News/Bulletins

We would like to share the following clarification received from B&NES Council in response to an enquiry from George Feiger regarding the recent Open Space Notice for the Royal Victoria Park Golf and Footgolf site.

The wording of the notice, particularly the term “dispose of”, has understandably caused some concern among residents who interpreted this as suggesting that the land might be sold.

The Council has confirmed that there are no plans to sell the land, which will remain in Council ownership. Instead, the proposal is to grant a lease to a new operator to continue managing the golf and footgolf facilities.

Importantly, the Council has also confirmed that public access will be maintained, including for those not using the golf facilities, and that existing footpaths will remain accessible.

The Open Space Notice is part of the statutory process required before granting a new lease, allowing members of the public to submit comments or objections.

Please see the Council’s response to George below for further details.

Dear Mr Feiger,

Thank you for your email regarding the Open Space Notice for the Royal Victoria Park Golf and Footgolf site (PF05/RG3/1).

For clarity, the Council is not proposing to dispose of or sell the land. Ownership of the site will remain with Bath and North East Somerset Council. The proposal relates to granting a lease to a new operator for the continued management and operation of the site as a golf and footgolf facility, consistent with its longstanding recreational use.

Public access to the site will continue. The specification for the new operator requires the site to remain freely and openly accessible to members of the public, including people who are not using the golf or footgolf facilities, and the existing footpaths will remain.

The Open Space Notice is a statutory process that the Council must undertake before granting a new lease. It gives members of the public an opportunity to make representations or objections, which the Council will consider before making a decision on the proposed lease.

The formal procurement process is now being concluded, with the intention that the new contract begins on 1 November 2026. Further details about the new operator will be shared once that process has been completed.

Kind Regards

Martin Pellow

Head of Leisure and Physical Activity

Public Health and Prevention
Bath and North East Somerset Council

Please see below details of a drop-in session on the Milsom Quarter project.

Friday 25 September, 9.30am to midday, St Michael’s
Church (Broad Street, Bath, BA1 5LJ).

B&NES council is inviting residents to take part in the next phase of public engagement on the Milsom Quarter Public Realm Project.  The key information as received from B&NES is as follows:

“The Milsom Quarter Public Realm project forms part of the wider regeneration of the Milsom Quarter area, which includes proposals for the relocation of the Fashion Museum Bath to the Old Post Office and improvements to the surrounding streets and public spaces. Further information on the Public Realm project can be found on our website:
https://www.fashionmuseum.co.uk/milsom-quarter-public-space

As part of a wider programme of public engagement taking place on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th September, we have reserved a dedicated session for residents’ associations between 9.30am and 12.00pm on Friday 25th September. This will provide an opportunity to share the latest proposals, explain how the project has developed since previous consultation activities, and discuss the next stages of the programme.

The session will provide an opportunity to:

– Receive the latest updates on the Milsom Quarter Public Realm project
– View and discuss the updated proposals with the project team and
designers
– Understand the forthcoming programme and key milestones
– Share any feedback, opportunities or concerns from a residents’ perspective
– Ask questions about the proposals and next steps

We look forward to hearing from you and continuing to work together as the project progresses.”

Please do attend and provide your feedback on the new proposals, which are not only instrumental in
continuing development of the new venue for Bath’s nationally significant Fashion Museum collection, but also include significant wider public realm and highways changes proposed across this part of the city.

It’s great to see work getting underway on painting the lamp posts in Brock Street, the Circus and Gay Street as a result of CARA lobbying!

For those who may not subscribe to Richard Wyatt’s excellent “BATH NEWSEUM”, a daily web-site of local news, please find below a link (please click on link at end of this note) containing some initial comments by Richard regarding the city’s TootBus operation, followed by comments/response from our CARA chair in respect of just some of our concerns in attempting to improve the current operation of this important city-wide service.

Members will be aware that our last CARA – Autumn Bulletin alluded to the status of our dialogues relating to the TootBus operation at that time. In December, TootBus was acquired by its current new owners First Bus from its previous French owners RATP. With this change of ownership, we paused our dialogues for an appropriate period of time. 

For information and to keep you up to date, both Malcolm and George Feiger, our Vice-Chair, have a meeting with a WECA (West of England Combined Authority) later this month to follow up on some of the current aspects of the TootBus operation as it impacts on our CARA catchment area. 

It is hoped that following the meeting with WECA, to get a better understanding of their responsibilities and remit with regard to First Bus, a meeting with the new owner/operator of TootBus will also follow.

We mentioned in our “CARA Bulletin” – Autumn edition that our application for ‘adopting’ the BT telephone kiosk located in Queens Parade Place, with a view to undertaking its refurbishment, had been rejected by BT as CARA is not a registered charity.

We also indicated that we had  “……commenced a dialogue with other appropriate parties who might have a mutual interest in gaining a resolution to this long unresolved public-realm eyesore.”

I am delighted to confirm that as a result of our discussions, a particularly credible local organisation, The Bath Preservation Trust, has initiated the process of ‘adopting’ this particular kiosk with the intention of undertaking the refurbishment/restoration work. Recent communications indicate that the ‘adoption’ process should be completed by the end of December, albeit the actual restoration and  refurbishment work will likely require some further consideration prior to its commencement.

Our particular thanks to The Bath Preservation Trust have obviously been expressed for their involvement and generosity in providing a resolution to this long-standing issue.

Malcolm Baldwin

Chair – Circus Area Residents Association (CARA)

P.S. We have suggested to BPT that once the kiosk is restored, perhaps some tasteful graphics providing some information about the history of the Gravel Walk might be an appropriate option as part of the overall refurbishment.

I am conscious that this particular update relating to 4 the Circus might well have most relevance to our members residing in the Circus rather to our whole membership, but I am also conscious that at our last CARA Annual General Meeting I committed to keep attendee members in general up to date with any developments regarding this important property located in this prime location within our catchment area.

Please, therefore, find below a link to a document relating to 4 the Circus scheduled for discussion by the B&NES Charitable Trust Board on 9th December.

As also mentioned in our “CARA Bulletin” – Autumn edition, CARA has on an ongoing basis continued “……to encourage both appropriate regularisation and resolution to this important heritage property”.

It is consequently a potentially positive move to see that discussion of the status of 4 Circus is now very much figuring on the Council’s agenda.

https://democracy.bathnes.gov.uk/documents/s89733/Nomination%20and%20Indemnity%20report%20to%20CTB_FGC_No4Circus_9.12.25%20002%20CH%20amends.pdf

Malcolm Baldwin
Chair – Circus Area Residents Association