change that!

“It’s fantastic to be welcoming new businesses to the city, and seeing others expand from our other sites too.”

Runway East operates 13 locations across the UK, with household names like Deliveroo, Dojo, and Grind among its customers.

New café bar being planned in Northumberland Place John Wimperis

Local Democracy Reporter

A NEW café bar is hoping to open on one of Bath’s most charming streets.

Northumberland Place is a narrow passage crammed with bars and restaurants, hidden away opposite the city’s Guildhall.

Now a planning application has been submitted to Bath & North East Somerset Council to open a new café bar in empty premises on the street.

The planning application from Scott Martin of Skogen, a café bar and pizza restaurant just outside Solihull, seeks permission for a change of use and a redecoration of the shopfront.

Skogen wants to paint the timber

parts of the shopfront light green, install a new hanging sign, and a canvas awning to cover limited outdoor seating in the summer.

The application stated: “The proposed changes are intended to enhance visitors’ experience of Northumberland Place and help preserve its distinctive historic atmosphere.

“The street remains one of Bath’s best preserved historic commercial lanes — an exemplary part of the city’s heritage environment — where the intimate, Georgian-scale urban character can still be experienced much as it was two centuries ago.”

It added: “Only essential alterations to the internal layout are proposed, as required for the building to operate as a café bar

The council is aiming to make a decision by 9th June

on the ground and first floors, with kitchen and service areas situated in the basement. The existing office spaces on the top floor will be refurbished and retained for continued office use.”

Rosario Bavetta of Rosario’s,

whose two premises on Northumberland Passage are next door to and opposite Skogen’s planned café bar, lodged a comment with the council to express some qualified support for the plans.

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But Rosario added: “However, I must object to the application for outside seating. As a longestablished business owner of 16 years, I have planning permission for outside seating, which was recently reinforced with a twoyear tables and chairs licence.

“Given the narrow pathway, there isn’t sufficient room to accommodate additional outside seating without causing congestion or affecting pedestrian traffic. This constraint poses a risk of conflicts, which may negatively impact both businesses and the community.”

Bath & North East Somerset Council will aim to decide the application by 9th June, but it stated that a listed building consent application may also be required.

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Self-storage facility holds grand opening

Stamp of approval for second Wetherspoons site on George Street Becky Feather Reporter

The self-storage facility in Bath | Photo © Vanguard Self Storage

VANGUARD Self Storage, the city’s latest storage provider, held a grand opening at its site on the Lower Bristol Road in Bath.

Guests gathered to experience the purpose-built, state-of-theart facility, which provides 45,000 square feet of storage space.

Residents and businesses, customers, employees, friends and family, and the architects behind the new development came together to mark the opening.

Hosted in the main atrium under the suspended and restored Vampire WZ450, attendees were able to admire the aircraft while standing alongside another piece of aviation heritage, one of the first turbojet engines, the de Havilland Goblin.

The event featured special addresses from Rennie Schafer, the CEO of the Self-Storage Association, and RAF pilot and author, Air Marshal G.A. ‘Black’ Robinson, who spoke about pilots who risked their lives to push boundaries, drawing a parallel to the courage involved in starting a new business.

This was followed by a ribboncutting ceremony led by the Mayor of Bath, Councillor Michelle O’Doherty, who officially opened the facility with

a ceremonial snip of the ribbon.

Councillor Michelle O’Doherty said: “I speak on behalf of all the residents and businesses locally in welcoming Vanguard Self Storage to our beautiful city.

“It’s inspiring to see a new development that adds to the architectural character of the area.

“With Vanguard’s clear commitment to quality and innovation, I have no doubt the business will thrive and become a valued part of the community.”

Commenting on the Vampire, Air Marshal G.A. ‘Black’ Robinson, added: “It was an honour to be invited to speak at such a unique event.

“As someone with a lifelong involvement in aviation, I much admire Vanguard’s continued commitment to incorporating historic artefacts into the heart of its facilities. Vanguard truly knows how to create, combine and showcase British excellence.”

Will McCullagh, Managing Director of Vanguard Self Storage, said: “We have been trying to open a store in Bath for more than 10 years, so we are very pleased to finally be here.

“We were delighted to welcome those involved in the project and the local community to join us for the opening of our latest store.”

PROPOSALS to turn a former bar in the city centre into a Wetherspoons have been granted listed building consent.

Bath & North East Somerset Council has approved internal and external alterations, repairs and refurbishment of the former Revolution bar at York Buildings in George Street.

The building used to be the city’s main Post Office and the name chose for the new pub is The Old Post Office.

It will be the second Wetherspoons in the city, the other being The King of Wessex in James Street West.

Revolution closed last November, reportedly after its bid to restructure the lease was rejected by the landlord.

The site when it was Revolution Bath | Photo © Kuen Lim / Shutterstock.com

JD Wetherspoon’s proposals include refurbishing the ground floor ladies’ toilets and moving the gents’ loos to the first floor.

The accessible toilet on the ground-floor will be retained.

The company is still awaiting

advertisement consent from the council for new signage.

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Latest plans for Newbridge Towers redevelopment are dropped Becky Feather Reporter

PLANS to turn an Edwardian property in Newbridge from a former 20-bed care home into retirement apartments have been dropped.

Newbridge Towers at Newbridge Hill closed in 2022 and planning permission was granted in 2024 to convert the detached property into a private house with 10 ensuite bedrooms and facilities including a gym, games room and cinema room.

Then earlier this year an alternative proposal was presented by Alpus Projects Ltd to turn the four-storey building into 10 self-contained retirement apartments and build three

The former Newbridge House care home in Bath | Photo © Christie & Co

detached houses in the grounds.

Bath & North East Somerset Council has now been notified that the outline application has been withdrawn “due to a change in circumstances”.

Councillor Michelle O’Doherty (Newbridge, Liberal Democrat) had raised concerns about the

proposals, saying that while fully in support of the principle of converting the existing building into homes for older people, the proposed garden development represented a “significant overdevelopment” of a sensitive site, contrary to multiple adopted planning policies.

prioritising their needs and wellbeing.

This progress is welcome and important in family mediation, which serves as a non-confrontational process for many families navigating separation, helping them find fair and constructive solutions.

This project will strengthen mediators’ domestic abuse screening so they can thoroughly assess whether mediation is a safe and appropriate option for couples where domestic abuse is a concern.

With funding now secured, the FMC have begun developing the screening tool this spring, working closely with family mediators, domestic abuse experts, and sector specialists to ensure it is both practical and effective.

The tool will be integrated into

the national training framework, ensuring that all FMC-registered mediators receive comprehensive training on its use.

This will be delivered through the family mediation training provider network, embedding best practices into both initial training and ongoing professional development (CPD) by the end of the year. This initiative marks a significant step forward in strengthening family mediation practices across the country, reinforcing the profession’s commitment to safety, fairness, and the wellbeing of families.

Our family mediators are experts at handling all aspects of relationship breakdowns, taking a family-focused approach that encourages separating couples to find the best possible solutions.

We are also able to offer childinclusive mediation.

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Family mediation grant will strengthen domestic abuse screening The Family Mediation Trust (TFMT) has recently announced that the Family Mediation Council (FMC) has been awarded funding through the Family Mediation Impact Fund to develop a ground-breaking resource aimed at strengthening domestic abuse screening and assessment within family mediation.

This initiative will provide family mediators with a standardised tool to assess the suitability of mediation for separating couples, ensuring safe and effective mediation practices for all participants.

Currently, all Mediation Information and Assessment

Meetings (MIAMs) include domestic abuse screening to prioritise safety.

However, this new project will equip mediators with enhanced tools, training, and guidance to assess risk more effectively and offer better support when abuse has been part of the family dynamic.

By strengthening these screening processes, mediators will be better positioned to make decisions about whether mediation is appropriate and, if so, how to manage it safely.

The project will also address key concerns such as the balance of power between parties and ensuring that mediation remains a structured, supportive process.

Crucially, this approach will help keep children at the heart of mediation, reinforcing the profession’s commitment to

P22

Friday 9th May - Thursday 22nd May 2025

www.bathecho.co.uk

Politics

Planning Round-up

Electric recycling lorry trialled to cut emissions A 16-TONNE electric recycling lorry is being trialled by Bath & North East Somerset Council as part of efforts to reduce emissions.

The vehicle is being powered by electricity generated from solar panels at the Keynsham Recycling Hub. The DAF truck is currently being used for recycling collections across the district. It has a larger capacity than the council’s existing fleet, meaning it can collect more recycling before needing to return to the depot.

The waste and cleansing operations run by the local authority are already supported by 12 electric vehicles.

Investment is being set aside to potentially replace several dieselfuelled refuse collection vehicles with electric-powered ones in 2026. The trial will help inform whether this type of vehicle would be a suitable upgrade for the council’s recycling collection

RUH solar scheme is approved The Royal United Hospital has been granted approval by B&NES Council to install solar panels on three buildings at its Combe Park site. The panels, which will have an advanced anti-reflective coating to significantly reduce light reflection and minimise any potential for glare, will be installed on the flat roofs of the Princess Anne Wing, South Blocks and pathology department.

They will also be installed at a fixed tilt angle to ensure that reflected light is directed upwards, away from roads and surrounding buildings.

New workspace at Bath City Farm The electric truck on trial | Photo © B&NES Council

vehicles, which are due for replacement in 2027.

Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said: “It is exciting to see the electric recycling vehicle on the road collecting residents’

recycling while contributing to cleaner air. It’s also fantastic that we can power the vehicle through solar energy from Keynsham Recycling Hub – a renewable and clean energy source that lowers our fuel costs too.

“This trial will tell us what can be achieved with a larger capacity vehicle and fully test its capabilities, helping inform us how we can get closer to our aim to make our collections cleaner and greener.”

Plans for another building at Bath City Farm to provide extra office space for staff have been approved by B&NES Council.

The 37-acre community farm at Kelston View at Whiteway has a strong emphasis on volunteering and community events.

The new admin workspace for existing employees will have a ‘green’ roof to increase biodiversity net gain, and the plans include landscaping.

Chair appointed for Future Ambition Board

Developer plans sevenbed HMO at Southdown

AN organisation working to make Bath and North East Somerset a fairer, greener, creative and connected place has appointed a new independent chair.

Sonya Chowdhury has become chair of the Future Ambition Board (FAB) which is a partnership of the Royal United Hospital, Curo, the University of Bath, Bath Spa University, Third Sector providers, Bath & North East Somerset Council, business and other networks in the district.

Ms Chowdhury brings more than 25 years professional, management and leadership experience and has extensive board experience.

She is currently Chief Executive of the charity Action for M.E. and

Forest Edge Properties has submitted a planning application to change the use of a three-bed Southdown semi to a seven-bed house in multiple occupation (HMO). The plans for 6 Southdown Avenue include adding a single-storey front and first-floor side extension.

The application says each of the bedrooms will exceed the single room size for a HMO of 6.51sq m while the communal living/ kitchen area exceeds the 29.5sq m minimum.

The house is said to be close to a main bus route but it is expected that some residents may have cars so two parking spaces will be available on site.

The proposals include bike and bin storage for every resident.

Kate Morton (Bath Mind), Cllr Kevin Guy, Sonya Chowdhury & Paul Harris (Curo)

she co-founded and co-chairs the World ME Alliance for ME/ CFS. She previously held the role of Non-Executive Director (NED) at Curo Group.

Ms Chowdhury said: “I am delighted to be appointed to the

role of chair and excited to work with the Future Ambition Board partners to positively impact the lives of people in Bath and North East Somerset. The board’s work will build on the Civic Agreement where partners have signed

up to work better together and consolidate strengths for the benefit of all our communities.”

The chair’s responsibilities include promoting a positive and creative environment for the board’s partners, helping the partnership to articulate its vision and purpose within the region and beyond, and helping to retain strategic focus around the One Shared Vision, which the partnership has been collaborating on since 2020.

The Future Ambition Board has also been leading efforts to deliver Bath and North East Somerset’s new Economic Strategy, with higher wages, boosted productivity, greener businesses and more affordable housing.

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

A

S spring progresses, it’s a delight to rediscover our green spaces which are bursting into leaf and bloom.

They contribute so much to our quality of life and wellbeing. Bath & North East Somerset Council is making the most of these precious spaces, ensuring that they are accessible and welcoming to all.

The River Avon is one of our city’s most beautiful features.

The Bath River Line project will create a 10km linear park following the river through the heart of Bath. The project will expand the city’s active travel network by creating a level, accessible route for everyone to use.

We are putting in place new seating spaces and adding plantings to improve biodiversity and climate change resilience.

This project supports the council’s vision of being Nature Positive by 2030.

Construction of Phase One, which includes the area from Green Park to Midland Bridge, is already under way.

Works are scheduled to be complete by 10th June. The path between Green Park and Norfolk Crescent will close as needed for a maximum of two weeks at a time. Signs will lead you along the green diversion route.

Please follow the advice of the contractors to keep everyone

safe.

Historic Parade Gardens overlooking the river is a muchloved space. Visitors are now enjoying the gardens for free, after a pilot event removing the entrance fee helped attract more than 29,000 visitors to the park.

The council is trialling removing the entrance fee, currently £2.50 for adults and £1.50 for children and concessions, for this coming year. The council is planning to open the Colonnades for visitors during the weekend of 30th May and 1st June, alongside a food and drink outlet.

Ensuring that children have fun, safe and accessible places close to nature where they can play and

socialise is another way in which the council is enhancing residents’ wellbeing.

We are investing in our parks across the area, focusing first on play areas where equipment is at the end of its life or broken. Some of the improvements are substantial and will make a real difference in the heart of our communities.

New multi-play units will be installed in Royal Victoria Park.

By the end of the summer, Brassmill Lane, Loxton Drive, Corston View, Pennyquick and Moorfield Sandpits, Calton Road and Weston Recreation Ground will all see revamps.

In this season of hope and renewal, it’s important to remember the sacrifices of all those fought to defend our democracy. Thursday 8th May was Victory in Europe (VE) Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe, a huge milestone for our country.

Local groups and communities were coming together to honour and pay tribute to the Second World War generation. At this time of global turmoil, VE Day is a powerful reminder of the hardwon peace and freedoms we enjoy and which we should not take for granted.

Issue 103

P23

Your City, Your News - Bath Echo

Labour's Helen Godwin elected as Metro Mayor John Wimperis

Local Democracy Reporter

THE new West of England Metro Mayor has said things will be “quite different” under her than under the previous Labour mayor.

Labour’s Helen Godwin was elected in the early hours of Friday 2nd May. With 51,197 votes, she narrowly beat Reform UK’s Arron Banks who received 45,252 votes.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service after the declaration of the results, Ms Godwin said: “It was always going to be close; we knew that.”

But she said she had been backed by a brilliant campaign.

She said: “We did what we needed to do so I am absolutely over the moon.”

But the party’s share of the vote crashed from 33.4% in the last election in 2021 down to 25%, while Reform UK surged into second place. In the City of Bristol, Labour only got about 2,500 more votes than the Greens.

Despite the stark challenge, Ms Godwin said: “I don’t think we’re fighting on two fronts.”

She said: “I don’t see it as a fight against Reform or the Greens - but I do see that we have got a progressive majority in our part of the world but there are obviously people that are unhappy today, who didn’t choose to vote for me that maybe might have done.

“So we’ve got to work with those but we’ve got to also get a place that feels like it works for

everyone and that’s now my job.”

Ms Godwin said the first thing she would be doing as West of England Mayor would be looking at buses, as that was what everyone had asked her to look at. She said she would also be looking at getting new stations open, building homes in the right places, and improving links between education and industry to give young people “a clear pathway to their future careers.”

Asked how she would be different to the previous mayor, who was also Labour until he was suspended from the party, Ms Godwin said: “I am now the mayor so it’s going to be quite different.

“I can’t speak for what’s gone before, I know what I’m going to do. I know how I work. So it will feel very different but it will be very proactive: just getting stuff done, working with people, working with whoever I need to.

And hopefully working at pace as well.”

The West of England Combined Authority has only recently had the “best value notice” - put on it by the government partially due to poor relationships between political leaders - lifted.

Speaking earlier at the count, Green leader of Bristol City Council Tony Dyer said: “It's important that whoever the new combined authority mayor is, there is a need for them to recognise the progress that has been made.”

The Metro Mayor heads the West of England Combined Authority which is responsible for improving

New Metro Mayor Helen Godwin Photo © WECA

transport across Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, and South Gloucestershire and attracting and delivering major investment.

A major part of the role is working with the leaders of each council as the West of England Combined Authority committee.

Addressing the count after the results were declared, Ms Godwin said: “It genuinely is the honour of my life to be your new West of England Mayor.”

She said: “I will be a Mayor who prioritises place over party. To those who didn’t vote for me there’s quite a few - I hear you too.

My door will always be open and I will work just as hard to represent your interests and address your concerns.”

But her win came amid a night of sweeping gains for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, who won the Runcorn by-election, and the Greater Lincolnshire Mayor.

Arron Banks, the Reform candidate for the West of England said: “There is a tidal wave going on in the UK at the moment. We have seen Reform victory after Reform victory.”

Despite losing to Ms Godwin, Mr Banks described Reform’s performance in the West of England as “pretty epic.”

He said: “Bristol and Bath should not be natural Reform territory and we aced it. The Greens will be disappointed they didn’t win but it was a good result for us.”

The Greens hoped to ride a wave of recent electoral success in Bristol, where last year the Green Party won the council and its coleader Carla Denyer won Bristol Central in the general election.

Although the Greens were only about 2,500 votes behind Labour in Bristol itself, the party came third overall with 41,094 votes.

Green Party candidate Mary Page said: “In Bristol we came second.

I am absolutely stoked by that.

Our campaign was run on a shoestring. It was pulled together last minute because I had to be that replacement candidate and needs must and I stepped up.”

She said: “In 2027, South Gloucestershire and Bath have both got elections and in 2028 Bristol has. So Labour and Reform, we are not going anywhere.”

The full result was: • Arron Banks (Reform UK): 45,252 votes • Helen Godwin (Labour): 51,197 votes • Oli Henman (Lib Dem): 28,711 votes • Mary Page (Green): 41,094 votes • Ian Scott (Independent): 4,682 votes • Steve Smith (Conservative): 34,092 votes

Business Directory Beauty

Construction

Public Notices NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF PREMISES LICENCE UNDER THE LICENSING ACT 2003 Lalitha Traders Ltd applied to Bath & Northeast Somerset Council on 25 April 2025 for a PREMISES license to use the premises at Goulash 78 Lower Bristol Rd, Bath BA2 3BG for Late Night Refreshment between 23:00 pm to 01:00 am.

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 29th May 2025 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: 05/05/2025

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P24

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Friday 9th May - Thursday 22nd May 2025

Sport

Upcoming Fixtures

Ceremony held to celebrate sporting achievements A SPECIAL ceremony has been held at the Roman Baths and Pump Room to celebrate the achievements made by sporting students at the University of Bath.

Golfer Charlotte Gregory was voted by her fellow students as the university’s Sports Personality of the Year at the 2025 Blues Awards.

The Psychology student was presented with her prize by Cassie Wilson, the university’s Pro Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience), during the annual event.

This year’s ceremony also celebrated the achievements of the Paris 2024 Olympians and Paralympians who train or studied at the University of Bath, a UK Sport-accredited Elite Training Centre, through the presentation of Special Honorary Blues. It was a double success for Gregory, who also received the Martyn Hedges Award, the highest accolade awarded by the University of Bath

Left: Charlotte Gregory receives her award from Professor Cassie Wilson Above: The main award winners | Photos © The SU Bath

Blues Committee, in recognition of her work as player, team captain and chair with the university’s golf club.

The Ivor Powell Award for Excellence in Coaching went to Assistant Swimming Coach Andrei Vorontsov, who was previously Head Coach for Russia and Sweden at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games respectively.

An excellent evening for the judo club saw chair Ammar Mir receive the David VandeLinde Prize recognising sporting accomplishment, leadership and academic success, while the mixed team that dominated the 2025 BUCS Judo Championships was named as Team of the Year.

Rowing chair Calla Spires had double cause for celebration after Crew Bath took the Club of the Year accolade and she was named as Gethin John Bevan Club Member of the Year.

Lucymay Treacy of the Bath Jets Cheerleading Club was SU Sport Volunteer Coach of the Year.

Alumni Fund Sporting Scholar Justin Davies was recognised with the BUCS Individual Performance of the Year honour after being crowned as the British Athletics 800m indoor champion.

He, along with Spires and Olympic modern pentathlete Charlie Brown, was also on the Sports Personality of the Year shortlist.

Among those receiving Honorary Blues were long-standing badminton coach Peter Bush and seven athletes who have won World Championships or World Cup medals during the past year while training at the university – bobsleigh’s Leon Greenwood and Taylor Lawrence; karate’s Jonny Gough; skeleton’s Amelia Coltman, Tabby Stoecker and Freya Tarbit; and wheelchair fencer Joshua Waddell.

The Blues Awards is an annual University of Bath event which The SU Bath (Students' Union) and Department for Sports Development and Recreation (Team Bath) support together.

Three medals for athletics squad at BUCS Champs THE University of Bath Student Performance Sport athletics squad won three medals at the 2025 BUCS Outdoor Championships.

Sporting scholar Aleeya Sibbons made a winning return from long-term injury at the event at the Manchester Regional Arena.

Lizzy Ingram and Ariyanna McGee also ran season’s best times to secure well-earned bronze medals in the 2000m steeplechase and 100m hurdles respectively.

Senior GB international Sibbons,

who is supported by a Santander Scholarship as she studies Architecture at the university, last competed at the Olympic Trials 10 months ago but suffered an ankle injury.

After a winter of working back to full fitness at the Team Bath Sports Training Village, Sibbons dominated the women’s 100m competition as she comfortably won her heat and semi-final before running 11.82 into a strong headwind to clinch gold.

Colin Bovell, Track and Field Head Coach at the University,

Ingram (366) at the championships Photo © BUCS

said: “This was a strong comeback race for Aleeya after long-term injury and shows great promise

for the coming season.”

McGee also had to battle a headwind in the 100m hurdles final but produced a great performance to finish third in 13.90, just six-hundredths of a second off a silver medal.

Fellow Sports Management and Coaching student Ingram also impressed as she won steeplechase bronze in 6:52.25, just outside her personal best and only half a second behind Birmingham’s Alibhe Barnes after the duo enjoyed a hardfought battle.

Across: 1 Road map, 5 Olympic, 9 Buffalo, 10 Blocker, 11 Talented, 12 Tissue, 13 Classmates, 16 Taps, 18 Hops, 19 Percussion, 22 Noises, 23 Time bomb, 26 At night, 27 Abigail, 28 Yielded, 29 Afghans.

Down: 1 Robotic, 2 Awful, 3 Meanness, 4 Promenade, 5 Orbs, 6 Yeovil, 7 Pakistani, 8 Cartels, 14 Appliance, 15 Enchilada, 17 Ushering, 1 8 Hungary, 20 Nibbles, 21 Merged, 24 O'Hara, 25 PTSD.

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Saturday 10th May – 3.05pm Bath Rugby v Bristol Bears (Away) Gallagher Premiership – R16 Saturday 17th May – 5.30pm Bath Rugby v Leicester Tigers (Home) Gallagher Premiership – R17

Bath Cricket Club (1ST XI)

Saturday 10th May – 12pm Bath 1st XI v Potterne (Home) WEPL – Premier 1 Saturday 17th May – 12pm Bath 1st XI v Taunton St Andrews (Home) WEPL Premier 1 Sunday 18th May – 1pm Bath Wanderers 1st XI v Golden Hill (Away) WEPL - Womens Premier League

Lansdown Cricket Club (1ST XI) Saturday 10th May – 12pm Lansdown 1st XI v Taunton CC Prem 2 Bristol/Som Sunday 11th May Lansdown Womens 1st XI v Taunton CC – Womens 1st XI Somerset Women's T20 Blitz Division Saturday 17th May – 12pm Lansdown 1st XI v Keynsham CC 1st XI Prem 2 Bristol/Som Sunday 18th May Lansdown Womens 1st XI v Chard CC Womens 1st XI Somerset Women's T20 Blitz Division 2

Team Bath Netball Sunday 11th May – 1pm Team Bath v Nottingham Forest (Away)

Crossword answers - Issue 102 (25/04/2025)

• Straight or Curved • Indoor or Outdoor • Fast Installation • Personal Service • Local Company

Bath Rugby

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