City of Bath World Heritage Site Management Plan

4.4 CONSERVATION continued

Public Realm

4.4.21 Management of the public realm, the streets and open spaces which form such an important element of the urban landscape, is increasingly recognised as a key issue. This section is about finding a balance between the need for a public realm that caters for Bath as a modern city and the role of the public realm as an historic element of the World Heritage Site.

4.4.22 The management of the public realm has links to many of the other sections of the Management Plan. This is particularly the case with the physical access section, and these two should be regarded as interrelated and managed accordingly.

4.4.23 At present the public realm is principally the responsibility of the Local Authority but the actions of individuals who use the World Heritage Site has a huge impact on its condition and appearance. Gaining the support and assistance of the communities of the World Heritage Site in maintaining the public realm, either through litter control, maintaining condition of properties with a face onto the public realm, or ensuring that new developments integrate into and improve the public spaces around them would be invaluable.

4.4.24 The public realm in Bath has suffered from under investment in recent years and although this is now beginning to change, there is a large amount of work needed.

4.4.25 The Local Authority is currently developing a strategy for managing the public realm throughout Bath & North East Somerset and this will include Bath. Several of the actions in this section of the programme will be a part of that strategy. The aims to provide guidance on standards of work, better maintenance and better communication between the relevant departments of the Local Authority will be of great benefit to the World Heritage Site.

4.4.26 In addition to the work done by the Local Authority, there is a great interest in the public realm through organisations such as the Pedestrians Association, the Civic Trust and the Bath Preservation Trust.

4.4.27 For related issues & objectives see tables in Appendix 6

Top of Page

4.4.28 Public Realm Actions

 

Action	Partners	Date
72. Agree standards and produce guidance for materials, design, workmanship and maintenance programmes for any work carried out in public realm of WHS	COUNCIL BPT EH	S
73. Review programmes of public realm maintenance and management	COUNCIL	S
74. Record and monitor the extent of historic material, workmanship and design of the public realm (including relationships with other elements such as buildings and parks) and ensure that it is adequately protected and managed	WHSC COUNCIL BPT EH Local Interest Groups	Ongoing
75. Ensure that infrastructure inserted into the WHS is in harmony with the historic environment	COUNCIL	Ongoing
76. Produce a lighting strategy (to include floodlighting, car parks, adverts, street lighting) for the WHS	COUNCIL	M
77. Support the Council’s internal Public Realm Liaison Group and contribute where necessary	WHSC COUNCIL	Ongoing
78. Identify areas of WHS in need of enhancement and prepare programme of improvement	WHSC COUNCIL	S-M
79. Develop and implement integrated enhancement programmes where needed	COUNCIL	Ongoing
80. Provide clean and accessible city centre public toilets	COUNCIL	M
81. Review street cleaning programme	COUNCIL traders	S
82. Encourage users of the WHS, especially property owners / renters, to help care for the streets and public places	COUNCIL envolve	Ongoing
83. Seek to improve the impact of utilities installation upon the historic fabric and visual sensitivity of the WHS	COUNCIL Utilities ODPM	L

Key:

Top of Page

This page is maintained by Abigail Harrap, Abigail_Harrap@bathnes.gov.uk and 01225 477581