Use this page to learn about our submissions to the Department for Transport Structures Fund
Protection to vaults and cellars in Bath City Centre
In Bath city centre, there are over 6500 cellars, vaults and arches under public highway. They are all significant age and are in a wide range of condition or condition is not known. Some of the cellars and vaults are listed buildings and the majority are privately owned. In some streets, the cellars and vaults have been protected in the past by the use of individual reinforced concrete slabs which only extend over the plan area of each vault arch.
We as highway authority are responsible for the concrete slabs. They have reached the end of their working life. As a result, the cellars and vaults are at risk of failing due to overloading and movement of the slabs above increasing peak pressures beyond the capacity of the historic arches of the cellars and vaults.
A recent partial collapse of a privately owned vault with a Council maintained concrete slab over in St James’s Parade led to long term traffic management in a traffic sensitive area of the city. This has caused disruption to bus travel and cycling, increased congestion and will lead to increased levels of air pollution.
The proposed scheme is a package of four sites
• Northern half of A3039 Manvers Street
• A3039 Pierrepont Street
• North Parade (West of North Parade Bridge and not the bridge)
• A3039 Terrace Walk
For more details, you can view the submission report in our Policy and Documents library