Welcome to Bath Preservation Trust
NEWS RELEASE – 5th November 2008
Bath Preservation Trust welcomes UNESCO visit and raises three challenges
Bath Preservation Trust has welcomed the visit by UNESCO inspectors to Bath, in the hope that this will draw greater attention to the challenges facing Bath as a World Heritage Site.
The Bath Preservation Trust will focus on three issues when they meet inspectors on Friday:
. The Western Riverside project to redevelop a derelict area for housing. The design of the proposed development will include tall and bulky buildings inappropriate to Bath.
. Government plans to increase housing in and around Bath with 6000 houses planned within in the City boundaries and an urban extension of 1500 homes into Bath’s surrounding countryside. The landscape setting is an important part of the World Heritage Site Values; and
. The need for proper investment in a World Heritage Site Management plan. The Council’s published plan for 2003-2009 has large areas which have not been effectively implemented. For example, planning guidance for view management and building heights should be strengthened according to the values of the World Heritage Site, and more resource should be directed to interpreting the City’s Georgian architecture.
Caroline Kay, Chief Executive of the Bath Preservation Trust, said, “The World Heritage status of Bath recognises its position as a national and international treasure. Bath Preservation Trust believes that in order to respect that status, more needs to be done to ensure that the City puts its heritage at the heart of all of its plans for development of its future.”
For further information contact Caroline Kay, Chief Executive
Bath Preservation Trust
Tel: 01225 338 727 Email: ckay@bptrust.org.uk
DRAFT REGIONAL SPATIAL STRATEGY
A Call to Oppose Higher Numbers of Houses for Bath
The Government is set 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.
PROTECTION OF WORLD HERITAGE SITES 2008
The Trust has recently 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.
ROYAL CRESCENT PAVING AND RAILINGS
English Heritage in June gave approval for the restoration of the Royal Crescent railings to go ahead, following the completion of the restoration of two test sections. The restoration process officially began with the removal of the first set of railings on 18th August.
For more information about the project see the Royal Crescent Society’s website.
The picture on the left shows the park in front of the Royal Crescent used as allotments during the war years, when the haha was filled in with spoil.