INTRODUCTION

10.01    This chapter covers a wide range of activities which vary in character from a game of squash, watching sport or going for a walk in the park.  The three main areas of activity under consideration are:-

 i)          Organised recreation including sports facilities,

ii)          Informal recreation, and

iii)         Entertainment and culture.

ORGANISED RECREATION AND SPORTS FACILITIES

10.02    The Sports and Leisure Centre is the main venue for indoor activities.  Whilst its central location is an advantage for many, additional facilities have also been made available outside the City Centre through the use of existing sports facilities at Culverhay School, Odd Down.  It is hoped that further similar "dual use" arrangements can be made.

10.03    The City Council has three major sports grounds; the Recreation Ground, Odd Down and Lansdown Playing Fields.  The latter is outside the City boundary but provides, with the others, a venue for the many teams and clubs from Bath.  Grounds at Odd Down and Lansdown are used to capacity and any greater use would be to the detriment of the playing surface.  Additional sports facilities should be considered to alleviate over-use, and the Council has a commitment to seeing the provision of an athletics track and all weather pitch for hockey and other sports.  Following the success of the 1995 Youth Olympics hosted by the City, the Council is seeking to secure Bath as the location for one of the Government's proposed Sports Academies.

COMMUNITY USE OF SCHOOL FACILITIES

10.04    There are considerable under-used facilities for specified users such as schools and clubs.  The County Council as Education Authority has a positive scheme for the community use of schools and facilities by members of the public.  The lettings system allows for a wide range of activities including music, dance and others both cultural and educational, to take place.  This system operates on a multi-sessional basis where voluntary and sports organisations can obtain discounts, provided they are prepared to use premises on selected evenings.  Agreement has been reached with Avon County Council for the use of facilities at Culverhay School.

 10.05    There are a large number of independent schools in Bath with good sports facilities, unused outside school times or terms.  Wherever practical, the use of these facilities could be increased by agreement.  Improved liaison could result in a better standard of provision, particularly in the outer areas of the City.

10.06    There is pressure for developable land throughout the City.  This must be resisted when it would result in the loss of open-air sports facilities, including recreation grounds.  Development will be resisted, unless acceptable replacement facilities can be provided and the character of the City will not be affected adversely.

 10.07    Since the previous Bath City Plan was adopted in June 1990, the Local Education Authority has revised its policies, and there is now an increased likelihood of some school playing fields being declared surplus to its requirements.  These open spaces have potential for use by private sports clubs and are in any case, valued as amenity open spaces within the City.

10.09    The City Council will seek to make better use of present sports facilities.  Possible ways of achieving this are through improved drainage, maintenance and management schemes, all weather surfaces and floodlighting; although for environmental and landscape reasons or because of the proximity to houses, some sites would not be suitable for this treatment.

INFORMAL RECREATION

10.10    The less organised aspects of leisure and recreation include a wide range of activities such as walking and cycling, use of parks and open spaces and use of the canal, river and allotments.

CANAL AND RIVER

10.11    The Kennet and Avon Canal is now open for boating from Bath to Reading and is likely to be subject to considerable development pressure.  Mooring sites and areas for commercial boating are likely to be sought.  With the Canal re-opening, Sydney Wharf has a renewed purpose as a permanent mooring.  The use of Darlington Wharf is to be considered for temporary moorings.  Both the canal and the river are considerable assets which deserve more attention than they have received hitherto.  Recently, a bid for funds has been lodged with the National Heritage Memorial Fund by the Kennet and Avon Canal Partnership, of which the City Council is part, in order to bring the canal up to 100% cruiseway status.  The outcome of this bid is awaited.

 10.12    The waterways within the City provide a variety of opportunities for recreational and leisure use.  However, as reflected in Policies L9 and L10 of the Chapter 11 'Care of the Landscape', these waterways have different characteristics that affect their ability to accommodate an expansion of these uses.

 10.13    The canal and the section of the river above Pulteney Weir in particular, are important habitats for wildlife.  Surveys of the ecology of the canal have been undertaken by British Waterways which provide a good basis for further monitoring and survey work.  In the past, the City Council has contributed financially towards the maintenance of the canal, and it is hoped that the new Unitary Authority will do likewise.

10.14    The canal, and the section of the river below Pulteney Weir are considered to have significant potential for recreational use.  The towpaths are well used by walkers, cyclists, as well as anglers, and with the reopening, boat usage will increase substantially.

 10.15    There is a need to prevent conflict between those who seek to exploit the recreational potential of the waterways, and residents concerned about noise or invasion of privacy.  Security is also an issue that concerns all riparian owners.  On the available evidence, there is no right of navigation on the River Avon upstream of Pulteney Weir.  The use of the river depends on the agreement of the riparian owners.  In seeking to balance these conflicting interests, the City Council will be mindful that the river and canal are within the City's conservation area, and that an increase in water traffic can lead to an increase in road traffic and possible parking problems.

10.16    The section of the river above Pulteney Weir is a particularly sensitive environment.  Any riverside development that would intensify the recreational use of the river, adversely affect wildlife, or have a more than purely localised impact on the riverbank, will be resisted.

 10.17    It should be remembered that the City Council, through its planning powers, cannot control activities that take place on the waterways themselves; but it will seek, in conjunction with British Waterways and the National Rivers Authority (now the Environment Agency), the preparation of a management plan for the control of such matters as temporary moorings, wildlife protection and the care and cleanliness of the waterways and their environs.  The management plan will acknowledge that the recreational potential of the river downstream of Pulteney Weir is greater than that of the section upstream.

   OPEN SPACES

  10.19    Open spaces in Bath range from the small areas of children's play space to the eight large parks maintained by the City Council, and include areas of open land within housing estates.  It is important that all local residents, including the very young and the elderly, should be able to walk to an area of open space easily and safely.  It is hoped to increase the number of easily accessible open spaces by arranging for the informal use of school fields by the public as part of the "dual use" agreements mentioned above.  Open space in the City also has an important amenity function and is valued as part of the landscape of Bath.  The open spaces to be safeguarded are listed in Appendix F (Map 5) and shown on the Proposals Map.  Whilst it is desirable to safeguard such spaces from development, the Council accepts that often buildings and other facilities are required in connection with the use of the open space (e.g. changing rooms, club rooms), and development of these facilities should normally be permitted to occur provided it is related to the open space use and not independent of it.

 10.20    Amenity open space in the City comprises several different types:-

 i)          Public open space is usually accessible at all times, and in Bath, is made up of parks and gardens, recreation grounds, playspaces, playing fields and amenity areas on council housing estates, all of which is normally in public ownership;

 ii)          Some amenity areas are associated with a building or a group of buildings, such as the land surrounding the Holburne of Menstrie Museum, or land in front of Lansdown Crescent.  These areas form the setting of the listed building(s), and it is essential that they are retained as open land.  They may or may not be available for public resort; and

 iii)         Privately owned open areas which contribute to the overall landscape of the City, and in some densely developed parts are essential to the amenity of that area.

 10.21    Guidelines for the care and maintenance of public open space are set out in the document "Cherishing Outdoor Places - A Landscape Strategy for Bath: September 1993".

 10.22    Many tenants on Council housing estates have exercised their "right to buy".  Hence in some areas there is a high proportion of owner-occupation in former Council built and maintained housing areas.  At present, the Housing Revenue Account is continuing to provide the resources for the maintenance of the open spaces on these estates.  As well as safeguarding appropriate spaces from development, it is essential that they are well maintained.  Future funding arrangements for these pieces of land are currently under review by the Housing Authority.

 ALLOTMENTS

 10.24    The allotments in the City are generally well used.  Of the twenty-one sites within the City boundary, nine are statutory and managed by the City Council, and a further nine are temporary.  The allotments are shown on the Proposals Map, and are to be retained in their current use.

10.26    There are a number of privately-owned allotments which do not enjoy statutory protection.  The extent to which these are meeting a need and can be protected from development will be investigated, and the City Council will seek to reach agreements with owners to manage and retain the land in allotment use.

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE

10.27    Demand for entertainment facilities is difficult to determine.  The success and attraction of many establishments may be primarily due to their management and promotion.  In the 18th century, visitors to the Spa were entertained at twice weekly balls; present day visitors can seek wider entertainment from a range of activities within the City.  The tourism industry sustains businesses which would not be found in such large numbers in a town of this size, particularly restaurants, wine bars and pubs.  The City Council will therefore monitor the demand for entertainment in the City, encourage the provision of additional leisure and cultural facilities, and seek to secure the optimum use of existing premises.

MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES

10.28    There are nineteen museums and galleries in the City.  The Roman Baths, Museum of Costume, including the Fashion Research Centre, and Victoria Art Gallery are run by the City Council, and are free to Bath residents.  The other museums are run as independent concerns.  Although most of the museums function primarily as tourist attractions, they also play an important role in the community and have an important function in preserving the cultural and historic heritage of Bath.  There is some overlapping in areas of interest, but more importantly, there are other areas which are not properly represented, notably the pre- and post-Roman history of the City and the natural history of the region.  In this respect, Bath is unusual in not having a City Museum which would normally cover these areas.  There is concern about the long-term viability of some of the independent museums and the future of the collections.  The City Council would welcome the setting up of a City Museum which would present the opportunity to exhibit existing collections in an accessible Central location, for the benefit of Bath residents, Bath schools and visitors to the City.

 10.29    There is also a lack of suitable exhibition space for the mounting of special exhibitions, particularly for contemporary art and travelling exhibitions, although the Victoria Art Gallery has been extended into the former Library premises in Bridge Street.  The provision of further exhibition facilities for the visual arts is of great importance to Bath's status as a major cultural centre, and will receive the Council's full support.

MUSIC AND THEATRE

10.30    The Bath International Festival has created a good reputation for the City which hosts this annual festival of the performing arts.  Other events, including the Mid-Somerset Music Festival, take place throughout the City in a variety of buildings, many of which are not ideal for presenting performances.  The Assembly Rooms, the Pump Room, the Guildhall, and the Abbey can, if necessary, be used for the performing arts.  The Theatre Royal and the former Forum Cinema building are amongst the few auditoria with raked seating that are available for performances.  The Theatre Royal functions as a professional theatre with 900 seats, while the former Forum Cinema building is currently leased by the City Church and is available as an auditorium.

10.31    Most of the available auditoria are concentrated in the centre of the City.  The Pavilion, the largest multi-use hall, has been re-furbished and can seat an audience of 1,012.  It is used for discos (dancing capacity is 800) and roller skating as well as amateur dramatics, musicals, etc., although its standard of stage and auditorium is not ideal.  The City lacks adequate facilities for the performance of music on a large-scale; none of the above mentioned auditoria were specifically designed for this purpose, and each has deficiencies.  The development of a raked-seat multi-use auditorium remains one of the City Council's aspirations, and the provision of such a building incorporating high-standard conference facilities is being encouraged (see Policy V3).  Elsewhere in the City, church and community halls play an important part in local activities, and many provide rehearsal and meeting rooms for the City's amateur clubs and societies.

THE SPA

10.33    Until the mid 1970's, there was a long and distinguished history of use of Bath's hot mineral waters for medical and leisure purposes.  The medical facility was closed in 1976 following the withdrawal of National Health Service support.  The Baths remained in use for leisure purposes until 1978, when the water was found to be contaminated and they were also closed.  Since then, the Council has succeeded in securing a safe supply of Spa water and has undertaken environmental improvements and structural stabilising works to the Cross Baths and repairs to the Old Royal Baths.  The Council has commissioned a detailed architectural historical survey and other research work, and promoted negotiations with a number of organisations interested in developing Spa facilities, but no development has as yet come to fruition.

10.34    In 1987, following widespread consultation, the City Council stated its aims and objectives for the restoration of a Spa facility.  Since that date, the Council has re-affirmed its desire and continued its efforts to see a Spa facility established in Bath.  This, in line with the agreed objectives, should comprise an active and working Spa which must include bathing in Spa water, the restoration of the fabric of the Cross and Old Royal Baths to the highest standards, and certain conditions regarding bathing and treatment facilities and the availability of Spa water for drinking.

10.35    As a basis for a review of those objectives, the Council has commissioned a feasibility and economic impact study to consider a wide range of matters, including the viability of various Spa operations, and their potential effect on the City.

10.36    Policy LR6 clearly outlines the Council's intention of pursuing the establishment of a Spa facility in Bath.  The Council also acknowledges the importance of the Hot Springs and former Spa buildings, namely the Cross Bath and the Old Royal Bath, and the need to secure the future of those buildings, and also for the adjacent Beau Street Baths and 7/7a Bath Street.

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