ECHO
Friday 25th September - Thursday 8th October 2026
www.bathecho.co.uk
Issue No. 139
Google Rated
Landscaping & Gardening Experts
07542 672 032
Find us on social media @BathEcho
FREE TO TAKE
Your FREE independent newspaper for Bath - reaching thousands of people every issue!
HOMES PLAN REVEALED Potential locations for new developments made public - P4
Don't miss the latest sports news with our expanded team coverage! P22 onwards
WEEKENDER
the
Five-year deal secures future of Newton House respite care - P2
Plans are in to demolish former Culverhay School site - P3
Is this a contender for the title of Bath’s biggest pumpkin? - P10
TILED & SLATE ROOFS • GUTTERS, FASCIAS & SOFFITS FLAT ROOFS • CHIMNEY REPAIRS • VELUX WINDOWS
01225 982761 • www.noadroofing.com Book your free* drone survey today! *Terms Apply
FOLLOW US
P2
Friday 25th September - Thursday 8th October 2026
www.bathecho.co.uk
Five-year deal secures future of Bath respite care P10
What’s On
P12
Food & Drink
P13
Crossword
P15
Community
P16
Health
P18
Education
P19
Business
P20
Politics
P21
Sports & Fixtures
P22
Useful Information Thousands of copies are delivered and distributed across Bath via our pick-up points and at cafés, venues, waiting rooms and local libraries.
How to get in touch with us... For news items and press releases: news@bathecho.co.uk 01225 585484 Editor Sebastian Hawker editor@bathecho.co.uk Becky Feather, Reporter becky@bathecho.co.uk Richard Briggs, Sports Reporter richard@bathecho.co.uk Advertising & Marketing: 01225 585484 advertise@bathecho.co.uk For sport and match reports: sport@bathecho.co.uk 01225 585484 Want to have a letter published? letters@bathecho.co.uk Subscriptions/Distribution: production@bathecho.co.uk 01225 585484 Published by Media Bath Limited
Bath Echo, PO Box 5395, Bath, BA1 0YA
Company Number: 09384496
Disclaimer Please note, the views expressed in this newspaper are not necessarily the views of the editor, or publisher. No parts of this newspaper may be reproduced without prior written permission. Liability for advertising in this publication comes down to the individual advertiser, and not the publisher. © Media Bath Limited
ISSN 2632-7805 The Bath Echo is regulated by IMPRESS: The Independent Monitor for the Press CIC. We adhere to the Standards Code adopted by IMPRESS, and can only deal with complaints which relate to an alleged breach of the standards set out in this Code. You can find out more about the code on the IMPRESS website: www.impressorg.com If you believe we have breached this code, you can make a complaint to us regarding it. For more information, please visit: www.bathecho.co.uk/complaints/
Newton House on Tanners Walk in Twerton
“It is a service reshaped with families, built on trusted relationships and focused on what matters most: high-quality, flexible respite that people can rely on. “Thank you to the carers and their families who contributed their time over the last 18 months to make a real difference to respite support in B&NES.” Newton House provides supported short breaks and
respite care, as well as transitional support, day support and help with life skills. The service is rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission. Rachael Dodgson, chief executive of Dimensions UK, said: “We know how difficult it has been for families and we are delighted that the families and carers we support can be reassured that our support will continue. Newton House is the only place of its kind
From the Editor... Opinion, insight and the stories shaping Bath this week
I
T’S difficult to imagine many subjects more guaranteed to get people talking than housing. Bath & North East Somerset Council’s proposed Local Plan is now out for its final consultation, setting out where thousands of homes could be built across the district over the coming years. The plan is intended to guide development up to 2043, with the council required to identify land for significantly more housing following changes to national targets (see page 4). And whichever part of Bath and North East Somerset you live in, there is a good chance something in it will catch your attention. In Bath itself, the proposals range from familiar brownfield regeneration sites to smaller pockets of land and sites on the edge of the city. Elsewhere, some communities could see far more
substantial change. That inevitably leads us to the uncomfortable subject of NIMBYism - or “not in my back yard”. It is a phrase that gets thrown around rather too easily. Objecting to development does not automatically make someone a NIMBY. People are perfectly entitled to worry about traffic, schools, healthcare, the loss of green space, pressure on local services or whether a proposed development is simply too large for the place in which it is being built. Those concerns deserve to be heard. But there is another side to the argument. We frequently hear about the shortage of homes, the difficulty younger people have finding somewhere affordable to live and the challenge of keeping families in the communities
Advert Size Full Page
6+ issues* £374
Half Page
£246
Quarter Page
£178
Eighth Page
£136
Sixteenth Page
£69
Page Banner
£178
12+ issues* £308 £203 £147 £112 £56 £147
26 issues* £220 £145 £105 £80 £40 £105
Advertise in this newspaper to reach thousands of potential customers. We offer a range of options to meet all budgets. Find out more and book your advert today. Call us on 01225 585484 or email advertise@bathecho.co.uk
in Bath providing overnight short breaks for families who care for loved ones with a disability. “It has been fantastic, and a great privilege for us at Dimensions, to work alongside families to design this service in a way that truly reflects the needs of the people who use it.” Dimensions is the UK’s largest not-for-profit support provider for adults with learning disabilities and autistic people.
Sebastian Hawker
where they grew up. If we accept that more homes are needed, then inevitably they have to be built somewhere. That is what makes this Local Plan such an important document. These are not simply coloured areas on a planning map. Decisions being discussed now could determine what villages, towns and parts of Bath look like for decades. A field at the edge of a village today could eventually become streets, homes, schools and shops. An industrial site could become an entirely new neighbourhood. Places we have known in one form for years could look very different to the next generation. And that is why the debate needs to be more nuanced than simply being “for” or “against” development.
The real questions are where homes should go, what type of homes are needed, whether the infrastructure will arrive alongside them and how development can happen without losing the things that make individual communities distinctive. Previous consultation on the Local Plan attracted thousands of responses, showing just how strongly people feel about the future of the district. The latest consultation runs until 30th October, before the plan is submitted for independent examination. Whatever eventually emerges, the decisions being made now will leave a mark on Bath and North East Somerset long after most of us have stopped arguing about them.
Where to get your FREE copy of the Bath Echo newspaper
Affordable advertising for local businesses INCLUDES 50% DISCOUNT
The Weekender
THE long-term future of a Bath respite care service has been secured following 18 months of work involving families, carers and Bath & North East Somerset Council. A new five-year contract has been agreed with Dimensions UK to continue operating Newton House in Twerton. The service provides respite care and short-term breaks for people with complex needs, giving carers time to rest or manage other responsibilities while their loved ones continue to receive support. Its future had been uncertain 18 months ago, but families have since worked with the council to help shape the new arrangements. One family said: “It has been really encouraging to see ideas discussed with families genuinely reflected in the final outcome. “We hope this approach will be used again in future to give families the support we need.” Councillor Alison Born, lead member for adult social care, said: “This is much more than a contract renewal.
*Price per issue
P2-9
INCLUDES 30% DISCOUNT
Top Stories
INCLUDES 15% DISCOUNT
In this issue...
Marks & Spencer
17 Southgate Place, Bath, BA1 1AP
Morrisons
York Place, London Road, Bath, BA1 6AN
Prior Park Garden Centre
Prior Park Road, Bath, BA2 4NF
Royal United Hospital
The Atrium, RUH, Combe Park, Bath, BA1 3NG
Sainsbury’s (Green Park)
Green Park Station, Green Park Road, Bath, BA1 2DR
Sainsbury’s (Odd Down)
Frome Road, Bath, BA2 5RF
Tesco Express (Wellsway)
52 Wellsway, Bath, BA2 4SA
Tesco Express (Weston)
20 High Street, Upper Weston, Bath, BA1 4BX
The Hub, Mulberry Park
Mulberry Way, Combe Down, Bath, BA2 5BU
Waitrose
The Podium, Northgate Street, Bath, BA1 5AL
You can start a delivery subscription from just £5 per month. Visit subscribe.bathecho.co.uk or call 01225 585484 to get started.
Issue 139
P3
Your City, Your News - Bath Echo
Plans are in to demolish Culverhay School site Becky Feather Reporter
A PLANNING application has been submitted to pull down most of the buildings at the former Culverhay School site. The demolition will pave the way for the Green Ways Academy, a 120-place Special Free School for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), to be built on the site at Rush Hill. The application has been lodged with Bath & North East Somerset Council’s planning department by its education directorate. Demolition work is proposed to start early next year but Building A remains occupied by a Hindu Temple under an existing lease arrangement that expires in July 2027. In recognition of this, demolition proposals have been developed on a phased basis, and that building will be included in a later phase. The planning application says the ongoing maintenance cost of securing the site in the longer term has meant that the demolition proposals have come forward before the formal planning application for the new school. The first school opened on
the site 70 years ago. Westhill Boys’ School transitioned into Culverhay School in 1971 following the reorganisation of Bath’s secondary education system. In 2012, the school became coeducational and rebranded as Bath Community Academy. It closed in 2018 due to declining pupil numbers and viability concerns, although part of the building was used by St Matthias Academy, a specialist provider for students unable to remain in their mainstream provider. St Matthias relocated to the former Abbot Alphege Academy at Lansdown a year and a half ago, and the community sports centre that was also on the Rush Hill site closed in May 2025. The application for demolition explains that since its closure, the campus has remained in the ownership of B&NES Council. The buildings are considered to have reached the end of their economic life, but the site has continued to incur significant holding costs, estimated at more than £500,000 across recent years. A demolition contractor has not yet been formally appointed, but Miles White Transport Ltd has been appointed to prepare a traffic management plan to support the demolition work. There are three vehicle access
The former Culverhay site, which became Bath Community Academy
points to the site but only the central one will be used by HGVs during the demolition process and will be temporarily widened. The plan includes measures to control the timing of vehicle arrivals and departures to and from the site across the day to minimise the traffic impact. Beyond the Rush Hill corridor, HGVs will join the A367 Wellsway, the A4 towards Bristol or the A39 towards Wells. The report says that at this stage it is not possible to identify where waste and recyclable materials will be transported to, or to identify the specifics of the routes the vehicles will follow. It is, however, considered likely that most HGVs will travel to and from the west and the A4 / A39 as the number of waste transfer
stations and recycling plants available in this direction is greater than in the other. More detailed information on routing will be provided once a demolition contractor has been formally appointed. The proposed site working hours will be 8am to 5pm on weekdays and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays. No works will be undertaken on Sundays or bank holidays. The demolition proposals include ecological mitigation and protection. Last month more than 200 former pupils, teachers and members of staff returned to the school site to take a last look around, as the Echo reported at the time. The planning reference is 26/03276/DEM, and the deadline for any comments is 6th October.
New parking restrictions set to come into force Becky Feather Reporter
FOLLOWING consultation, new parking restrictions are set to come into force in the southwest area of Bath on 1st October. Bath & North East Somerset Council says the measures were requested by local councillors on behalf of their residents, or by council officers, and are required for various reasons, including to prevent obstruction, improve visibility at junctions, and to provide additional on-street parking provision. Under the traffic order, no parking at any time restrictions (double yellow lines) are being introduced on more than 30 roads: • Stanway Close • Oolite Road • Chantry Mead Road
Double yellow lines will be introduced on more than 30 roads
• Wellsway Close • Beckhampton Road • Kingsway • Englishcombe Lane • Hazel Grove • Padleigh Hill • Old Fosse Road • Upper Bloomfield Road • Shaws Way • Landseer Road • The Oval
• How Hill • Newton Road • Boyce Close • Hensley Road • Highland Road • Shophouse Road • Upper Bloomfield Road • Roundhill Grove • Odins Road • Wansdyke Road • Eastover Grove
• Colbourne Road • Vernham Grove • Shickle Grove • Barrow Road • Frome Road • Cynthia Road • Lower Bristol Road The order also brings in no parking between 8am and 6pm on Lower Oldfield Park; no parking between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday on Mount Road; and no parking / no loading at any time restrictions on Wellsway. No parking at any time restrictions on Shophouse Road will be removed. A bus stop clearway will be introduced on Newton Road and Sladebrook Road. There will be new Blue Badge holder only parking bays on Wedgwood Road and a Zone 18 permit holder parking bay will be introduced on Bloomfield Avenue.
News in Brief Batheaston closures for Openreach works Bath & North East Somerset Council has granted an order to allow temporary road closures in Batheaston to allow works by Openreach. Works are anticipated to take place between 1st and 7th October at Ramscombe Lane from its junction with Hollies Lane, extending west for its entire length. Between 9th and 15th October there will be works affecting Hollies Lane from its junction with Ramscombe Lane, extending south to its junction with Northend, and Northend from its junction with Hollies Lane extending north east to outside Myrtle Cottage. Only one road will be closed at a time. Diversions will be in place.
Historic Bath hotel reopens its doors Parade Hotel has reopened its doors after a major refurbishment. Occupying three Georgian townhouses on North Parade, it was previously known as Parade Park Hotel. The boutique hotel, which overlooks Parade Gardens, Bath Abbey and the River Avon, has 49 en-suite bedrooms, a bar, lounge and courtyard spa. A restaurant will be added in the second phase of the project, to open at the end of this year. The three original boarding houses were completed in 1748 by John Wood the Elder, credited with establishing Bath’s design character in the Georgian period.
Weather Forecast Fri 25th Sat 26th Sun 27th Mon 28th Tue 29th Wed 30th Thu 1st
22°c 20°c 22°c 20°c 22°c 23°c 20°c
Long range forecast:
(2nd to 8th October) Rain, showers and strong winds are on the way, with drier periods as the week progresses. Temperatures are expected to be above average for the time of year.
P4
www.bathecho.co.uk
Friday 25th September - Thursday 8th October 2026
Potential locations for thousands of homes in Bath revealed John Wimperis
Local Democracy Reporter
BATH & North East Somerset Council has mapped out where 5,900 homes should be built across the city of Bath over the next 18 years. The “Local Plan” — which will be going out for a final public consultation — is a major document setting out the council’s planning policies for the next 18 years and where developments should go. The Liberal Democrat council cabinet faced a political firestorm as they approved the plan for consultation on Thursday 10th September. In 2024, the new Labour
government doubled the council’s housing target. Bath & North East Somerset Council was told to find space for 27,340 homes to be built over the next 18 years. The plan they have produced achieves about 80% of that. Despite Bath accounting for around half of the district’s population, it is only set to get around a quarter of the new homes. Keynsham, with a population five times smaller than Bath, is set to see a similar number of new homes. The administration has warned that building suburbs around the city would threaten its World Heritage Site status. They proposed allocating land
between the edge of Twerton and the Globe Roundabout for a 2,000-home westward expansion of the city, but were told by the planning inspector that the plan would be rejected if this was included without the support of UNESCO. Instead, most housing will happen in other parts of the district, increasing the sizes of several villages dramatically, expanding Keynsham, building around Radstock, and building a new town at Hicks Gate. In Bath, new housing is proposed on several small sites throughout the city, along brownfield sites along the River Avon in the west of the city, and on several small sites on the city’s edge — and one large and controversial one.
Part of the ‘north riverside’ allocation in the draft plan | Photo © John Wimperis
You can have your say at: https://bit.ly/4hE5nTA
Here is every site in the city which is set to be allocated for new residential development ■ Bath Quays North “The redevelopment of this site is one of the council’s flagship regeneration projects,” states Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Draft Local Plan. The council is allocating the site for a minimum of 70 homes, as part of a mixed-use development. Bath Quays North was described as “the most significant development in Bath in a generation” back in 2019. But after the company set to deliver it pulled out after Covid, the project “stalled” and building work never started. Bath and North East Somerset Council now plans to build 96 homes at two plots on the site itself. Last year, the council signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Bath to look at taking over the Bath Quays North redevelopment. The university said it would look at using the location to create new spaces for research, innovation and “enterprise activities.” The homes would be required to be 20% affordable. ■ Bath College Nearby and technically as part of the same allocation, the council says that 60 flats could be brought forward at Bath College if it is able to “intensify” its use of the site so that some areas are not needed for education. It would be required to be 20% affordable. ■ Sydenham Park Sydenham Park is a name for the former Homebase site. It is set to become a new city quarter, allocated for over 500 homes, employment space, retail, and a 150-bed hotel. 20% of the housing will be affordable. Councillors approved a 450home development at the site in May last year. ■ Bath Riverside Bath Riverside is an existing housing allocation, comprising a huge brownfield area of former industrial Bath centred around the large former gasworks. The
policy is for there to be around 1,750 dwellings across the whole site. A new North Bank allocation is intended to supplement the Bath Riverside allocation, including sites along the river and Upper Bristol Road from the empty Westmark site — where councillors recently refused a “too tall” co-living development — along to the Comfortable Place artists’ studios. This also includes Midland Road recycling centre where 176 homes have already been approved. Employment floorspace in these sites would have to be retained or replaced if housing was developed there. ■ Twerton Riverside Several sites in Twerton are identified in the plan as “smaller scale opportunities” which would provide housing and employment, as well as improve the townscape. These include: the Stable Yard Industrial Estate, where the council would want to see commercial floorspace replaced if developed; and the current temporary fire station at Roseberry Place could provide housing and employment. Both sites would need to provide a minimum of 20% affordable housing. ■ Lower Bristol Road sites Several sites around Avon Buildings and Argyle Terrace on the Lower Bristol Road could have “the potential to come forward for redevelopment or intensification at some point in the future,” the plan states. This includes the “very popular” McDonald’s, Avon Buildings, the “thriving” Bathwick Tyres business, and the recently built Costa Coffee. Few of these are likely to be redeveloped soon, but the council said they had been included in the plan “should circumstances change.” Housing on the sites would need to be 20% affordable. ■ Julian Road A small run of shops and garages on Julian Road at the back of
St James’s Square could be used for housing, 40% of which would have to be affordable, if the employment space could be replaced. No set number of homes is stated. The site is located directly across from the back of the Royal Crescent. ■ Kingswood Playing Fields The current playing fields of Kingswood School, right on the edge of the city in Lansdown, are included as a site for around 90 homes. 40% of the homes would have to be affordable and suitable replacement playing fields of an equal level would have to be provided. ■ Bath Equestrian Centre Around 40 homes, 40% of which would have to be affordable, could be delivered at the Bath Equestrian Centre site in Weston. The site is currently in the Green Belt but would be released from it as part of the Local Plan. ■ North of Napier Road Nearby, 40 homes could be built to the north of Napier Road and the west of Lansdown Lane, which connects Weston to Lansdown Road. 40% of the homes would be affordable. The site would also be removed from the Green Belt. ■ Car park on Combe Park A small car park on Combe Park is currently leased to the RUH but could become “a highquality, small-scale residential development” under the plan. This would deliver around 30 homes, 40% of which would be affordable.
Manvers Street, retained from previous policy, allocate the area for around 60 homes on the road. ■ Bath Quays South & Riverside Court Bath Quays South also remains allocated for around 70 homes, while Riverside Court is expected to deliver employment space “complemented by residential development that contributes towards the city’s housing requirements.” ■ South Bank In another previous policy the council is retaining, it wants to see a minimum of 100 homes built on the south bank of the river opposite Green Park. ■ Twerton Park The council is also keeping its support for Bath City’s home of Twerton Park to “provide a mixed-use development that supports the retention and regeneration of the football club and its facilities.” The development should include a mix of residential accommodation, but not student housing, and ensure that the football club can remain in this location. ■ Hartwells Garage The site of Hartwells Garage in Newbridge also remains allocated for between 80-100 homes. This could include specialist accommodation for older people, but not for students.
■ Land east of Station Road A “densely treed” section of former railway next to Station Road could be allocated for “high-quality, low-carbon housing.” The narrow site would deliver 20 homes, 40% of which would be affordable.
■ Burlington Street Where there is currently a car park for St Mary’s Church on Burlington Street, the council wants to see an extension of the terrace to provide residential housing. Student accommodation could be accepted here. The policy does not state a set number of homes.
■ Manvers Street Plans for the development of
■ Sion Hill 100 apartments
could
be
delivered at Bath Spa University’s Sion Hill Campus, as the university focuses on just two campuses. The council said development should be within the footprint of the existing building and be informed by “the site’s sensitive historic and landscape context.” ■ St Martin’s Hospital Some parts of this NHS facility are expected to be declared surplus to requirements and the council says that it could be used to provide 50 homes. The council said: “Provision of new dwellings shall be achieved through conversion of Kempthorne House, Midford House and Ash House, and through the redevelopment of Frome House.” ■ University of Bath, Claverton Down Campus The council says the University of Bath’s main campus should have the capacity to deliver around another 870 “study bedrooms.” ■ Sulis Down Despite Bath and North East Somerset Council’s planning committee rejecting plans for the “Sulis Down” development on the South Stoke Plateau on the southern tip of Bath in 2024, the site is set to remain allocated as a site for housing in its new local plan. The site was first allocated in 2013 as a site for around 300 homes, of which 40% should be affordable. Now that allocation is set to remain. The Hignett Family Trust’s plan to build 290 on the fields — in addition to the 171 already built — was refused planning permission in 2024, after a huge public backlash. In the council’s biggest planning battle of recent years, the developers appealed against the decision but lost to the council. The Hignett Family Trust submitted a new planning application, scaled back to 200 homes, earlier this year. Locals are still not impressed.
Issue 139
P5
Interested in advertising? Call 01225 585484
New Lidl junction would worsen traffic issues on London Road Becky Feather Reporter
LIDL’S plans to open a store at London Road West in Bath have suffered a setback after a study it commissioned highlighted that a proposed new junction would worsen traffic congestion in the area. The results also indicate that the network is expected to experience severe congestion whether or not a Lidl store is developed on the site to the north of Bath Rugby’s Lambridge training ground. The retailer says that a Lidl on the site remains a “key aspiration” and it wants to work with Bath & North East Somerset Council and National Highways to investigate possible solutions. The budget supermarket chain submitted an application to the council in April 2025 after withdrawing its previous bid in July 2024 so it could carry out “vital highways surveys”. Lidl is seeking full permission for a 2,283 square-metre store, with 81 car parking spaces and landscaping, with access provided from a new fourth arm added to the existing London Road / Gloucester Road signalised junction. The site is around 350 metres
How the new store could look | Image © Lidl GB
south west of the A46 London Road roundabout junction, which is managed and maintained by National Highways. National Highways’ review of the application in May last year had identified that the presented traffic modelling “does not reliably indicate the extent of increased queueing or the potential impact on the strategic road network, nor is it suitable for assessing the benefits of any proposed mitigation”. It issued a “holding recommendation” for six months, asking the council not to grant permission until Lidl could submit more information “necessary to determine the impact on the continued safe operation or the strategic road network and its assets”. Then last November, National Highways recommended the
applicant be given another six months to allow it “time to complete the outstanding transport work”. In May of this year National Highways extended the holding recommendation by a further six months, saying: “This is to provide time for the applicant to submit further information necessary to determine the impact of the proposal on the continued safe operation of the strategic road network and its assets, and thereby allow National Highways to provide the local planning authority with fully informed advice.” Now a simulation summary conducted on behalf of Lidl and put on the council’s planning portal has concluded: “It is clear that the results of the modelling are not as favourable as the project team would have hoped,
with the introduction of the new junction having a negative impact upon travel times and queuing within the study area, and whilst the tested options for traffic reductions providing some improvements, it is not enough to fully offset the impact of the scheme. “The base results indicate that the network is expected to experience severe congestion whether or not a Lidl store is developed on the site. “The project team would therefore welcome clarification on any proposals being considered by the council and National Highways to address these wider background network issues. “Otherwise, it appears that the existing and forecast background traffic issues have the potential to constrain or potentially prevent major developments to the east of Bath.” The report adds: “Development of this site remains a key aspiration of Lidl, who are keen to provide a store on the eastern side of Bath where few potential sites are available. “Lidl are committed to assisting with the investigation of local highway solutions which would help to offset the existing queuing issues along the corridor and
enable the cumulative highway impact of the proposed store to be considered acceptable by B&NES and National Highways.” There have been around 700 objectors and more than 230 comments of support for the proposed store. Recent comments of objection include: “There is no need for another supermarket in Bath as there are already ample including a Morrisons a few hundred yards away from this site. The traffic situation on the London Road is already at saturation point and is at a standstill for much of the day. “The disturbance and pollution caused by the erection of this supermarket is a cause of great concern to local residents. The disturbance of flora and fauna to the area alone should make this application a non-starter.” Comments of support include: “I currently drive to Aldi in Chippenham or Lidl on the other side of Bath. This would reduce my drive drastically. If appropriate consideration to the wildlife and landscape is taken into consideration during the build, I fully support it. “Many new houses have been built this end of Lambridge – I don’t understand how they could be allowed to be built and not an affordable supermarket.”
You deserve a break.
Relax and recharge for a day, a week or more.
At Rowden House in Frome, our compassionate day care and respite breaks offer personalised support, companionship and reassurance, giving you complete peace of mind.
Rowden House | BA11 3EA
somersetcare.co.uk
0808 175 6584
P6
www.bathecho.co.uk
Friday 25th September - Thursday 8th October 2026
Developer wins appeal for major new solar farm Becky Feather Reporter
AN inspector appointed by the Secretary of State has granted permission for a major solar farm on 28.2 hectares of the Green Belt near Bath - despite acknowledging that it will cause “significant” harm. The inspector overturned Bath & North East Somerset Council’s planning committee’s decision to refuse permission for Conrad Energy (Developments) II Ltd’s scheme at Middlepiece Lane. The solar farm on four agricultural fields will generate enough electricity to power more than 5,000 homes. The council had received more than 40 objections with concerns including the loss of agricultural land and the impact on the Green Belt, landscape and ecology. Six letters of support cited renewable energy, continued dual use with agriculture and limited local impact. The area to be covered by solar panels measures about 18 hectares with other parts of the site supporting infrastructure and biodiversity enhancements. Fields under the panels will be used for sheep grazing and the applicant has said the project is fully reversible; after 40 years, the land will benefit from increased biodiversity and an improved eco-system. The fields are currently said to be Grade 4 agricultural land, which is considered to be lower quality. Council officers had given significant weight to the need for renewable energy, locally and nationally, but said that the harm to the Green Belt and landscape in this case would not be outweighed by the benefits. The planning committee agreed and refused the plans last autumn. In appealing, Conrad Energy (Developments) II Ltd, which is the UK’s largest flexible power producer, said the availability of suitable alternative potential
development sites was “considered very carefully” and the site at Middlepiece Lane should be classed as Grey Belt. The planning inspector has agreed. The inspector’s 19-page report notes that whilst the appeal site appears large when viewed at a local level, it in fact occupies a very small proportion of the intervening Green Belt land between Keynsham and Bath. It says that alternative site selection assessment covered a search area of four kilometres, with Middlepiece Lane eventually chosen as the preferred option after balancing factors such as solar radiation potential, site access and environmental constraints. “I am satisfied that the chosen site has been selected through a proportionate and robust consideration of reasonable alternatives,” the inspector says. The site lies in the Limestone Plateau and Brook Valleys landscape and within the Farmborough Landscape Character Area. The report finds that the extensive solar arrays and infrastructure will “significantly erode” the pastoral character and appearance of the upper fields. The other two are said to be lower-lying, more enclosed and better contained within the landscape The inspector says: “Although the degree of effect would vary across the site, I find that the harm arising from development within the upper fields would result in a significant adverse effect on landscape character and visual amenity which would not be adequately mitigated by the proposed planting.” The proposal will also cause harm to nearby heritage assets – the Grade II listed Manor Farm, the Church of St Michael and the Monuments to the A’court and Ford families. The report describes this harm as “minor” but “nevertheless of
The land at Middlepiece Lane near Bath
considerable importance and weight”. The inspector concludes that considerations weigh substantially in favour of the proposal. “It will deliver significant renewable energy benefits, generating up to 22 GWh of clean electricity annually, equivalent to meeting the needs of around 5,574 households. This would result in the displacement of around 8,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year, based on current emissions factors, making a meaningful contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” The scheme will also make an important contribution to the council’s ambition to secure a minimum of 110MW of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2029. The report highlights that national policy makes clear that renewable energy proposals should be afforded substantial
weight, reflecting their role in the transition to a net zero future and improving energy security. Ecological and landscape enhancements at the site through biodiversity net gain (BNG) will achieve a 54.33% net gain of habitat, 12.95% of hedgerows and 19.88% of watercourse units. The inspector observes that subject to planning conditions, there will be no significant adverse impact on road safety during the construction phase. Identified locations close to the site where there would be high impact of glare upon road users will be mitigated through additional planting. With mitigation measures and conditions, the development will not cause unacceptable noise for people living nearby. The report also gives some weight to the provision of local jobs during the build and operational phases and the associated expenditure in the local economy.
Inspector addresses ‘hypothetical alternatives’ The planning inspector did consider the argument that an equivalent amount of solar generation could be accommodated on rooftop installations or previously developed land within B&NES, potentially with less environmental impact. “However, the appeal must be determined on the merits of the proposal before me rather than on the basis of hypothetical alternatives. “Moreover, there is insufficient evidence before me to demonstrate that such alternatives would be available, deliverable, or capable of providing equivalent generating capacity within a comparable timeframe.”
News in Brief Golf and footgolf set to temporarily continue Golf and footgolf will remain available at Royal Victoria Park this autumn after Bath & North East Somerset Council secured a temporary operator for the site. Excel Tennis Ltd has agreed to run the former Approach Golf Course at weekends during September and October, following the decision by Future Golf Ventures to cease trading on 31st August. Excel Tennis already operates the tennis courts and Treetop Café and has stepped in while the council completes the process of appointing a new long-term operator. The temporary arrangement means residents and visitors will still be able to use the golf and footgolf facilities on Saturdays and Sundays between 10am and 5pm. No booking is currently required, although online booking is due to be introduced. The council said a new long-term contract is expected to begin in November through an existing competitive tendering process. Future Golf Ventures informed the authority on 18th August that it intended to stop trading before the end of its contract. Work to find a replacement operator from November was already under way at that point. Councillor Alison Born, cabinet member for adult services, said: “We know how valued golf and footgolf are by residents and visitors and we are pleased to have secured an interim arrangement that will keep these activities available while we complete the process of appointing a new long-term operator. “I would like to thank Excel Tennis for stepping in at short notice to ensure continued public access to the facility from last weekend, and Future Golf Ventures for their operation of the site. “Our priority is to maintain access to this popular leisure facility and secure a sustainable long-term future for golf and footgolf in Royal Victoria Park.”
COLUMN | Clare Moody, Labour Police and Crime Commissioner
F
ROM my experience as your Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), I know that the people closest to local challenges often have the clearest understanding of what could help address them. I also know there is no shortage of passion, expertise and determination in our communities across Avon and Somerset. Over the past two and a half years, I’ve heard brilliant ideas from grassroots organisations, volunteers, residents and community leaders. But I have also heard that access to funding can be one of the biggest barriers to turning these
ideas into action. That is why I am investing half a million pounds over the next two years to support communityled projects that prevent crime, reduce harm and make communities safer. My new Community Fund invites Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisations to apply for grants up to £10,000 for projects that will make a real difference and support my Police and Crime Plan priorities. Those priorities include reducing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour, preventing crime, supporting victims, and strengthening community
relationships. More than 1,000 people across Avon and Somerset helped shape these priorities during my time campaigning and when I was elected as your Police and Crime Commissioner. They reflect the challenges, issues and priorities that you raised with me. While the police have a vital role to play in delivering these priorities, lasting improvements depend on partners, organisations and residents working together to prevent harm and improve safety in our neighbourhoods. This fund is about supporting you to do just this. It’s about backing
local solutions and enabling more of our communities’ ideas to become reality. It’s about driving positive local change and helping people who are at higher risk of harm, victimisation or offending. Applications for projects in Somerset are being administered through Somerset Community Foundation. Organisations in Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire should apply through Quartet Community Foundation. I encourage you to look at the application criteria
on their websites and explore whether the fund could support your work to improve safety and deliver these priorities. The deadline for the first round of applications is 16th October, but there will be several opportunities over the next two years to apply for grants through the Community Fund, as part of my ongoing commitment to investing in you and your ideas, wherever you live in Avon and Somerset. I look forward to seeing the ideas, projects and partnerships that emerge through this fund, and the difference they will make to people across our region.
Issue 139
P7
Your City, Your News - Bath Echo
Larkhall meeting hears concerns about crime and housing Becky Feather Reporter
A PUBLIC meeting has been held in Larkhall to discuss concerns about drugs, anti-social behaviour, community safety and housing management. Ward councillors Joanna Wright and Saskia Heijltjes (Lambridge, Green) organised the event last Wednesday, 16th September, at the New Oriel Hall and police attended along with representatives from housing association Curo and Bath & North East Somerset Council. Issues highlighted at the meeting included: • Suspected drug-dealing and drug use, including activity near schools and a nursery. • Large numbers of visitors to particular properties, day and night. • Intimidating or disruptive behaviour. • Attempted bike thefts and vehicle break-ins. • People feeling unsafe in or around their homes, with some saying that carers, relatives or visitors are reluctant to come. • Concerns about the concentration and management of vulnerable or
high-risk tenants. • Frustration over the loss of continuity following changes to local housing officer provision. In a blog about the meeting, Councillor Wright said that one resident had told of the “continuous chaos” she has endured over the last four years from numerous neighbours in Spring Lane. On several occasions people have knocked on her door and tried to get in, and people regularly ask if she sells or wants to buy drugs. On one occasion a video doorbell at the property recorded more than 100 people coming and going in a 24-hour period to neighbours’ doors. The resident said people who visit urinate, vomit and spit; emergency vehicles attend due to overdoses and there is early morning door-knocking by police believed to be looking for nonresidents to arrest in the flats. Several residents at the meeting expressed concern that problems associated with other parts of Bath may have been displaced into Larkhall. Councillor Wright said a recurring theme at the meeting was a perceived lack of coordination, communication and feedback. The council had explained that its role in many of the issues
A notice outside St Mark’s School in Larkhall
raised is one of support and coordination, rather than having direct enforcement powers over individuals or Curo-managed properties. She said the police had confirmed that multi-agency work is taking place and legal processes are under way in relation to particular individuals. They said both covert and visible patrols are being used and agreed to raise Larkhall with the wider patrol team to seek an increased presence, particularly at night. They also asked residents to continue reporting incidents but not to put themselves at risk to obtain photos or footage. Curo acknowledged the impact
WE TAKE THE DRAMA OUT OF MAKING A WILL. Will Writing Meet with a local professional and receive full guidance and support. Family & Property Trusts Ensure your loved ones receive the maximum benefit by protecting your estate with trusts. Lasting Powers of Attorney Give someone the power to make decisions on your behalf, no matter what happens. Probate Services Our specialists help make a difficult time as stress-free and straightforward as possible.
Contact us today
0117 952 0698 elm-online.co.uk 765 Fishponds Road, Bristol, BS16 3BS
of changes to its previous housing officer arrangements and said new officers are being introduced, also confirming that legal action has been pursued in relation to at least one individual, with further action progressing in another case. It was explained that housing allocations largely follow the council’s choice-based lettings priority system, limiting discretion when allocating properties. This week a Curo spokesperson said: “We’re grateful to local councillors for bringing us all together to hear from the people of Larkhall about their concerns,
many of which relate to drugs. “The strength of feeling was clear from the numbers attending, with many sharing stories about the impact of a small minority on the wider community. “We’re taking action with our police partners against these individuals and will continue listening to what residents are telling us. “We’ve just completed a reorganisation of our services because we know they want Curo to be more visible in the neighbourhoods we serve. As part of this, we’ll be introducing a new local housing officer to Larkhall residents very shortly.”
Property expertise with a personal service, tailored to you
ROSIE MARLOW
Rosie was a breath of fresh air from start to finish. We have a niche property that required careful, thoughtful marketing, and she worked tirelessly to find the right buyer. Throughout the entire process, Rosie was honest, open, and incredibly informative, guiding us every step of the way with professionalism and expertise. She was always available at the end of the phone, offering advice, reassurance, and support whenever we needed it. The service we received was truly first class, with a genuine personal touch. We couldn't have asked for a better estate agent and would highly recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell a property.
I am an independent personal estate agent and I have been successfully selling property in and around the city for 22 years
01225 941008 | rosiemarlow.co.uk
P8
Friday 25th September - Thursday 8th October 2026
www.bathecho.co.uk
Crime & Court
Interested in sponsoring this section? Get in touch: advertise@bathecho.co.uk
Man convicted and sentenced for assaulting Robyn after guilty plea ROBYN Ivory, the 54-year-old Bath woman whose body was discovered in the River Avon in January after she went missing, had been the victim of an unconnected assault last year, a court has heard. Robyn had called police on 17th March 2025 and they found her bleeding and submerged in the bath at her Walcot flat. Charlie Cochrane, who had been in a relationship with Robyn, was due to go on trial at Bath Magistrates’ Court in July for assault by beating but changed his plea to guilty. The case was adjourned for the Probation Service to prepare a pre-sentence report. Cochrane, of Cleveland Place in Bath, was back in court for his sentencing on Wednesday 16th September. The court heard that police received two 999 calls and had attended the basement flat at Kensington Place where they found Robyn underwater in the bath. She had lacerations and was bleeding. Police said she was upset and also intoxicated. She told them: “I was bad. I didn’t do what I was supposed to.” She also said: “He called me a stupid lady.” She said that Cochrane had thrown a dog water bowl at her head. He was at the flat and was arrested for assault. Paramedics attended and Robyn was advised to go to hospital, but she refused.
Magistrate rebukes drinkdriver saying: ‘People like you kill people’
Bath Magistrates’ Court
The court heard that the prosecution had been evidenceled, with Robyn never fully supporting the case. The prosecutor said that “sadly she is no longer with us”. Blaise Shervington, representing 24-year-old Cochrane, said there had been a “basis of plea” by Cochrane which the prosecution had accepted. This enables a defendant to explain his version of events and the extent of culpability accepted. Mr Shervington said Cochrane, who was of previous good character, regrets his “loss of control” but there had been “a degree of provocation”. He highlighted there had been an age gap in their relationship and that Cochrane had a “difficult” background. Mr Shervington said that Cochrane “bears the cross and sorrow” of her passing away and
that her death is “not connected” to his actions. Magistrates imposed a 14-month community order under which Cochrane must carry out 60 hours of unpaid work. The order includes a ninemonth mental health treatment requirement, and he must complete up to 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He must also pay a court surcharge of £114 and prosecution costs of £85. Robyn Ivory was last seen on 28th November 2025 in Meadows Lane in Bath and was reported missing on 17th December. A body was found in the river in Keynsham on 22nd January, and in April police confirmed it was Robyn. They said her death was not being treated as suspicious, and that enquiries were continuing on behalf of the coroner.
Chinnock was reported to police after drinking at a festival
A DRINK-DRIVER jumped over a fence into a bush and injured himself after being approached by police. At Bath Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 16th September, James Chinnock admitted driving while over the alcohol limit at Westfield, near Radstock. Chair of the bench Jeremy Madams told the 32-year-old that it was “a very serious offence”, adding: “People like you kill people.” At 8pm on 30th August police had received a call from a member of the public to say that Chinnock had been seen in a vehicle after drinking at a festival. They went to his home address in Cobblers Way where he initially tried to flee, sustaining an ankle injury. Police said that Chinnock smelt
of alcohol and his speech was slurred. He refused a roadside breath test and was arrested and initially taken to hospital for his injury to be assessed. At the custody unit around midnight, he gave a breath reading of 52 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35. Will Palmer, representing Chinnock as duty solicitor, said he had “panicked” when he saw the police. He said Chinnock would lose his job as a council roads inspector with the loss of his licence. The magistrates disqualified Chinnock for 15 months with a 15-week reduction if he takes a drink-drive rehabilitation course. He was also fined £715 and ordered to pay a £286 surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.
Man, 59, fined for being Bath man who sent sexual messages drunk and disorderly to child decoys is sentenced A 59-YEAR-OLD man has been fined for being drunk and disorderly on the Bristol & Bath Railway Path at Saltford. At Bath Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 16th September, the Crown Prosecution Service said that on 31st August – Bank Holiday Monday – Anthony Duffety had been shouting and swearing when there were families with children around. Duffety told the court he he’d had a couple of cans of Magnum and maybe “a bit of a wobble” when he was walking back to his home at Hinton Close in Saltford. The court heard that Duffety has 36 previous convictions for 54 offences and had recently completed both an alcohol treatment requirement and mental health treatment requirement under a 12-month community order. Duffety was asked by the chair of the bench Jeremy Madams what he had learnt from the alcohol
Duffety has 36 previous convictions
treatment requirement. Duffety replied: “Don’t drink.” He told the court that he is not an alcoholic and can go weeks without drinking. For being drunk and disorderly, he was ordered to pay a £40 fine, £85 prosecution costs and a court surcharge of £16 which will be added to his fines account with the court. Duffety observed that he had been paying fines since 1980. Mr Madams advised him in future to “stay at home and have a couple of cans – don’t go down the high street”.
A BATH man who thought he was communicating with teenage girls on social media but then discovered they were fake profiles operated by a vigilante group has avoided an immediate jail sentence. Alexander Savery, 31, appeared at Bath Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on Monday, 14th September. On 13th July he had admitted three charges dating back to 2024. The offences involved attempting to engage in sexual communication with three ‘girls’ – one between 20th April and 5th June, another between 16th May and 5th June, and a third between 19th June and 16th July. Prosecutor Jenna Morgan told the court that members of Saving Children’s Futures – a group which aims to protect children from online predators – had posed as “decoys”. Two purported to be 13-year-old girls and the other a girl aged 14.
The messages included Savery sending images, requesting pictures of the ‘girls’, and asking to meet the 14-year-old in Bath in the summer holidays. Members of the group had gone to Savery’s home in Newbridge, filmed him, put it online and called the police. His devices had been seized and sent for forensic analysis, the court heard. Representing Savery, solicitor Will Palmer said the offences had crossed the custody threshold, but the magistrates could suspend any sentence. He said the pre-sentence report prepared by the Probation Service indicated there is a good chance of rehabilitation. Savery, who had no previous convictions, sat with his head in his hands for much of the hearing. Magistrates imposed a 12-month suspended jail sentence for each of three offences, to run concurrently and suspended for
Savery, 31, admitted the charges
18 months. Savery must complete a ninemonth mental health treatment requirement and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days. As a registered sex offender, he has to comply with notification requirements for 10 years and was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years. He was ordered to pay a court surcharge of £187 and prosecution costs of £85. At the request of the prosecution, the magistrates ordered that Savery be deprived of his Samsung phone that was seized.
Issue 139
P9
Interested in advertising? Call 01225 585484
Police secure court orders in crackdown on ASB POLICE have highlighted their efforts to deal with a wave of anti-social behaviour by youths as young as 12 in the city centre. The city centre policing team say the group is largely made up of boys between the ages of 12 and 16, with a smaller number of females aged 15 to 17. Issues over the summer have largely related to petty shop theft, trespass into restricted areas of businesses such as hotels and cinemas, and abusive language being used towards members of the public. There was also a recent incident of an assault in the SouthGate area. The police said: “Three young males have been issued with Acceptable Behaviour Contracts, and a Community Resolution has been issued to a young male in relation to an incident of public urination. On two occasions the police have utilised Section 35 dispersal powers to remove youths from the city centre. “We were also successful in applying for an Anti-Social Behaviour Injunction from the courts in relation to a 16-yearold male who was frequently coming to notice for breaking into restricted areas of buildings, or into derelict buildings, as well as for making hoax phone calls to police and local security
services.” Criminal investigations are ongoing into several matters involving a number of children. The police added: “As always we will consult with B&NES Youth Justice Team to consider what outcomes are most appropriate for each individual child and our Early Intervention Team continues to engage with families of involved children to try and divert them away from offending.” Parents are being urged to keep themselves informed of where their children are, and who they are with, when they are not at home, and to be willing to have “frank conversations” about the impact their behaviour has on individuals, businesses and communities. The police added: “The consequences they may face for this behaviour can be significant – breaching an ASB Injunction could lead to a detention order, and any criminal record can seriously impact future travel and employment opportunities. “With the good summer weather ending, school terms resuming, and free bus travel for kids finishing, there will be less opportunity for this behaviour to carry on; however, we will continue monitoring this issue closely.”
‘Gallery of offenders’ created Police tackling a rise in anti-social behaviour in Kingsmead Square have been using ASB powers and legislation to remove prolific offenders from the area. Their efforts have included supporting Bath BID Business Improvement District (BID) in creating a specific gallery of offenders. In July, the city centre policing team said the rise in ASB was largely related to members of the street community gathering there. In an update, they said: “We have completed pop-up engagements totalling several hours where we have been available in-person for the community to speak to, seek advice and raise concerns. “We also, in collaboration with Bath BID District, delivered an engagement session to local businesses, providing them with knowledge and advice on how to help us address the anti-social behaviour in the area, as well as taking feedback ourselves on key offenders, hotspot times and reporting accessibility. “We really appreciate the hard but professional questions and conversations that these stakeholders put to us. “As part of this process we have supported Bath BID in creating a specific gallery of offenders hosted on the ‘DISC’ platform so that local businesses can identify and name those persons causing them the most harm. “DISC is an app that businesses can use for free to access local information and intelligence and be kept abreast of important news, developments and opportunities.” The police said they have also been able to show a greater presence in the area in part thanks to the proximity of their new police station on Monmouth Street. They said there has been a noticeable decline in incidents recently around Kingsmead Square, though they have not been resolved entirely. “We have been hard at work using ASB powers and legislation to remove prolific offenders from the area. We have so far issued three Community Protection Notices to persons regularly present in the area. Two are now excluded entirely from the city centre, and one has strict conditions on their behaviour whilst in town.”
Bloodied man admits axe and criminal damage offences A BLOODIED man seen carrying an axe in public while under the influence of drugs was arrested in Midsomer Norton, Bath magistrates heard. Joe Seymour had used the axe to smash up a car in the town and damaged a laptop in the boot. He also caused criminal damage at Keynsham Police Centre after being arrested. The offences relate to 10th July last year, but they only reached court this month. Seymour, 32, was brought to court in custody last Wednesday, 16th September, after a warrant without bail had been issued as he’d failed to attend the initial hearing on 2nd September. He admitted being in possession of an offensive weapon in Radstock Road and two criminal damage charges. A fourth charge of stealing the axe was dismissed with no evidence offered. The court heard that Seymour had to be restrained by PAVA spray as despite being told to stop, he was throwing his hands around at the police station and blood was going everywhere. The desk and floor area had to be deep cleaned. The Hyundai vehicle that Seymour damaged belonged to Eurocar and the company had not provided a statement so he was not charged with that. However, he was charged with
Why do we ‘name and shame’ in our stories? Since the introduction of our Crime & Court section, we've been contacted by concerned members of the public, defendants and guilty parties regarding the inclusion of their names, ages, and partial addresses. We are proud to be able to provide court coverage of cases at Bath Magistrates' Court, something that many local newspapers are unable to do due to restricted time for their reporters. Reporting court cases acts as a deterrent against crime. Printing a defendant’s age and address stops anyone with the same name from being defamed. We do not have access to police or CPS files regarding cases, so everything reported is based on what the prosecution and defence say during a court hearing. HM Courts & Tribunals Service encourages and facilitates media access to courts and tribunals. We have the right to attend and report on proceedings held in open court, unless a statutory restriction applies, or a court order prevents this. Our stories are governed by the regulator IMPRESS, the Independent Monitor for the Press. We follow their dedicated Standards Code, which can be found at https://bit.ly/4n0d9qN
Driver failed breath test after lorry collision
Library image | Photo © Avon & Somerset Police
Seymour was under the influence of drugs
damaging the laptop in the boot, which belonged to the woman who had hired the car. Highlighting the length of time the matter had taken to reach court, the prosecutor told the magistrates that the only reasons she could think of for the delay were that the forensics had taken time and attempts to get the car leasing company to provide a statement. Representing Seymour, solicitor Lisa Rowley said he was “extremely remorseful” and had been in a bad place at the time of the offences. He has previous convictions as he had shoplifted to fund his drug habit. She said he was homeless for many years but is currently living in Writhlington with his partner. He is getting support from the
organisation Turning Point, is on a script for his heroin addiction and hoping to find work. For the offensive weapon charge, Seymour was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He was given two-month sentences to run concurrently for the criminal damage offences. The magistrates also ordered him to pay £200 compensation for the damaged laptop and £114.79 compensation to the police, along with a court surcharge of £154 and £85 prosecution costs. They wished Seymour well and hoped he would not find himself in the dock again.
Find us on Facebook Just search “Bath Echo”
A COMBE Down man whose car hit a lorry on a bend has been disqualified for 14 months for drink-driving. The slow-speed collision occurred at West Road in Midsomer Norton shortly before 11pm on 12th June, Bath magistrates heard. Concerned bystanders kept car driver Jamie Morton, who appeared intoxicated, at the scene until the police got there as he had wanted to go and pick up his girlfriend and then come back. Morton failed a roadside breath test and was taken to hospital for a check-up. Back at the police station, the lower of two evidential readings he gave at 1.40am the next day revealed 52 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35. At the court hearing on Monday 7th September, 37-year-old Morton, of Meare Road, admitted drink-driving and driving without
due care and attention. Duty solicitor Bradley Axam said Morton had made the “impulsive, reckless decision” to go and pick up his girlfriend that night after she missed her bus, even though he had been drinking earlier. Of previous good character, Morton is said to be “remorseful”. Mr Axam said that Morton, who works part-time in a pub and is a tattoo artist, has had to give up his studio in Bristol as his car had to be scrapped, so he has already been “suffering the ramifications”. Morton had decided not to do a drink-drive rehabilitation course, which would reduce the length of his ban, as buying another car and insuring it would be too costly, Mr Axam added. As well as disqualifying Morton from driving, magistrates fined him £369 and ordered him to pay a court surcharge of £148 and prosecution costs of £85. There was no separate penalty for the careless driving offence, but his licence was endorsed.
WEEKENDER
the
Photos © Sebastian Arodites
Bath allotment holder grows 36-kilo pumpkin on his first attempt IS this a contender for the title of Bath’s biggest pumpkin? Sebastian Arodites has had a plot at Lower East Common Allotments in Bath for three years, but this is the first time he’s grown a pumpkin, which makes its size – an impressive 36 kilos - even more of a surprise. Sebastian said a woman with an allotment next to his was growing six pumpkin plants and kindly asked him to choose one for himself. He said: “I picked this particular plant, and somehow the one I chose went on to produce a pumpkin considerably bigger than the others. Once I realised how quickly the pumpkin was growing, it became a bit of a summer project for me. “For four months, I was going to the allotment and watering it every day, watching it gradually get bigger and bigger.” Sebastian harvested, weighed and measured what he has nicknamed ‘The Lucky Pumpkin’ earlier this month.
It measured approximately 1.9 metres in circumference with a diameter of 52 centimetres. “Getting a 36-kilogram pumpkin out of the allotment, into the wheelbarrow and then into the boot of the car was probably the final challenge of growing it,” he said. “There has definitely been plenty of interest from the other allotmenteers. As it got bigger, people would stop to look at it and comment on its size, and there has been a bit of friendly envy and joking about it. “It’s definitely set the bar quite high for my second attempt next year.” So what has become of The Lucky Pumpkin? Last weekend Sebastian and fiancée Maria Petridou finally cut into it which was quite a task in itself. Sebastian said: “There was far too much for us to use on our own, so we ended up sharing pieces with various people in our block of flats, friends and people from my tennis club.
“The reaction has been brilliant. Several people who tried it told us it was one of the most tender pumpkins they had ever eaten, which was a lovely surprise considering how enormous it had grown. “We made what I think was the most delicious pumpkin soup we’ve ever had, while other pieces have gone on to become pumpkin pie and pumpkin cake. “Others have used it for things like roasted pumpkin and pumpkin curry.” Maria shares her recipe for a smooth, comforting pumpkin soup. Creamy Pumpkin Soup Ingredients (serves 4) • 1 – 1.1kg fresh pumpkin, peeled and cubed • 1 large onion, chopped • A 15cm leek, sliced • 1 tbsp olive oil • 20g slightly salted butter • 1 vegetable stock cube • 650 - 700ml hot water
• 150ml single cream • 100ml semi-skimmed milk (optional, to loosen the soup if needed) • 1 tsp garlic powder • ½ tsp paprika • ¼ tsp chilli flakes • A generous amount of black pepper, to taste • Salt, if needed Method 1.Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. 2.Add the onion and leek and cook for 8 - 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened and slightly golden. 3.Add the pumpkin, garlic powder, paprika, chilli flakes and a generous amount of black pepper. Stir well and cook for another 3 minutes. 4.Dissolve the stock cube in 650
- 700 ml hot water and pour it into the saucepan. The liquid doesn’t need to completely cover the pumpkin as it will reduce in volume as it softens. 5.Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the pumpkin is very soft. Stir once or twice during cooking. 6.Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before blending until completely smooth. 7. Return the soup to the saucepan over a low heat and stir in the single cream. Add the milk only if needed to reach your preferred consistency. 8. Warm gently for another 2 - 3 minutes without allowing the soup to boil vigorously. Taste and add extra black pepper or a little salt if needed.
• WHAT’S ON • FOOD & DRINK • THEATRE • PUZZLES • GARDENING • MOTORING • FASHION & BEAUTY • TRAVEL • HEALTH & FITNESS
P11 - Issue 139
WEEKENDER
www.bathecho.co.uk
the
Is your car ready for autumn? We look at what to keep an eye on AS the days become shorter and the weather turns cooler, autumn is the perfect time to give your car a little extra attention. Start with your tyres. After a summer of longer journeys and warmer roads, it is worth checking both tread and pressure. Good grip becomes especially important as roads get wetter, while fallen leaves can make surfaces unexpectedly slippery. Next, turn your attention to your lights. As daylight fades earlier, headlights, brake lights and indicators become even more important. Check that every bulb is working properly and give the lenses a quick clean. It is a small job, but one that can make a noticeable difference on a dark, rainy evening. Visibility should also be high on the list. Autumn weather brings road spray, mud and mist, so make sure your windscreen washer fluid is topped up and that your wipers are clearing the glass smoothly. If they are leaving streaks or making more noise than usual, it may be time for a replacement. Your battery also deserves some
On The Road
Woodland being created near Bath
The Green Space
Team members from Avon Needs Trees, Forest of Avon and Western Forest at the new piece of Great Avon Wood There are important checks to make under your bonnet
attention. Cooler temperatures can expose weaknesses that were easy to miss during the warmer months. If your car has been slower to start recently, or the battery is several years old, having it checked now could save you from an inconvenient morning later in the season. While you are at it, check the basics under the bonnet too. Oil, coolant and screen wash should all be at the right levels, while regular servicing can help catch smaller issues before they become bigger ones. Finally, think about what
you keep in the car. A warm layer, umbrella, torch, phone charger and bottle of water can all prove useful when the weather takes a turn. Autumn driving does not need to be complicated. A few simple checks now can make every journey feel safer, smoother and more reassuring as the darker months arrive. Making these checks part of your seasonal routine can also help protect your car’s condition, reduce unexpected costs and keep everyday journeys running smoothly too.
A NEW woodland is set to be created between Bath and Bristol, it has been announced this week. Avon Needs Trees and Forest of Avon have purchased a new area of land that will become the fourth section of Great Avon Wood. The 23.5-acre site near Pensford in the Chew Valley will create space for 6,500 native trees and extend a publicly accessible heritage walking trail within easy bus reach of Bristol and Bath. It has been supported by the Western Forest - a new national forest transforming woodlands,
farms and communities for the region. The new woodland sits between the three existing sections of Great Avon Wood, creating a wildlife corridor that will link habitats together. Around 75% of the site will become native woodland, with the remaining 25% managed as species-rich grassland and wood pasture to create a diverse landscape for wildlife. People are being asked to help shape the woodland’s identity by suggesting a name. The charity will then draw up a shortlist before inviting the community to make a final decision.
Forest of Imagination returns to Entry Hill for free two-day event A FREE two-day programme of art, nature, workshops and community activities is taking place at Entry Hill in Bath, with residents invited to help shape the future of the green space. Forest of Imagination returns on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th September with River of Dreams, an event centred on exploring the potential for a permanent Arts, Nature and Community Park at the former golf course. Activities will flow through the central meadow at Entry Hill, with workshops, installations, performances, conversations, shared food and opportunities for visitors to contribute ideas about how the site could develop. Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Sustainable Places & Regeneration Team will run an “imagination station” between 5pm and 7pm on Friday and from 10am to 1pm on Saturday. Residents and other stakeholders will be able to share ideas which will help inform a future masterplan for Entry Hill, in line with ambitions contained in the council’s Greener Places Plan. The council is a partner in Forest of Imagination and has been supporting a series of events at the site during 2025 and 2026. Work ahead of the public event began on Tuesday, 22nd
September, when Bath Spa University students and Emerge graduates started developing live projects alongside mentors. Western Forest will also hold listening workshops during the two public days, exploring the future of Bath’s green and blue spaces, connections with nature and the role of storytelling in encouraging support for trees. Friday’s programme includes a school-in-residence working with Forest of Imagination artists, while the WatersMeet creativity, health and wellbeing group will host a workshop for home-educated children. At 4pm, Dr David Kyuman Kim from Being Human will lead a discussion involving university students, graduates and mentors. A new Bath Spa University Press publication, Future Flow: Imagine the Possibilities, created in collaboration with Hawkwood Centre for Future Thinking, will be launched at 5pm. From 6pm, Bath Community Kitchen will host the River of Dreams Forest Feast, a shared meal expected to welcome around 200 people. The event is pay-what-you-can, with contributions between £0 and £20 welcomed. Rob Lewis, founder of Bath Community Kitchen, said: “This first Feast in the Forest will be a brilliant way to mark the
Photo © Forest of Imagination
start of September’s Forest of Imagination. “It’s a chance to share delicious food, full of autumnal colours and flavours, while you explore the magical setting. What better way to spend a Friday night than celebrating the natural world and enjoying good food together!” Friday will conclude with Nocturne, an evening experience with artists Briony Hartley and Madeleine Bell, beginning at 7pm. On Saturday, Forest of Imagination’s Creative Learning Team will run 15 workshops for families throughout the day. Artists and projects taking part include Oliver Wallace’s Earth Field Station, Matthew Leece, Morgane Shabane and Holly Le Var’s Bring the Water Back: Wild Play, Kilter Theatre’s Meeting with More-than-Human Minds and Andrew Amondson’s Collective Dreaming.
Forest of Imagination has been running for 14 years and organisers now hope Entry Hill can become the permanent home of an Arts, Nature and Community Park combining creativity, ecology, learning and community use. Dr Penny Hay, Professor of Imagination at Bath Spa University and co-founder of Forest of Imagination, said: “River of Dreams is an invitation to imagine together in nature. Through creative making, conversation and shared experiences, the whole community is invited to explore new possibilities for Entry Hill and help shape a collective vision for Forest of Imagination as a permanent Art, Nature and Community Park.” Andrew Grant, founding director of Grant Associates and another co-founder, added: “What could be better than visiting Forest of Imagination at Entry
Hill to be inspired, to dream, to feast and to wander through this tranquil landscape.” Bath Spa University is a founding partner of the project and supports its research, public engagement, live projects and associated events. Thousands of people, including hundreds of children and young people, have visited Entry Hill during Forest of Imagination events over recent years. West of England Mayor Helen Godwin said: “The River of Dreams is an inventive way for local people to imagine a long-term vision of a cross-over between art and nature at Entry Hill. We’re pleased to help support this unique concept of engaging with the community, highlighting the opportunity of this green space to connect people with the natural world in new and original ways.” The West of England Combined Authority and Bath & North East Somerset Council have contributed £5,150, alongside in-kind support, through the Bath Landscape City programme. The event has also received a £20,000 grant from the National Lottery Community Fund’s Awards for All Environment Fund, £1,500 of match funding from Western Forest, research funding from Bath Spa University and donations from local sponsors.
WEEKENDER
www.bathecho.co.uk
the
What’s On
Issue 139 - P12
Friday 25th September - Thursday 8th October 2026
Bath Children’s Literature Festival
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Pumpkin Patch
Bringing some of the biggest and best loved names in the world of children’s books to a family audience of thousands across the city.
Bath Light Operatic Group celebrates 70 years of performing on the Theatre Royal stage with their biggest production ever. Based on the beloved 1968 film version.
Give yourself pumpkin to talk about with a fab-boo-lous trip to the Pumpkin Patch, back with even more seasonal fun for all ages. Grab a wheelbarrow and roam.
Various Locations | 25th Sep – 4th Oct
Festival of Transport
Theatre Royal | 29th September – 3rd October
Avon Valley Adventure Park | 3rd – 31st October
Icons on Ammo Boxes
Bath Young Musician of the Year
Discover an inspiring collection of Ukrainian art while helping to provide essential medical aid to communities affected by the war in Ukraine.
Taking place in the impressive setting of the Banqueting Room in Bath’s Guildhall. A group of talented young musicians promise an evening of outstanding performances.
Avon Valley Railway | 26th & 27th September
Victoria Art Gallery | 29th Sep – 1st Nov
Not Now Bernard
Tales of the West Somerset Railway
Art
A wildly funny, physical theatre adaptation of David McKee’s much-loved picture book, bursting with chaos, live music made from instruments and household objects.
Bath Railway Society presents an illustrated talk to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the reopening of the West Somerset Railway, exploring its history.
‘Art’ by Yasmina Reza is a fast-paced and witty one-act dark comedy about friendship, loyalty, and personal values. The story follows three long-time friends.
Celebrate the Festival of Transport at the Avon Valley Railway featuring vintage vehicles, cycles and plenty of entertainment including live music.
The Egg | 26th September – 4th October
Museum of Bath at Work | 1st October, 7.30pm
The Guildhall | 6th October, 7pm
Rondo Theatre | 7th – 10th October
Park Lane Big Band, Live!
Bath Autumn Fayre
The Archers: Live at 75
Back from their summer break, and raring to bring their full 18-piece big band and singer back to Lansdown Golf Club. Head along for an evening of music.
Promising a weekend of outstanding local food, independent traders, and entertainment for all ages. Visitors can browse over 100 stalls.
Don your best hat, dust off your prize-winning jam recipe and join this unforgettable celebration of 75 glorious years of BBC Radio 4’s The Archers.
Lansdown Golf Club | 28th September, 7.30pm
Milsom Street | 2nd – 4th October
MediaBath BATH’S MEDIA AGENCY Does your business need help with any of these? Social Media Management Graphic Design Services Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Google Ads & Paid Campaigns Website Design & Build Email Marketing Brand Guidelines Google My Business
The Forum | 8th October, 6.30pm
Glow Run 2km or 5km in the dark
Family fun run for RUH Bath Friday 16 October, 5.30-8pm Odd Down Sports Ground
Sign up now ruhx.org.uk ruhx.org.uk/glow
CONTACT US TODAY
Tel: 01225 585085 www.mediabath.co.uk
ECHO
We’re proud to produce the Bath Echo
Sponsored by
Registered Charity No. 1058323
P13 - Issue 139
WEEKENDER
www.bathecho.co.uk
the
Food & Drink
Melissa Blease
Food Writer
Tasty Dates For Your Diary Coming soon to 35 Gay Street: the utterly gorgeous, characterful neighbourhood bistro The Beagle, the results of a labour of love journey that owners Lindsay and Andrew have been sharing every step of on social media… and already promises great things • IG @thebeagleon www.thebeagleon.co.uk Having suddenly closed its doors last November, The Old Crown Inn (Kelston) has reopened under the prestigious new management of superlandlady Georgina Baker hoorah! @theoldcrowninnkelston Curate your own perfect combination of 3 small plates from a lively selection including meat, seafood and veggie/vegan options for just £19 at
the Marlborough Tavern (Marlborough Buildings) every Monday-Friday, 12pm-5pm. marlborough-tavern.com If you’re in the mood for trying a range of distinctive single cask expressions, try the Tri Carragh Independent Bottler Tasting at Independent Spirit (Terrace Walk) on Friday 2nd October. tinyurl.com/3kaavat4 Make the very most of the fabulous set menu deal at utterly gorgeous Argyle Street bistro Chez Dominique: 2 courses for £24 (3/£29.50) every Monday-Saturday lunchtime and MondayFriday early dinner between 5-6pm. But take note: Friday deal only applies from now until the end of September - you have been
warned! chezdominique.co.uk Ai Caramba! Fabulous flavours, terrific tequilas, big beats, wrestling (!) and pure fiesta energy: it’ll all be going on when the spectacular Taco and Tequila shebang lands at Komedia (Westgate Street) on Friday 2nd October (tickets from £20pp). tinyurl.com/3mry8vsy Investigate shouty chef Gordon Ramsay’s “relaxed, premium casual dining concept” Bread Street Kitchen (within the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, Walcot Street) with 2 courses from a seasonal set menu for £22.50 (3/£27) every MondayFriday until 6pm.
breadstreetkitchen-bath.com
Celebrate and indulge in
the very best flavours of the UK autumn season: that’s the Seasonal Table at the Wheatsheaf (Combe Hay) on Friday 9th October (£65pp to include a welcome drink on arrival). tinyurl.com/ybcrvc2m Max out on lunch at vibrant plant-based Indian oasis Sarthi (Walcot Street): 2 courses for £17.95 (3/£22.95) every TuesdayFriday, 12pm-2.30pm. sarthi.co.uk Support an amazing cause, indulge in an exceptional 3-course feast and be part of an unforgettable experience at the Bath Priory Hotel and Spa on Monday 12th October when the Harvest Gathering brings magic to the menu in support of Hospitality Action (£99pp). tinyurl.com/esr8ujhu
This year’s Bath Film Festival Supper Club takes us on a journey to Japan with a screening of Tampopo: Juzo Itami’s joyful ramen-centric cult classic presented in partnership with Bath Community Kitchen and hosted by Bloc at Burdall’s Yard (Anglo Terrace, London Road) on Sunday 18th October (£46.50pp to include a welcome drink, film-themed canapés and a vegetarian ramen supper). tinyurl.com/55vfc297 You can read more on the local food & drink scene from Melissa on her website at www. theprandialplayground.uk or visit bathecho.co.uk for recipes and extra reviews. Follow Melisssa @theprandialplayground
Get your newspaper delivered!
A luxury new care home for you.
We’re pleased to offer a subscription service to ensure you never miss a copy of the Bath Echo
Now welcoming visitors
Darcy Gardens is a beautiful new care home in Bath, offering tailored care in the best surroundings. We’ll treat everyone as an individual, ensuring residents continue their hobbies and routines, and are served their favourite dishes in sociable dining rooms. We are open for visitors and we’d love to show you around. Please call to arrange a visit:
01256 214 454 Darcy Gardens Care Home Oldfield Lane, Bath, BA2 3NR • barchester.com/DarcyLM
To start your subscription, visit www.subscribe.bathecho.co.uk, call 01225 585484 or fill in the form below Title Address
Surname Postcode
Email Address: Telephone Number:
(*All fields are required)
Monthly (£5/month) Quarterly (£12/quarter) Annual (£40/year) Payment via: Credit/Debit Card Cheque Telephone Card Number:
Residential care • Dementia care • Respite care Café • En-suite bedrooms • Cinema • Spa bathroom
First Name
Expiry: _ _ / _ _
CVV/CVC: _ _ _
Post your completed form to “Subs - Bath Echo, PO Box 5395, Bath, BA1 0YA” If you’d like to pay by cheque, please make it payable to ‘Media Bath Limited’.
WEEKENDER
www.bathecho.co.uk
the
Pictures from the Past
Issue 139 - P14
Kirsten Elliott Akeman Press
Hat & Feather, Walcot
The Hat & Feather in Walcot
THIS week’s archive photo, which comes courtesy of Steve Lord, shows one of Bath’s best known and best loved lost pubs – the Hat & Feather on London Street. The first record of it comes from 1752, when John Flower advertised ‘a house called the Hat & Feather, at Walcot’ for sale, ‘together with a horse, a staunch pointer, a bullet gun, and three shot guns’. Choosing to itemise the mini-arsenal that came with the property like this suggests that it stood in a pretty lawless part of a town. Certainly by the early 19th century, the tightly packed rows of houses at the
back of the pub, known collectively as Hat & Feather Yard, were notorious as ‘a harbour of thieves, prostitutes, and characters of the worst descriptions, and a receptacle for stolen property’. It was so bad that in 1841 local residents petitioned for it to have its own police station, on account ‘of the disorderly state of the residents in that court’. Hat & Feather Yard was also the starting point for a riotous annual pub crawl known as the Cuckoo Revel, which took place in late July, when a masked and fantastically attired individual – known as the Cuckoo – was carried aloft from pub to
pub by a dozen or so of his mates, while small boys swarmed around, armed with thistles which they thrust into the faces of anyone foolish enough to get too close. It came an end around 1870, after a particularly disorderly revel ended up with the Cuckoo and several other celebrants being detained at Her Majesty’s Pleasure. Sadly, no photos of the old Hat & Feather are known to exist. It was pulled down in the spring of 1902 to widen the street to make room for the tram tracks being laid throughout the city. The new pub, set further back at the end of a newly built row, opened the following
year. It was a superbly appointed building, with a bar ‘in several compartments’ and ‘a good bar parlour behind’. By the late 20th century, however, it was famed not for the standard of its construction nor for the quality of its beer, but as ‘Bath’s original underground hangout – not a style bar, more a way of life – the kind of pub legends are made of – or at least tall stories’ That’s a quote from its website, in case you’re wondering, which sadly, like the pub, is no longer on line. It closed in 2004, and shortly afterwards was converted to a steakhouse.
P15 - Issue 139
WEEKENDER
www.bathecho.co.uk
Crossword
the
Congratulations to Juliet Cox for winning £20 in Issue 138! You can find the answers to our last crossword on page 24.
Don’t miss your chance to win £20! Across 1 Pulled a face (8) 6 Deeply felt (6) 9 Business combination (6) 10 Rain gently (8) 11 Orts (9) 12 Hangs around (5) 14 Undiluted (6) 16 Units of sound intensity (8) 18 Weird things (8) 20 Charge with a crime (6) 21 Expect (5) 23 Stopped (6,3) 26 Fighting axe (8) 27 Scheduled (6) 28 Public address (6) 29 Rule out in advance (8)
Down 2 Returned to office (2-7) 3 Power (5) 4 Murderous painter of “The Supper at Emmaus” (10) 5 Craved (7) 6 Calvary inscription (1,1,1,1) 7 Retired (4,2,3) 8 Team race (5) 13 Providing grounds for a lawsuit (10) 15 Bring into being (9) 17 Midlands cathedral city (9) 19 Conceited and snobbish (5-2) 22 Shout with joy (5) 24 Whimsically funny (5) 25 Sprint (4)
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 2509 Bath Echo, PO Box 5395, Bath, BA1 0YA The winner will be the first randomly opened entry with the correct answers on 07/10/2026. 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.
P16
www.bathecho.co.uk
Friday 25th September - Thursday 8th October 2026
Community Air ambulance charity seeking volunteers as hours rise
Building society urges youngsters to review their saving potential
Richard Ingle | Photo © Bath Building Society Volunteers for the charity at a recent event | Photo © W+B Air Ambulance Charity
THE Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Charity is calling for more people to join its volunteer team after recording a 31% year-on-year increase in volunteer hours. Between 1st January and 8th September 2026, volunteers contributed 3,219 hours to the charity, with people helping at events, delivering talks, collecting donation tins and supporting its shop in Devizes. Others have also assisted the charity’s mascots, Wilber the paramedic bear and Marsha the pilot bear. Since the start of the year, 30 new volunteers have joined the organisation, while its volunteer retention rate currently stands at 95%. Sam Conway, community team leader at Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Charity, said: “Our volunteers continue to show extraordinary commitment and adaptability. “Their contribution is not only measured in hours, but in the
impact they make every single day. “By giving their time, skills and enthusiasm, our volunteers help us reach more people across Wiltshire and Bath, strengthen relationships with our supporters and ultimately help keep our lifesaving service flying. We’re incredibly grateful to every person who volunteers with us, whether they give us a few hours or regularly support events and activities throughout the year.” The charity’s community team has focused on attending new events this year while continuing to support established annual activities, giving volunteers a wider choice of opportunities. It is now particularly looking for more people to help in Bath, Salisbury and Swindon. There is no minimum time commitment, and applicants are able to discuss available roles with the charity before deciding how they would like to get involved. Opportunities available include
representing the organisation at events, speaking to visitors, selling merchandise and helping with bucket collections. Volunteers can also give talks to businesses, clubs and community groups, collect fundraising cheques, support administration and gardening at the airbase or travel across Wiltshire and Bath collecting and replacing donation tins. The Devizes charity shop is another area where volunteers are needed, with roles including helping customers, taking payments and preparing donated stock. Sam added: “There really is something for everyone. You might love meeting new people, enjoy gardening at our airbase, tell the story of our charity or help at an event in the community. “However you choose to get involved, the time you give makes a difference. You’ll be joining a fantastic community of people who are helping to keep us flying and saving lives.”
YOUNG adults who have built up savings are being encouraged to check whether their money is still working as hard as it could be. New research released for UK Savings Week, which runs from 21st to 27th September, suggests that saving can improve financial confidence among younger adults, but many are not regularly reviewing where their money is held. More than half of savers aged between 18 and 34 said their saving habits had made them feel more confident when dealing with other areas of their finances. However, 61% of savers in that age group said they were still with their first bank or building society, compared with 35% of people aged 55 and over. The research also found that 36% of younger savers never check the interest rate they are receiving, while 34% never compare their rate with other savings accounts available. Almost four in ten, 38%, said they keep most of their savings in a
current account. This compares with 15% of savers aged 55 and above. The findings suggest that while establishing a regular savings habit is an important first step, people could benefit from periodically checking the account they use, the rate of interest being paid and whether it continues to meet their needs. Richard Ingle, chief executive of Bath Building Society, said: “Starting to save is a positive step, but it’s easy to put savings on autopilot. UK Savings Week is a great opportunity to take a fresh look at your savings. “A simple check of your account, interest rate, or regular payments could help you feel more in control and move closer to your financial goals. “We’re encouraging our customers to use UK Savings Week as a prompt to take a fresh look at their savings and see if there is one small change they could make that will help them move towards their financial goals.”
Bath Philharmonic unveils free and £6 tickets for latest season BATH Philharmonic Orchestra has launched two new ticket schemes aimed at encouraging more people to experience live orchestral music during its 2026/27 season. The new Bath Phil Discover offer will give people who have never experienced a live orchestra before the opportunity to attend a concert for free. No previous knowledge of classical or orchestral music is required, with the initiative designed to make trying a concert for the first time as straightforward as possible. For people who have previously attended a Bath Phil performance, a second scheme called Bath Phil Explore will provide £6 tickets for selected concerts. A £7.50
price applies when the per-order processing fee is included. The offer is intended to encourage returning audiences to experience different composers, musicians and styles of orchestral music. Both schemes build on the orchestra’s efforts to remove barriers to attending live performances. Last year, its Bath Phil for Free initiative distributed more than 3,000 complimentary tickets to households across Bath and North East Somerset. The 2026/27 season will include five concerts at The Forum, with more than 50 professional musicians performing on stage. Guest artists will include pianists Mariam Batsashvili, Jeneba Kanneh-Mason and Alexandra
Dariescu, violinist Esther Yoo, cellist Guy Johnston and soprano Sophie Bevan. The programme will range from established orchestral works to new music, while the voices of Young Carers will also feature during the season. Simone Homes, executive director of Bath Philharmonic Orchestra, said: “There’s no right or wrong way to experience a concert – you don’t need to know the composers or understand classical music. Come and discover a new experience. “And if you’ve been before, no Bath Phil concert is the same, come back and explore the music, musicians and experiences that speak to you.” Full details of the eligible concerts
Photo © Tommy Clayton
and booking arrangements are available through Bath
Philharmonic Orchestra website at www.bathphil.co.uk/discover
Issue 139
P17
Your City, Your News - Bath Echo
Bath City Farm consults Menopause talk set to raise funds on education building for healthcare in East Africa Becky Feather Reporter
BATH City Farm is inviting local people to find out more about its proposals for a new education building. Bath City Farm was set up by local people, for local people. Over more than 30 years, the farm has transformed 37 acres of disused land into a thriving green space in Twerton and Whiteway. It is a free-to-access visitor destination and a community charity and social enterprise, with animals, wildlife habitats, nature trails, a café, and spaces for growing, cooking and crafts. The farm, which welcomes around 70,000 visitors each year and supports more than 800 people through its community provision, says the new building will provide indoor space that is currently lacking. The single-storey building will provide flexible indoor space for education, practical learning, community activities and events, alongside a kitchen, quieter meeting space and an outdoor deck. It aims to “sit naturally” within a
The farm covers 37 acres
quieter part of the farm and will include a number of sustainability and biodiversity features. People are being asked people to share their views and feedback on the design, and how the building could be used. There will be the chance to meet the design and planning team on Thursday 1st October at the farm café from 6pm to 8pm. A consultation will then run until Friday 23rd October. Once it has closed, the feedback will be reviewed before a full planning application is submitted.
Find us on Facebook Just search “Bath Echo”
A BATH charity is holding an evening event focused on women’s health next month to raise money for healthcare services in remote communities across East Africa. CHASE Africa will host An Evening of Women’s Health at the Upper Pavilion at Kingswood School on Thursday 8th October at 7pm. The event will feature Bath-based GP Dr Kate Kerr, who is accredited by the British Menopause Society as a menopause specialist. Dr Kerr will discuss the perimenopause and menopause, including symptoms such as changes in mood, anxiety, sleep problems, joint pain, weight gain and libido. She will also cover the latest evidence-based guidance on HRT and testosterone, as well as lifestyle changes and nonhormonal approaches which can be used to manage symptoms. Tickets cost £10 per person and include drinks. Organisers say the event is open to everyone, including people experiencing the menopause themselves, those supporting somebody else or anyone wanting to learn more.
The money will support organisations in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania
Money raised will support CHASE Africa, which works with local organisations in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to provide reproductive, maternal, child and adolescent healthcare and information to people in remote communities. Harriet Gordon-Brown, chief executive of CHASE Africa, said: “Conversations about women’s health in the UK and access to basic maternal healthcare in remote parts of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania might feel worlds apart, but they’re both about providing women and girls the information and healthcare they need, when they need it.
“Every pound raised helps our partners reach women who would otherwise have no support.” People unable to attend the event will also have an opportunity to support the charity through the Big Give Women & Girls Match Fund. Donations made between midday on 6th October and 13th October will be doubled, with the additional funding helping CHASE Africa’s partners extend healthcare services to remote communities. Tickets are available to purchase at http://bit.ly/ WomensHealthEvening
9LVLW 2XU :HEVLWH )RU <RXU 1HDUHVW 6KRZURRP 9LVLW 2XU :HEVLWH )RU <RXU 1HDUHVW 6KRZURRP Z Z Z O L FINANCE I H D Q G P R& EHIRE L O L W \PURCHASE F R X N R U AVAILABLE 7 H O
SHOWROOM MOBILITY MOBILITY SHOWROOM Z Z Zwww.lifeandmobility.co.uk O L I H D Q G P R E L O L W \ F R Xor N Tel: R U 701225 H O 251601 ADJUSTABLE BEDS, LUXURY ADJUSTABLE BEDS ADJUSTABLE BEDS, RISE & RECLINE CHAIRS, LUXURY ADJUSTABLE BEDS RISE&&RECLINE RECLINE CHAIRS RISE CHAIRS, MOBILITY SCOOTERS, RISE & RECLINE CHAIRS - MADE TOSCOOTERS, ORDER OR MOBILITY LOCAL FAMILY RUN LOCAL FAMILY RUN WHEELCHAIRS, WALKING AIDS, - MADEFOR TO WALKING ORDER OR LOCAL FAMILY RUN STOCK CHAIRS QUICK DELIVERY! LOCAL FAMILY RUN WHEELCHAIRS, AIDS, DAILY LIVING PRODUCTS STOCK CHAIRS FOR QUICK DELIVERY! DAILY LIVING PRODUCTS MOBILITY SCOOTERS & STAIRLIFTS MOBILITY SCOOTERS & STAIRLIFTS - LIGHTWEIGHT & ROAD LEGAL
Independently Owned & Operated
MOBILITY MOBILITY SHOWROO MOBILITY SHOWROOM SHOWROOM MOBILITY LOCALLOCAL FAMILYFAMILY RUN RUN SHOWROO 2SHQ GD\V D ZHHN LOCAL FAMILY RUN
106 North Road Combe Down Bath BA2 5DJ
MOBILITY SHOWROOM MOBILITY SHOWROOM MOBILITY SHOWROOM MOBILITY SHOWROOM
www.gmanningsfuneraldirectors.com gmanningsfuneraldirectors@btconnect.com
- LIGHTWEIGHT & ROAD LEGAL Luxury Adjustable Beds LOCALCHAIRS FAMILYLuxury RUN Adjustable Beds 2SHQ GD\V D ZHHN POWER • /DUJH )XOO\ 6WRFNHG 6KRZURRP Luxury Adjustable Beds POWER CHAIRSLuxury Adjustable Beds • /DUJH )XOO\ 6WRFNHG 6KRZURRP Rise & Recline Chairs - Made to )ULHQGO\ /RFDO %XVLQHVV Rise & Recline Chairs - Made to AIDS &Beds ROLLATORS Rise & Recline Chairs - WALKING Made toAdjustable )ULHQGO\ /RFDO %XVLQHVV Rise & Recline Chairs - Made to Luxury WALKING AIDSAdjustable &Beds ROLLATORS Luxury Beds Order or Stock Chairs for Quick • )UHH (DV\ 3DUNLQJ Order or Stock Chairs for Quick Luxury Adjustable Luxury Adjustable Order or Stock Chairs for Quick )UHH (DV\ 3DUNLQJ WHEELCHAIRS Order or Stock Chairs for Quick &• Recline - Made toBeds Rise &Chairs Recline Chairs Made to Delivery! Delivery! Rise WHEELCHAIRS Rise & or Recline Chairs - for Made to-- Made Rise & Recline Chairs to Delivery! Order Stock Chairs Quick Delivery! Order or Order or Stock Chairs for Quick BATH LIFTS Stock Chairs forChairs Quickfor Quick or Stock Delivery! BATH LIFTS Mobility Scooters - LightweightOrder &Delivery! Mobility Scooters - Lightweight & Delivery! Mobility Scooters - Lightweight &Delivery! STAIR LIFTS - STRAIGHT & CURVED Mobility - Lightweight & Mobility Scooters - Lightweight & Scooters STAIR LIFTS STRAIGHT & CURVED Mobility Scooters - Lightweight & Road Legal Mobility Scooters Lightweight & Road Legal Mobility Scooters Lightweight & Road Legal Road Legal Road Legal Road Legal DAILY AIDS Road LIVING Legal Road Legal DAILY LIVING AIDS Powerchairs Powerchairs Melksham • Warminster • Trudoxhill, nr Frome • Shepton Mallet Powerchairs Powerchairs Powerchairs Powerchairs Melksham •SCOOTER Warminster • Trudoxhill, nr & Frome • Shepton Mallet Powerchairs Powerchairs PART OF OUR FAMILY SERVICING REPAIRS PART OF OUR FAMILY Walking Aids & Rollators SCOOTER SERVICING & REPAIRS Walking Aids & Rollators OF SHOWROOMS www.lifeandmobility.co.uk Walking Aids & Rollators Walking Aids & Rollators Walking Aids & Rollators OF SHOWROOMS Walking Aids Rollators www.lifeandmobility.co.uk Walking Aids & Rollators Walking Aids &&Rollators Wheelchairs Wheelchairs Wheelchairs Wheelchairs Wheelchairs Wheelchairs Bath LiftsBath Lifts Wheelchairs Wheelchairs Bath LiftsBath Lifts 9,6,7 86 72'$< $7 &2;/(< %86,1(66 3$5. &2;/(< :(//6 %$ 54 _ 7(/ 9,6,7 86 72'$< $7 &2;/(< %86,1(66 3$5. &2;/(< :(//6 %$ 54 _ 7(/ Stairlifts -Stairlifts Straight & Curved& Curved Straight Bath Lifts Stairlifts Straight & Curved BathLifts Lifts Stairlifts - Straight & Curved Bath Bath Lifts
01225 833013
23(1 '$<6 $ :((. ,1 &2;/(< :(//6 23(1 '$<6 $ :((. ,1 &2;/(< :(//6
Advertise your business in this newspaper Stairlifts --Straight Stairlifts -- Straight Straight&&Curved Curved Stairlifts Straight & & Curved Curved MOBILITY SHOWROOM Stairlifts MOBILITY SHOWROOM Daily Living Aids DailyLiving LivingAids Aids 9LVLW RXU 6KRZURRP 2SHQ 'D\V 0RQ 6DW Daily Living Aids ADJUSTABLE 9LVLW RXU 6KRZURRP 2SHQ 'D\V 0RQ 6DW 9LVLW RXU 6KRZURRP 2SHQ 'D\V 0RQ 6DW BEDS,Daily 9LVLW RXU 6KRZURRP 2SHQ 'D\V 0RQ 6DW ADJUSTABLE BEDS, Our cost-effective options offer the perfect Scooter Servicing & Repairs RISE & RECLINE CHAIRS, Scooter Servicing Servicing&&Repairs Repairs Scooter Servicing & Repairs RISE CHAIRS, Scooter &$// 86 21 &$// 86 21 way to reach thousands of potential &$// 86 21 &$// 86 21 MOBILITY SCOOTERS, MOBILITY SCOOTERS, /LIH 0RELOLW\ 6ROXWLRQV :KHUH WR )LQG 8V www.lifeandmobility.co.uk www.lifeandmobility.co.uk /LIH 0RELOLW\ 6ROXWLRQV :KHUH WR )LQG 8V www.lifeandmobility.co.uk www.lifeandmobility.co.uk WHEELCHAIRS, WALKING AIDS, AIDS, WHEELCHAIRS, WALKING customers across the Bath area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et in touch with us to book your space. 2SHQ GD\V D ZHHN 2SHQ GD\V D ZHHN *HRUJH 6WUHHW :DUPLQVWHU :LOWVKLUH %$ 4$ 7HO *HRUJH 6WUHHW :DUPLQVWHU :LOWVKLUH %$ 4$ 7HO
Daily Aids Daily Living Aids Aids Daily Living Living Aids Daily Living Scooter & Repairs Repairs& Repairs Scooter Servicing Scooter Servicing Servicing & Scooter Servicing & Repairs
)LQG XV # &R[OH\ %XVLQHVV 3DUN *ODVWRQEXU\ 5RDG &R[OH\ :HOOV %$ 54 1H[W WR :HOOV 5HFODPDWLRQ )LQG XV # &R[OH\ %XVLQHVV 3DUN *ODVWRQEXU\ 5RDG &R[OH\ :HOOV %$ 54 1H[W WR :HOOV 5HFODPDWLRQ )LQG XV # &R[OH\ %XVLQHVV 3DUN *ODVWRQEXU\ 5RDG &R[OH\ :HOOV %$ 54 1H[W WR :HOOV 5HFODPDWLRQ )LQG XV # &R[OH\ %XVLQHVV 3DUN *ODVWRQEXU\ 5RDG &R[OH\ :HOOV %$ 54 1H[W WR :HOOV 5HFODPDWLRQ
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
Simply email advertise@bathecho.co.uk or call 01225 585484 to get started
www.lifeandmobility.co.uk www.lifeandmobility.co.uk www.lifeandmobility.co.uk www.lifeandmobility.co.uk
:HVWHUQ :D\ 0HONVKDP :LOWVKLUH 61 %< 7HO :HVWHUQ :D\ 0HONVKDP :LOWVKLUH 61 %< 7HO 7UXGR[KLOO 1U )URPH 6KHSWRQ 0DOOHW &R[OZ\ :HOOV :DUPLQVWHU 0HONVKDP 7UXGR[KLOO 1U )URPH 6KHSWRQ 0DOOHW &R[OZ\ :HOOV :DUPLQVWHU 0HONVKDP 7UXGR[KLOO 1U )URPH 6KHSWRQ 0DOOHW &R[OZ\ :HOOV :DUPLQVWHU 0HONVKDP 7UXGR[KLOO 1U )URPH 6KHSWRQ 0DOOHW &R[OZ\ :HOOV :DUPLQVWHU 0HONVKD
email: melksham@lifeandmobility.co.uk HPDLO PRELOLW\VKRZURRP#OLIHDQGPRELOLW\ FR XN HPDLO PRELOLW\VKRZURRP#OLIHDQGPRELOLW\ FR XN
(Prices start from just £15* per issue!) (*Excluding VAT at 20%)
PART OF OUR FAMILY PART OF OUR FAMILY OF SHOWROOMS OF SHOWROOMS
23(1 '$<6 $ :((. 23(1 '$<6 $ :((. FINANCE AND HIRE PURCHASE SUBJECT TO STATUS
P18
Friday 25th September - Thursday 8th October 2026
www.bathecho.co.uk
Health Work to begin on £12m Urgent Treatment Centre at RUH CONSTRUCTION is set to begin on a new £12 million Urgent Treatment Centre at the Royal United Hospital in Bath next week. Work on the purpose-built facility will start on Monday 28th September, with the centre scheduled to open in late December 2026. The new building will replace the RUH’s existing Urgent Treatment Centre, which is currently located within the Emergency Department. Moving the service to a separate location on the hospital site is intended to free up capacity in A&E, reduce crowding and provide more space for teams caring for seriously ill and injured patients. It will also create a clearer separation between people needing life-saving emergency treatment and those with urgent but non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries. The RUH hopes the changes will help reduce waiting times and allow patients to receive care
in the most appropriate setting more quickly. Clinical teams are also reviewing the patient journey and ways of working alongside the building project. The new centre will provide improved waiting, assessment and treatment areas, greater privacy for patients and purposebuilt facilities designed to support infection prevention and control. Staff will also benefit from improved working conditions. The project is being funded through £12 million of national investment from the Department of Health and Social Care. RUH managing director John Palmer said: “The start of construction work marks a major milestone in the RUH’s plans to further improve its urgent and emergency care services for our patients. “The new Urgent Treatment Centre will make a really positive difference to our patients and underlines our ambitions to deliver more efficient and
Photo © RUH
effective care while improving access to care and treatment through investing in our estate. “Importantly, by moving the new UTC out of our emergency department we will free up more space in our busy A&E, enabling our clinical teams there to care more effectively for seriously ill and injured patients.
MPs raise concerns over planned privatisation of hospital service John Wimperis
Local Democracy Reporter
FIVE MPs in the Bath area have raised alarm over plans to privatise an “exceptional” service at the Royal United Hospital. Bath MP Wera Hobhouse is among the five Liberal Democrat MPs demanding answers over plans for the hospital at home scheme to transfer fully to private hands at the end of September. The scheme, which allows people to receive acute care from their own home as part of a virtual ward, is recommended by 99.5% of patients that have used it. But from 30th September, private provider HCRG will be fully responsible for running the scheme for the NHS. This does not mean that patients would have to pay for the service, but MPs say members of staff are concerned that the privately-run service will lose its close integration with the RUH’s specialist services. Ms Hobhouse said: “We need an urgent explanation as to why this successful service is being transferred, and assurance that it will continue to deliver the care and treatment our constituents deserve.” She said: “Patient care must be at the heart of any decision being made. The hospital at home
programme has been incredibly successful in allowing many people to be cared for at home while easing pressure on limited hospital beds. “Any changes must continue to build on that success.” She has written to the RUH’s chief executive over the issue, together with Frome and East Somerset MP Anna Sabine, South Cotswolds MP Roz Savage, Chippenham MP Sarah Gibson, and Melksham and Devizes MP Brian Mathew. Ms Sabine said: “When an NHS team has consistently delivered outstanding care, earned the trust of almost every patient it has treated, and demonstrated exactly the type of innovative care the NHS says it wants to expand, the public deserve a clear explanation if that service is being fundamentally changed.” The scheme currently operates as a partnership between the hospital and HCRG, with the hospital providing 20 beds and the private company 42. A spokesperson for the RUH said that the decision to transfer it to HCRG had been taken by the area’s Integrated Care Board. The RUH spokesperson said: “We are committed to delivering safe and high-quality care for our patients whether they are in our hospitals or in their own homes. “The hospital at home service transferred to HCRG in April 2025 when the contract for community
Lib Dem MPs Sarah Gibson and Anna Sabine outside the RUH
services went live. “At this time, HCRG subcontracted the RUH to continue to provide virtual beds for this service, and this subcontract comes to an end on 30th September 2026. “We will continue to provide hospital at home beds to deliver additional capacity for our communities as we go into winter, whilst also continuing to work closely with our colleagues at the ICB and HCRG on the development of the most effective clinical model for the future.” Hospital at home launched in 2021 and has cared for more than 5,000 patients. In 2025, the team also received the RUH’s Working Together Award, recognising its exceptional multidisciplinary care.
Follow on Threads Find us @BathEcho
“But this is about more than just a new building – we are also transforming the way we work to ensure we continue to deliver the highest quality care for our patients as soon as they arrive at our front door.” The modular buildings for the centre are being provided by healthcare infrastructure
specialist Vanguard Healthcare Solutions. Simon Squirrell, UK business director at the company, said: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the RUH to deliver its new Urgent Treatment Centre. “Our focus is on providing a high-quality clinical facility that supports the trust’s ambitions for urgent and emergency care, while minimising disruption to patients, staff and existing services during construction. “We look forward to seeing the new centre become an important part of the RUH estate.” Urgent Treatment Centres are intended for health problems requiring same-day attention which are not life-threatening, while Emergency Departments deal with serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies. The RUH’s existing Urgent Treatment Centre and Emergency Department will remain open as normal throughout the construction work.
New garden gives space to rest and recharge STAFF working in the Emergency Department at the Royal United Hospital now have a new outdoor space where they can take a break from the pressures of frontline care. The garden has been transformed through a collaboration between Beard Construction, hospital charity RUHX and the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust. Beard, which is carrying out a number of construction projects across the RUH site, identified the opportunity to improve the Emergency Department’s staff garden as part of its wider commitment to social value. The space had become overgrown and was rarely used, despite being intended as somewhere for staff to spend their breaks. Beard’s team and subcontractors cleared weeds and overgrowth, installed new fencing and laid fresh gravel and paving. A decking area was also created, while tables, chairs, parasols, planters and new planting were added to make the garden more welcoming. Martin Pomeroy, special projects manager at Beard, said: “I’d like to take a moment to recognise the incredible work that the Emergency Department does. “Everyday teams face pressures and challenging situations that most of us can’t imagine. “That’s why we wanted to create a space where colleagues can step
Welcoming the new garden
away from the noise, gather their thoughts, enjoy a coffee and have a few minutes of fresh air before heading back into work. As a team, we prioritise wellbeing and social engagement, and projects like this not only support local communities, but are hugely rewarding for us to deliver too. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to use our time and expertise beyond the site hoardings at the hospital.” He added: “We hope this garden becomes a place colleagues can relax, recharge and take a wellearned moment for themselves.” The Emergency Department is one of the busiest areas of the hospital, with staff caring for patients and families throughout demanding shifts. Healthcare support worker Karen Arkle said the refurbishment had made an immediate difference. She said: “The refurbishment of the Emergency Department garden has completely transformed the space. It now feels so much more inviting, comfortable and welcoming for staff.”
Issue 139
Education
Interested in sponsoring this section? Get in touch: advertise@bathecho.co.uk
Uni reaches UK top 60 in rankings BATH Spa University has climbed into the top 60 of The Guardian University Guide for the first time in 17 years, continuing a significant rise through the national rankings. The university is placed 59th out of 123 institutions in the 2027 guide, up two positions from 61st last year. The latest improvement follows a 47-place jump in the previous edition, when Bath Spa was named the highest-rising university in the UK. Its strongest subject performance this year came in Nutrition and Food Science, which was ranked number one nationally with a score of 100 out of 100. Bath Spa also secured eighth place for Journalism, while Drama and Dance and Interior Design were both ranked 13th. Fashion and Textiles placed 14th and Creative Writing 18th. Elsewhere, Graphic Design and Fine Art were both ranked 33rd, Law and Media and Film Studies 34th, Biology 35th, Film Production and Photography 38th and Music 43rd. Eight of the university’s 22 ranked
P19
Interested in advertising? Call 01225 585484
subject areas improved their positions compared with last year. Six were placed within the top 40% of providers nationally, while Nutrition and Food Science, Journalism, and Drama and Dance all ranked within the top 20%. The guide also highlighted student satisfaction at Bath Spa, placing it 22nd nationally for satisfaction with teaching, with a score of 89.7%. It was ranked 16th for satisfaction with assessment and feedback, where it achieved 87.1%. Bath Spa improved in five of the nine measures used to calculate the overall Guardian ranking. These included rises of 24 places for expenditure per student, 10 places for its student-to-staff ratio and 24 places for average entry tariff. Individual subjects also performed strongly in specific measures. Film Production and Photography, Nutrition and Food Science, and Journalism were each ranked fifth nationally for teaching satisfaction. Journalism was also third in the country for continuation and
joint third for expenditure per student. Vice-Chancellor and CEO Professor Georgina Andrews said: “This is another really encouraging result for Bath Spa University and reflects the hard work, ambition and commitment of our students and colleagues. “To have risen 47 places and been named the UK’s highest-rising university last year, and then to continue that progress into the top 60, shows that we are moving firmly in the right direction. “Our strong subject results are particularly pleasing, including being ranked number one in the UK for Nutrition and Food Science and achieving strong positions across our creative and professional disciplines. “These results reflect the quality of our teaching and the distinctive experience we offer our students. “There is much more we want to achieve. Our Strategy 2035 sets out our ambition to be the Professionally Creative University for the future, and results like these give us real confidence as we continue that journey.”
Weston site set to stay in educational use Becky Feather Reporter
THE King Edward’s Pre-Prep and Nursery site in Weston in Bath is to remain in educational use when the school moves out. KES announced in January that it would be selling off the Weston Lane site as part of a proposed major redevelopment to bring all primary-age pupils to its North Road campus. The site was formally listed for sale through Knight Frank, alongside a planning and listed building consent application. The design aimed to remove the modern classroom structures and change the use of the main building and lodge into a large family home, adding a pool house, parking barn, and two gatehouse / storage buildings, as well as creating gardens. But now KES has withdrawn
those plans. A spokesperson told the Echo: “We are pleased to confirm that contracts have now been exchanged for the sale of the Weston Lane site. “The purchaser intends to continue using the property for educational purposes, and, accordingly, it has been agreed that King Edward’s shall withdraw the planning application submitted for a change of use to a private residence. “Separately, we are delighted that planning permission has now been granted for the proposed enhancements to our Junior School on the North Road campus. “This is an important milestone in our plans to invest at least £3 million in our primary provision and bring all children from preschool to Year 6 together on one site from January 2027.” The buyer of the Weston Lane site has not yet been announced.
Ofsted highlights Batheaston Church School’s strengths Becky Feather Reporter
OFSTED inspectors have praised the “highly positive start” that pupils get at Batheaston Church School. A team visited the 194-pupil primary school at Northend in July and their report has been published this week. Ofsted’s new report card system has a grading scale with exceptional at the top, followed by strong standard, expected standard, needs attention, and urgent improvement. The school, which is part of the Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies Trust, is said to be of a strong standard in two categories – the early years and personal development and wellbeing. It is of the expected standard in terms of achievement; inclusion; leadership and governance; attendance and behaviour; and curriculum and teaching. The safeguarding standards are met. The report says: “Leaders make sure that children in the early years have a highly positive start to school. “Older pupils take on roles as ‘Special Friends’ to new children joining the school. This helps to welcome children and their families into the school community.” Leaders are “passionate” about helping pupils to develop a sense of belonging and staff quickly identify any barriers that pupils have to their learning and/or wellbeing. The report says pupils quickly learn to read confidently, develop their mathematical skills and increasingly write accurately.
READY FOR WHAT’S NEXT? Library image
“They achieve in line with their peers in national tests. “However, not all subjects in the curriculum are as effectively taught as the core subjects. This means that in a small number of subjects, pupils are not as well prepared for their next stage of education as they should be.” Pupils who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively to make progress from their starting points. They learn effectively alongside their peers. The report also says that pupils are proud of their school, behave well and show positive attitudes towards their learning. Most attend well and leaders work with pupils and their families to understand and help to overcome any barriers to attendance. The school was last inspected in 2022 under the previous Ofsted grading system when it was rated as Good.
You don’t need to know exactly where you’re going. You just need somewhere that will help you get there.
Educating the whole person. Empowering every future. Confidence. Character. Curiosity. Purpose. Taster Day
Open Evening
Book online
6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
7 OCTOBER
WWW.NEWSIXTHBATH.ORG.UK
8 OCTOBER Scan to register
P20
Friday 25th September - Thursday 8th October 2026
www.bathecho.co.uk
Business
Accounting Expert
Row over unauthorised deck outside park café Becky Feather Reporter
A PLANNING application for the dining deck which has been in place outside Treetop Café in Royal Victoria Park over the summer was withdrawn just days after Historic England sent a letter of objection. The site is owned by Bath & North East Somerset Council and leased to Excel Tennis Ltd who want to install a raised deck from May to September annually up to 2031. The seven-metre-squared deck was also in place last summer without consent. We reported in August 2025 that the council’s enforcement team was investigating. Since opening in July 2024, taking on a “dilapidated and loss-making” café, Excel Tennis Ltd say they have invested an enormous amount of time, work and money in turning it into an accessible and welcoming venue. The deck application was submitted on 24th March this year but the council failed to make a decision. This week the applicant spoke of their frustration at the way matters have been handled. Historic England highlighted concerns about the impact on the Grade I registered park and garden (RPG) and said what is in situ didn’t resemble the image in the application; it appeared
larger and closer to trees than the arboricultural assessment recommended, with increased potential to impact the root protection areas. Although the deck would be installed on a temporary basis, it would have a “sustained, harmful impact on this highly sensitive historical setting,” said Historic England, adding that other outdoor facilities are on the other side of the pavilion outside of the RPG, and that the deck “sets a harmful precedent”. The public body also said it was “concerning” that no heritage impact assessment had been carried out. Excel Tennis Ltd say they have never been shown any sitespecific scientific evidence, arboricultural analysis, engineering assessment or other technical reasoning demonstrating that the deck has damaged, or is likely to damage, the roots of either tree. This is “particularly frustrating” because protecting the trees is the reason the deck was designed and constructed as it had been. Their original intention was to provide ordinary picnic benches on the grass, as the previous operator had done, which would have been considerably cheaper and easier. However, they say the council’s parks team repeatedly advised them against this because loose furniture, concentrated footfall,
The deck outside the cafe in Bath
repeated movement of tables and chairs, erosion and soil compaction would wear away the ground and place pressure on the tree-rooting environment. The planning application was submitted on 24th March and validated on 27th May. The ordinary eight-week determination period expired on 22nd July. The council was almost two months beyond that deadline, with no agreed resolution, and the necessary consultation with Historic England was not completed within the original period, say Excel Tennis Ltd. They say the image was an illustrative concept, not a substitute for proper technical consideration of the structure, and they would have been willing to supply more information. They “repeatedly” tried to involve relevant council departments and heritage consultees in
constructive discussions, but no coordinated site meeting had taken place. The company have written to B&NES saying that before reapplying for next season, they want a joint site meeting between their representatives, the council’s planning, parks and aboricultural officers and Historic England. They say: “We are prepared to consider repositioning supports, reducing the deck’s extent, altering its construction or introducing monitoring and installation controls. “What we cannot respond meaningfully to is a broad assertion of potential harm without an explanation of how that harm is said to arise from this particular deck. “We are also happy to redesign the aesthetics.” The deck remains in place this week.
Plans to open garden sauna business are refused Becky Feather Reporter
PLANS to open a commercial sauna in a Bathwick garden have been refused by Bath & North East Somerset Council over concerns about the impact on nearby residents. The scheme involved a change of use of the garage and a small part of the garden at 60 St John’s Road to create a “micro-scale wellness facility”. The sauna micro-business would be run by the homeowner and
accessed via online bookings, with no staff or reception, and no walk-ins. The planned hours of operation were 8.30am to 6pm. Access was proposed via the existing gate and a new side garden path. The plans included secure on-site cycle parking and highlighted that two hours of free on-street parking is available on St John’s Road from 8am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday. The council received 13 objections to the proposed development. They included concerns about noise
13 objections were received
disturbance, privacy, parking and that it could set a precedent for future commercial developments.
Council planners described the scale of the proposed timberclad sauna as “modest” and said the alterations to the garage to provide changing and shower facilities, as well as storage, would be acceptable. They also felt the parking options and sustainable transport modes available would be acceptable. But the officers said that despite management measures put forward to avoid harm, they would not avoid the “significant level of harm” which would be caused by a commercial unit operating in a residential area.
What AI Can’t Tax: The Human Side of Family Wealth By Calvin Healy, Director and Head of Tax, Richardson Swift After more than two decades advising Bath-based families and business owners at Richardson Swift, I’ve learned that the numbers are rarely the hard part. That is where technology can help and make us more efficient. Our team uses clever tools, including AI, to draft documents, run projections and find information in seconds. But good advice is about much more than that. We’re seeing that now with inheritance tax. The £325,000 nil-rate band remains frozen, changes to Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief affect how much can be passed on with full relief, and from April 2027 most unused pension funds and death benefits will form part of an estate for inheritance tax purposes. For most people, the important question isn’t simply about calculating the tax. It’s about understanding what the changes mean for them, the choices they have and how those decisions directly affect their family and wider plans. AI can help provide the information, but it can’t be relied upon to provide the best advice. A recent tax tribunal case highlighted this when an AIassisted appeal referred to nine legal cases that didn’t actually exist. There is also a human side to advice that technology cannot replicate. I saw that personally when my mother dealt with my grandfather’s estate while she was grieving. It gave me a different perspective on the support families need at an already difficult time and influenced how I developed our probate service at Richardson Swift. That experience has also shaped how I think about technology. Used well, it can make our work more efficient, but its greatest value is the time it gives us back - to listen, understand and support and advise people through important decisions. If you’re interested in what inheritance tax and other changes mean for you and your family, you can read my full article on our website, by scanning the QR code above. Or if you would like to have an initial conversation, please contact us at hello@richardsonswift.co.uk.
01225 325580 www.richardsonswift.co.uk hello@richardsonswift.co.uk 11 Laura Place, Bath BA2 4BL
Struggling with social media for your business? We’re proud to work with some of Bath’s best known brands and companies
Book your FREE consultation with us 01225 585085 studio@mediabath.co.uk
MediaBath
Issue 139
P21
Your City, Your News - Bath Echo
Politics
Planning Round-up Primary school solar panels gain approval
Former Mayor remains Combe Down councillor John Wimperis
Local Democracy Reporter
FORMER Mayor of Bath Bharat Pankhania is still a councillor despite announcing his resignation months ago. Dr Pankhania resigned from the ceremonial role of Mayor of Bath in March, after reposting content from his personal account on X (formerly Twitter) which called an arson attack on ambulances run by a Jewish charity an “Israeli false flag”. Dr Pankhania apologised, said it did not align with his values, and later said he did not realise the “implied subtext”. At the full meeting of Bath & North East Somerset Council in July, Dr Pankhania announced that he would also resign as councillor for Combe Down after eight years. But two months on, with the council having had its first meeting back after the summer recess, Dr Pankhania has still not resigned and remains a councillor.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands Dr Pankhania was originally persuaded, by councillors from multiple parties, to stay on as a councillor to avoid the local authority bearing the cost of a byelection. Local elections for the whole council are set to happen on 6th May 2027. Dr Pankhania had reshared a post on X in March calling an arson attack on four ambulances run by a Jewish charity in Golders Green an “Israeli false flag”, along with two others which suggested it was insurance fraud. He soon after deleted those tweets, and posted a full apology on X referring to them as “abhorrent”. The Liberal Democrats suspended him from the party following the posts. He left the party in March, at the same time as he resigned as Mayor of Bath. He told a council meeting on 16th July that he would resign as a councillor too. He said: “This has not been an easy decision, but I need to give greater priority to my
Reforms are an ‘attack on local democracy’ John Wimperis
Local Democracy Reporter
THE leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council has called Labour’s new planning reforms “an attack by central government on local democracy”. Deciding planning applications is one of the most important responsibilities of local councils but new government reforms will take many decisions out of the hands of councillors. On 17th September, Bath & North East Somerset Council symbolically refused to approve the new rules - although they will come into force anyway. Liberal Democrat council leader Kevin Guy told the council meeting: “The government say they believe in devolving powers but in front of us are a series of changes which will remove the rights of councillors to call in applications and radically curtail the planning decisions made transparently and openly in our meetings.” Instead of being decided in public meetings by the planning committee, many more planning applications will be decided by the council’s planning officers - members of council staff who judge planning applications against its planning policy and are
already responsible for deciding many smaller applications. Under the incoming reforms, applications for nine homes or less will now only be decided by councillors in exceptional circumstances. Separately, new rules introduced in April already mean that councils cannot turn down any planning applications for more than 150 homes without government approval. Councillor Guy said: “I am sure colleagues will agree that this is an attack by central government on local democracy. “There won’t be a councillor in this chamber who has not been approached by residents asking for their support and stance on planning applications. “Our residents believe that people who are local know best, and you are those local representatives.” The council was due to officially vote to adopt the reforms but Councillor Guy declined to move the required amendment to the council constitution “as a point of principle”. Since it is required by the government, the reforms will be introduced into the council constitution by the council’s monitoring officer anyway. Councillor Guy said: “We cannot vote for change in planning rules that we fundamentally do not agree with.”
Dr Bharat Pankhania | Photo © Paul Gillis / paulgillisphoto.com
health and wellbeing.” He added: “Like all of us I am human and capable of making mistakes and I made a mistake, a momentary error, and shared a social media message before realising its implied subtext. I am sorry I did that and I wish I hadn’t. “My action caused concern and offence. I listened, I reflected, and I accepted responsibility for my mistake. “I regret the distraction that this caused to the council and to the mayoralty and I stepped back as soon as it was clear that this was the right thing to do.”
He added: “I have always believed that public service is a privilege. Throughout my time as a councillor, Deputy Mayor, and Mayor of Bath, I have sought to serve every resident with integrity, respect, and genuine desire to make our city a better place.” Three councillors walked out of the chamber immediately before he began his statement. Dr Pankhania became the 798th Mayor of Bath, a wholly ceremonial role held by a different councillor each year, in 2025. He is the first Mayor to resign from the role since 1937.
Help shape future of Park & Ride services RESIDENTS, commuters and visitors are being invited to have their say on the future of Bath’s Park & Ride network. Bath & North East Somerset Council has launched a survey seeking views from people who use the service regularly, occasionally or not at all. It asks about travel habits, reasons for using Park & Ride, how frequently people travel on the service, what they think works well and where improvements could be made. Feedback will be used to help the council understand how people currently travel in and around Bath and inform future decisions about the service. The council said Park & Ride sites could increasingly develop into wider transport hubs, connecting bus services with cycling facilities, e-bikes, e-scooters and other shared transport options. Although those opportunities are still developing, the authority said gathering views now would help inform future investment, service design and transport planning. More than 2.5 million passenger journeys were made using Bath’s Park & Ride services during the past 12 months. The network also recorded the second-highest satisfaction score in the country for the third consecutive year in the latest
Bath has three Park & Ride sites
National Highways and Transport Public Satisfaction Survey. Councillor Manda Rigby, cabinet member for communications and community, said: “We’re proud that Bath’s Park & Ride continues to be recognised as one of the best in the country, but we know there is always more we can do to improve. “Whether you use Park & Ride every day, occasionally, or have never used it before, we want to hear from you. “Understanding how people travel, what influences their choices and what improvements they would like to see will help us make informed decisions about the future of the service.” Bath has Park & Ride sites at Lansdown, Newbridge and Odd Down, providing connections into the city centre. Odd Down is also served by the Number 4 bus, providing a direct link to the Royal United Hospital. The survey, available at https:// haveyoursay.bathnes.gov.uk/ parkandride/, will remain open until later this year.
Bath & North East Somerset Council has approved plans to install photovoltaic (PV) panels at Mulberry Park Educate Together Primary Academy at Combe Down. The application said that construction was under way on a new SEND Resource Base within the grounds of the school. With the energy demands of the new building needing to be offset by renewable sources of energy, a sustainability consultant had established that 30 square metres of PV panels would be required. The panels will go on the existing school roof.
Four-bed Keynsham house approved Proposals for a four-bed house to replace a double garage in Keynsham have been given the go-ahead by Bath & North East Somerset Council. The proposal is to demolish the garage and covered entrance porch of 3 Kelston Road, which is a semidetached Edwardian house, and build a detached house in the side garden. The existing access and parking area will be retained and it considered that sub-dividing the large garden will provide “substantial” outside space for both properties.
New house permitted at London Road West Plans to build a “traditional” twostorey house with four bedrooms on a vacant plot of land at Lower Swainswick have been permitted. The site is between 77 and 81 London Road West which are two-storey modern properties set back into the valley slope which rises up from the edge of the road. The scheme includes alterations to the existing access, including the demolition and construction of a realigned boundary wall and tactile paving, two parking spaces and secure parking for four bikes. The council received five objections. Concerns included the scale and design, the access, and the destruction of green space. But approving the plans last week, council officers said they were satisfied with the design and size of the house, the access and the parking arrangements. Detailed landscaping plans will be secured by condition.
New lease of life for former bank offices There are plans to change the use of the offices above the banking hub in Keynsham High Street to flats. The banking hub is in what used to be the Halifax. It was the town’s final bank branch and closed in May 2025. Developments Bristol Ltd has submitted a request for prior approval to change the use of the upper floors of 53 High Street from financial services to five self-contained flats.
P22
Friday 25th September - Thursday 8th October 2026
www.bathecho.co.uk
Sport
Interested in sponsoring this section? Get in touch: advertise@bathecho.co.uk
Bath romp at Glasgow but new signing Bhatti suffers injury
Free sports day being offered to older locals
The sessions are open to those over 50 With pre-season fixtures complete, Bath Rugby will open their PREM season here at Harlequins | Photo © Richard Briggs
Richard Briggs Reporter
BATH Rugby scored nine tries as they romped to a 53-5 victory over a young Glasgow Warriors side at Old Anniesland on Friday 18th September in a friendly. Santi Carreras touched down in the ninth minute to open the scoring. Joe Cokanasiga added Bath’s second try, this in the 22nd minute. And six minutes later, Bernard van der Linde went over to extend the lead to 15-0. The advantage was stretched to 22-0 just before the turnaround, Finn Russell converting after he set up Carreras for another try. Next man to cross was Cameron Redpath, who dotted down in the 43rd minute – and van der Linde completed his double nine minutes later. In the 66th minute, Redpath notched his second touchdown. Ciaran Donoghue added the extras and Johann van Graan’s
team were 39-0 up. Ollie Lawrence went over in the 70th minute, Donoghue majoring. Glasgow finally got onto the scoreboard when Alex Bryden crossed in the 77th minute. Bath were not finished and Claudius Wheeler scored their final try right at the end, Donoghue again successful from the tee. However, there was bad news for the Somerset team as their new signing Jamie Bhatti, a former Warrior, suffered a broken arm. Bath starting XV: 1 Beno Obano, 2 Dan Frost, 3 Will Stuart, 4 Ted Hill, 5 Charlie Ewels, 6 Guy Pepper, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Josh Bayliss, 9 Bernard van der Linde, 10 Finn Russell, 11 Tom de Glanville, 12 Max Ojomoh, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 15 Santi Carreras. Bath replacements (in alphabetical order): Jamie Bhatti, Tom Carr-Smith, Ieuan Davies, Ciaran Donoghue, Dan du Preez, Tom Dunn, Austin Emens, Arthur Green, Archie Griffin, Charlie Griffin, Jack Harrison, Will
Jeanes, Scott Kirk, Ross Molony, Cameron Redpath, Miles Reid, Ewan Richards, Quinn Roux, George Timmins, Kepueli Tuipulotu, Claudius Wheeler, Jack Woods. Glasgow starting XV: 1 Jake Shearer, 2 Ottavio Tuipulotu, 3 Fin Richardson, 4 Ruaraidh Hart, 5 Dan Halkon, 6 Ally Miller, 7 Angus Fraser, 8 Macenzzie Duncan, 9 Callum Reidy, 10 Matthew Urwin, 11 Guy Rogers, 12 Bayley Kuenzle, 13 Johnny Ventisei, 14 Cameron van Wyk, 15 Fergus Watson. Glasgow replacements: Joe Roberts, Seb Stephen, Nathan McBeth, Ollie McKenna, Murphy Walker, Max Williamson, Dylan Cockburn, Harvey Preston, Jack Oliver, Gregor Johnston, Ollie Smith, Dan Lancaster, Harry Provan, Kerr Yule, Kerr Johnston, Alex Bryden, Sam Talakai, Josh McKay. Bath’s next assignment will be their Gallagher PREM Round 1 match against Harlequins at Twickenham Stoop Stadium this evening, Friday 25th September (7.45pm).
Becky Feather Reporter
BATH Sports & Leisure Centre is offering over-50s the chance to reconnect with their favourite sports for free. On Sunday 27th September, the local not-for-profit community initiative Life In The Old Dogs will be running indoor sessions for football (2pm to 2.45pm), netball (2.45pm to 3pm), basketball (3pm to 3.45pm) and tag rugby (3.45pm to 4.30pm). “We’re offering real, active sports tailored for the over 50s,” said David James, founder of Life In The Old Dogs. “All our activities are spirited but strictly friendly and 100% focused on fair play and people having fun. “Everyone is welcome to come along to the sports centre and take part, regardless of their fitness level, ability and / or experience.” The initiative began eight years ago after James grew tired of going to the gym by himself and became convinced there must be
other over 50s who, like himself, missed playing team sports. Seven years later, more than 150 people a week take part in a variety of activities and sports. The concept is becoming increasingly popular, with The Old Dogs now operating in Bristol and Swindon and expansion into more cities and towns on the cards. “There’s an unmet demand among people aged 60+ to keep fit and active,” said James. “Along with our weekly sports sessions, we’ve also hosted basketball and tag rugby tournaments – along with playing and defeating the England Over 60s football team!” “But what’s stood out to me has been the social dimension of The Old Dogs. New friendships have been struck and members regularly meet up outside of their sports group for coffee, lunch and even the odd pint. “We’ve now also organising group trips to Europe, something that had never occurred to me back in 2019.” You can find out more at https:// lifeintheolddogs.com/
City Women out of FA Cup, Devs and Odd Down lose in league Richard Briggs Reporter
BATH City Women’s dreams of Women’s FA Cup glory are over. The Romans were beaten 3-0 at Gloucestershire club Bishops Cleeve Ladies on Sunday 20th September and exited the competition in the second qualifying round, having recorded victories over Paulton Rovers Ladies and Pen Mill Ladies. Izzy Owen, Nia Geary-Andrews and Jess Stirling scored for Cleeve – who led 2-0 at the break – in front of a crowd of 168 at Kayte Lane. City will be back in South
West Regional Women’s League Division One Central action on Sunday 27th September, when they host Whitchurch Ladies at the Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park (2pm). Bath City Women Development were also defeated on 20th September. They lost 4-1 at home to Ilminster Town Ladies Reserves in Somerset County Women’s League Division One, having trailed 3-1 at half-time. Lauren Paul, Gabriella Crook, Isabella Watts and Harriet Kelly were on target for the Blues. The Devs will go to Banwell Ladies in the league on Sunday 27th September
(2pm). Ten-player Odd Down Women conceded two goals in each half to lose 4-0 at Frome Town Women in Somerset County Women’s League Division One on 20th September. The Robins’ goals at Badgers Hill Stadium came from Karen Thorner-Atkinson (2), Elicia Rumens and Stephanie Isaacson. Odd Down – who felt they made a valiant effort and battled hard throughout – named Dani Macer their player of the match. The Down will be hoping for their first victory of the league campaign when they go to Paulton Reserves on 27th September (4pm).
Bath City Women were knocked out of the Women’s FA Cup by Bishops Cleeve Ladies here at Kayte Lane on Sunday 20th September | Photo © Richard Briggs
Issue 139
P23
Interested in advertising? Call 01225 585484
Don't miss the latest sports news
Visit www.bathecho.co.uk/sport or follow us on Facebook or X @BathEchoSport
Samuel helps Britain secure Davis Cup spot
Olympic champion Tabby takes on Strictly and new Gladiators role
TEAM Bath Tennis player Toby Samuel made a winning Davis Cup debut as Great Britain booked their place in the competition’s Final 8. Samuel was chosen to open the tie against Ecuador at London’s Copper Box Arena, marking Great Britain’s first Davis Cup contest in the capital for a decade. After losing the opening set against Andres Andrade, Samuel recovered to claim a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory and give his country the perfect start. Great Britain went on to complete a convincing 4-0 win against an Ecuador side which had eliminated Australia in the previous round. The result means Britain will compete in the Davis Cup Final 8 for the first time since 2023. They will join Austria, Canada, Czechia, Germany, Italy, South Korea and Spain at the five-day tournament in Bologna, Italy, from 24th to 29th November.
BATH-TRAINED Olympic champion Tabby Stoecker is swapping the skeleton track for primetime television as she competes in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing and prepares to join the fourth series of Gladiators. The skeleton star, who trains at the University of Bath, is currently taking part in the 2026 edition of Strictly following an extraordinary year which saw her win Olympic gold for Team GB. Stoecker claimed the mixed team skeleton title alongside Matt Weston at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. She has also been announced as a new member of the Gladiators team for Series 4. Despite exchanging the skeleton track for the ballroom, Stoecker believes many of the qualities which have helped her succeed in international sport are proving useful on Strictly. She said: “They both demand a lot of physical training, mental resilience and determination.
Samuel said: “This was a big dream of mine and you could sort of tell because I got a bit nervous at the start. I got myself going and I am so happy I got the job done for Great Britain. Everyone on the side gave me so much energy and support throughout the whole match.” The victory adds another milestone to an impressive year for Samuel, who is coached by Ian MacDonald and Tiarnan Brady at Team Bath. He has competed at three Grand Slam tournaments during 2026 - Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open - and has also broken into the top 100 of the ATP men’s singles world rankings. Samuel is part of Team Bath’s Pro Tennis programme, which supports players while they train at the University of Bath and when they compete at tournaments in the UK and overseas. The university is a UK Sportaccredited Elite Training Centre. Photo ©Team Bath
Bath-trained Tabby Stocker (right) Photo © Anna Barclay / Team Bath
“You need to be ready to adapt at any moment, be extremely coachable and open to taking on feedback – good or bad – and be unflappable under pressure. “Also both the Olympics and Strictly are live, so you’re putting yourself out there real time for people to watch – they’re both a performance of sorts.” Stoecker, who previously worked as a circus skills performer, has trained with the
British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association at the University of Bath for the past seven years. During that time she has progressed from a complete beginner in the sport to becoming an Olympic champion and twotime World silver medallist. She said the body awareness required in skeleton is also helping as she tackles the demands of dancing. “For skeleton specifically, we are encouraged to really tune into our body and our senses as we hurtle down the track, if you’re switched off for one moment you might miss something and then crash! “So far it seems that dancing relies heavily on that trust in yourself too, so the skills translate really well.” Her success at Milano-Cortina also led to Stoecker becoming the youngest athlete to be inducted into the University of Bath’s Hall of Fame for Sport. Alongside her television appearances, she is continuing her skeleton career and is due to return to the ice in the New Year.
Business Asset and Debt Recovery • Dispute Resolution • Commercial Property Law • Corporate and Business Law • Employment and BattensHR • Trade Marks and Intellectual Property • Personal Asset and Debt Recovery • Dispute Resolution • Employment • Family Law and Divorce • Residential Conveyancing • Personal Injury • Residential Landlord and Tenant Issues • Property Dispute Resolution • Wills, Trusts, Probate and Estate Administration • Agricultural & Rural Legal Services • Planning • Media, Entertainment and Technology Law • Clinical and Medical Negligence • Business Asset and Debt Recovery • Dispute Resolution • Commercial Property Law • Corporate and Business Law • Employment and BattensHR • Trade Marks and Intellectual Property • Personal Asset and Debt Recovery • Dispute Resolution • Employment • Family Law and Divorce • Residential Conveyancing • Personal Injury • Residential Landlord and Tenant Issues • Property Dispute Resolution • Wills, Trusts, Probate and Estate Administration • Agricultural & Rural Legal Services • Planning • Media, Entertainment and Technology Law • Clinical and Medical Negligence • Business Asset and Debt Recovery • Dispute Resolution • Commercial Property Law • Corporate and Business Law • Employment and BattensHR • Trade Marks and Intellectual Property • Personal Asset and Debt Recovery • Dispute Resolution • Employment • Family Law and Divorce • Residential Conveyancing 0800 • Personal 652Injury 8373• Residential Landlord and Tenant Issues • Property Dispute Resolution • Wills, Trusts, Probate and Estate Administration • Agricultural & Rural Legal Services • Planning • Media,battens.co.uk Entertainment and Technology Law • Clinical and Medical Negligence • Business Asset and Debt Recovery • Dispute Resolution • Commercial Property Law • Corporate and Business Law • Employment and BattensHR • Trade Marks and Intellectual Property • Personal Asset and Debt Recovery • Dispute Resolution • Employment • Family Law
Our experience, your future
OFFICES: Bath • Bridport • Castle Cary • Poundbury • Sherborne • Wareham • Yeovil
P24
Friday 25th September - Thursday 8th October 2026
www.bathecho.co.uk
Sport
Upcoming Fixtures Bath Rugby
Larkhall Athletic crushed at Portland
Dawid Regula wheels away after scoring for Larkhall Athletic last season. He could be back in action at the Camella Stadium for his new club Shaftesbury | Photo © jeremyrichardsphotography.com
Richard Briggs Reporter
LARKHALL Athletic suffered their fourth straight defeat in all competitions when they were drubbed at Portland United in Pitching In Southern League Division One South on Saturday 19th September. The Dorset side, who moved up to Step 4 this year, completed a 4-1 victory over John Durbin’s men, who have suffered a torrid time since overcoming Westbury United in the league on Summer Bank Holiday Monday, 31st August. After the superb 3-0 home win over the White Horse Men, the Larks were beaten 4-1 at Willand Rovers in the league, 3-0 at Tiverton Town in the FA Trophy second qualifying round and 2-1 by visitors Hungerford Town in Division One South to leave them in desperate need of a victory against Portland. And they looked to be on the way when Sam Boulton put them in front in the 38th minute of a match watched by a crowd of 237. However, the Blues roared back
after the break to net through Jacob Coombs (2), Patrick Jenkins and Greg Borthwick to condemn the guests to penultimate place in the table. Three days earlier, Nchiniwi Fotso gave Hungerford a fourthminute advantage at the Camella Stadium, only to Ben Cleary to equalise 10 minutes before the interval. But George Franklin notched a 70th-minute decider for the Berkshire outfit in front of a crowd of 161. Athletic will host Shaftesbury in the league on Saturday 26th September (3pm). The game could see the Rockies’ former Larkhall goal-ace Dawid Regula make his return to the Camella Stadium. Also in the North Dorset side’s ranks is former AFC Bournemouth star Brett Pitman, who scored in their 3-0 home win over Worcester Raiders on 19th September. The Larks will follow up by visiting Slimbridge – who are currently without a point and sit at the bottom of the league – in Division One South on Wednesday 30th September (7.45pm).
Former British number one joins Team Bath FORMER British number one Alicia Barnett has moved into coaching at Team Bath Tennis after bringing her professional playing career to an end. Barnett, who has spent the past decade as a leading player in Team Bath’s professional programme, has been appointed as a Performance Tennis Coach. She will work with young players in the Regional Player Development Centre, helping those aged 14 and under develop their game and progress towards the International Junior Stage of the LTA Player Pathway. Barnett said: “I’m delighted to be taking on this role and starting a new stage in my tennis career. “I’m really lucky that I’m going to be working with so many talented young players. It’s a good opportunity to help shape them, not just as players but as people, and hopefully help them along their journey. “I’m fortunate that I’ve always worked with coaches I felt cared about me, on and off court, and that’s something I want to pass on to future generations.” Barnett, from Painswick in Gloucestershire, already knows the Team Bath development pathway well, having first joined its Academy as a 17-yearold through the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sport and Exercise programme. She gained her Level 1 coaching qualification at the same time before completing her Level 3 qualification during the Covid pandemic. Barnett said coaching had always remained in the background during her playing career and that she had enjoyed helping
young players at her local club. Her move into coaching follows a career which saw her become Britain’s highest-ranked women’s doubles player after reaching 59th in the world. She competed at all four Grand Slam tournaments and reached the Wimbledon mixed doubles quarter-finals in both 2022 and 2024. Barnett was also part of the Great Britain team which reached the Billie Jean King Cup semifinals in 2022, the country’s first appearance at that stage in more than 40 years. She recorded 21 tournament victories during nine years on the professional circuit, with her final title coming in July when she partnered France’s Elixane Lechemia to win the women’s doubles at the Generali Open Kitzbuhel in Austria. Barnett said: “I achieved a lot more than I ever expected. I managed to travel the world, create a lot of amazing memories and make some really good friends on the tour - it’s been quite a ride. “I’d started to think about life after playing and when this opportunity came up it seemed too good to be true. I’m very settled in the South West and I love the culture here at Team Bath, so it just seems like a natural next step.” After studying and competing in America, Barnett returned to Team Bath and has trained there for the past decade, primarily with Ian MacDonald and Tiarnan Brady. She added: “Team Bath is such a good environment to develop and excel within.”
Friday 25th September – 7.45pm
Bath Rugby v Harlequins (Away) Gallagher Prem – R1 Friday 2nd October – 7.45pm
Bath Rugby v Exeter Chiefs (Home) Gallagher Prem – R2
Bath City FC Saturday 26th September – 3pm Bath City v Plymouth Parkway (Away) FA Trophy 3Q Tuesday 29th September – 7.45pm Bath City v Malvern Town (Home) League
Get Involved Whether you'd like us to include your upcoming fixtures within our pages, or submit a match report for publishing, our team would love to hear from you. Please send fixtures lists for your team to sport@bathecho. co.uk and we'll add your next event to our calendar. If you have photographs that we can use (with relevant permissions), we'd also like to include them within these pages, on our website and social media. We're happy to host match reports from across Bath and the local area. Please send them to sport@bathecho.co.uk with the subject Match Report. To ensure we can include them, please limit the length to around 400 words.
Find us on Facebook Bath Echo Sport
Sign up for emails Don't miss the latest story subscribe to our email list! Visit www.bathecho.co.uk/subscribe or scan the QR code below:
Crossword answers - Issue 138 (11/09/2026) Across: 8 Accuracy, 9 Icebox, 10 Sew, 11 Inundate, 12 Kofi, 16 Siena, 19 Off camera, 21 Internationally, 22 Clear-eyed, 24 Sepia, 27 Sees, 31 Dislodge, 33 Lee, 34 Stucco, 35 Shelving. Down: 1 Scan, 2 Turn in, 3 Carat, 4 Myself, 5 Kiwi, 6 Deck, 7 Hoof, 11 Instincts, 13 Overlap, 14 In any case, 15 Taunts, 17 Extreme, 18 Aurora, 19 Ovary, 20 Fried, 23 Eldest, 25 Evolve, 26 Asked, 28 Eats, 29 Sack, 30 Plot, 32 Gene.
STAIRLIFTS
• Straight or Curved • Indoor or Outdoor • Fast Installation • Personal Service • Local Company
LIFE AND MOBILITY
TEL: 01225 251601 www.lifeandmobility.co.uk Western Way, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 8BY (Next to Asda)
• General Building • Property Development • Extensions & Loft Conversions • Groundworks • Plumbing & Electrical • Kitchens, Bathrooms & Wetrooms • Driveways & Landscaping T: 01225 519783 M: 07878 786879 E: ndcltd@outlook.com
Boost your business with an advertising campaign!
This newspaper is produced using paper from sustainably-managed forests.
Please recycle When you’ve finished reading, please make sure this newspaper is recycled. Just pop it in your green recycling box.
Get in touch with us to book your adverts. Email
Printed by Mortons Print & Mailing Ltd, Morton Way, Boston Road Industrial Estate, Horncastle, LN9 6JR
advertise@bathecho.co.uk
ISSN 2632-7805 © Media Bath Limited 2026
or call 01225 585484 Series discounts available, along with bespoke digital packages