Campaigns
FIND THE LATEST NEWS HERE ...
... and information about other key issues further down the page, or via the links on the left…
CORE STRATEGY ‘FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED’, SAYS ENGLISH HERITAGE
English Heritage have come out with strong criticism of B&NES in their response to the Core Strategy Consultation, in particular in relation to the proposal for urban extensions. To read their full response click here.
TRUST SLAMS URBAN EXTENSION IN B&NES CORE STRATEGY RESPONSE
The Bath Preservation Trust has responded to the Council’s Core Strategy Spatial Options Consultation.
For a copy of the Trust’s news release (Bath Preservation Trust slams Urban Extension proposal and calls for greater protection of the World Heritage Site through the Core Strategy) click here.
The Core Strategy is a planning document which will set out the long term vision for development across Bath and North East Somerset from now until 2026. It will form part of the Local Development Framework and will replace the current Local Plan and, once adopted in 2011, will provide the general allocations for new housing, jobs and other strategic developments such as transport and energy infrastructure.
For details of the Trust’s position on key challenges click here.
The Trust’s detailed response to the Core Strategy Options Consultation can be dowloaded here.
NEW GUIDANCE FOR CLEANING BATH STONE
The Trust in partnership with the Historic Environment Team at B&NES Council has published new guidance for the cleaning of Bath stone.To download click here.
BATH TRANSPORTATION PACKAGE/NEW PARK & RIDE
An independent group called VeraCity Bath has been set up to fight the Bath Transportation Package; they are currently involved in taking legal actions against the Government Office South West and B&NES Council and are raising funds to support this action. BPT is not a member of this group but continues to keep a watching brief and to oppose a P&R on Bathampton Meadows. For more information follow this link.
Government says NO to Public Inquiry. The Secretary of State announced on the 8th October that the planning applications for a new park and ride and Batheaston and the Rapid Transit route through Newbridge should be dealt with by B&NES Council and that there will be no call-in for a Public Inquiry. The Bath Preservation Trust regrets the Secretary of State’s decision that the impact of a park and ride site, on the universally significant landscape setting to the city of Bath World Heritage Site, is not more than of local importance.
For the Trust’s response to proposals for the park and ride site to the east of Bath click here. BPT wrote to the GOSW to request that the proposal is called-in for determination at a Public Inquiry, view the letter here.
See also the related letter in The Guardian from Chief Executive Caroline Kay.
RECREATION GROUND
Trustees’ statement
Over the summer 2009 the Trustees heard from all interested parties in relation to the current situation at the Bath Recreation Ground. At the Trustees’ meeting at the end of September they agreed a position statement reflecting the current position of the Trust which in the judgement of the Trustees reflected most appropriately the views they had heard, including from members. This takes into account the fact that there are as yet no firm plans and that it is a moving situation. Members continue to be invited to make their views known via email at architecture@bptrust.org.uk
You can read the full position statement here.
PUBLIC REALM
For information about the Streetscape Working Group, the Public Realm and Movement Strategy and the City Centre Clean-Ups go to our Public Realm section, which can also be accessed under the Campaigns and Concerns link on the left.
UNESCO DECISION
Bath Preservation Trust welcomed the decision before UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee on 25th June 2009 particularly with its emphasis on greater protection of Bath’s landscape setting and the call to revise the plans for Western Riverside.
Although the Council has described the report as a ‘clean bill of health’, Bath Preservation Trust would encourage the Council to demonstrate their commitment to the promises made to UNESCO by placing historic environment and landscape setting SPDs into their plans for the Local Development Plan, by introducing article 4 directions for development across Bath, and to convert the many strategies and plans into direct policies and actions.
All the documentation relating to the Bath/UNESCO visit can be found through this link to the DCMS website.
The Full UNESCO Draft Report and Decision can be found here.
The Full BPT Press release can be found here
RENOVATIONS REVIEW
For the better part of 30 years the Trust has led the way in putting back lost architectural features, directly saving buildings and monuments and persuading other people that they should do the same. To read more click here
DRAFT REGIONAL SPATIAL STRATEGY
A Call to Oppose Higher Numbers of Houses for Bath
The Government plans to impose even higher housing target figures for Bath in the Draft Regional Spatial Strategy, the spatial plan for growth and development in the south-west from 2006-2026. See the RSS page for more details.
WORLD HERITAGE CONSULTATIONS
The Trust has responded to the Department of Culture Media and Sports consultation on World Heritage for the Nation. Click here for what we said.
The Trust submitted a response to the Government’s consultation on the Protection of World Heritage Sites. Read the consultation document here, and the Trust’s response here. For background on Bath’s World Heritage status go to the World Heritage page.
BUILDING HEIGHTS GUIDANCE FOR BATH
Bath Preservation Trust in a May press release called on Bath and North East Somerset Council to produce supplementary planning guidance on buildings heights in Bath, in line with English Heritage recommendations. See our Buildings Guidance page for details.
BATH WESTERN RIVERSIDE
For details on the decision not to call in the Western Riverside planning application, visit the Western Riverside page.
To view the letter from the Government Office for the South West to the Council which sets out their reasons for deciding not to intervene click here.
Also on the Western Riverside page, read the views of the Prince of Wales, Bath Preservation Trust’s Patron, on the impact of tall buildings on sensitive historic sites.