Bath and North East Somerset Council is seeking views and opinions on Sulis Meadows Open Space, which is also known as Ridge Green Close Play Area.   The Council has allocated some funding to improve the open space and wants this consultation to be the start of a long-term plan for how it will be enhanced and managed as a place for everyone.
As well as your views on the open space, the consultation seeks your opinion on some proposed improvements.  These suggestions are based on the Council’s experience of managing the open space, visitor feedback and guided by the Council’s priorities and overriding purpose – to improve people’s lives.
Sulis Meadows will remain a public open space. Your feedback is important to us and will help to improve the space for residents and visitors now and in the future.

View a google satelitte image of Sulis Meadows

What We Know So Far

• Sulis Meadows is a council owned and managed open space bordered by housing developments, St Gregory’s School and open farmland.  It is popular with dog walkers and as a route for getting around the local area.
• The Council adopted Sulis Meadows in 2010 from the developer of the adjoining housing development.  Planning permission has been granted for further housing developments nearby which, if progressed, will further increase the local population and demand for good quality green spaces.
• Sulis Meadows is situated on the Wansdyke – an ancient linear earthwork which is well documented on information panels.  The Wansdyke is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument - a nationally important historical designation which affords it some protection.  Any work planned in the vicinity of the Wansdyke will require consent from Historic England and needs to be backed up by strong evidence of need.
• There are footpaths running through Sulis Meadows which are helpful for getting around the local area on foot – particularly for accessing local schools/colleges, Odd Down Park and Ride, local amenities, and the surrounding countryside.  However, the entrances and footpaths often get muddy, making these routes less appealing.  We would like to understand if entrance and footpath improvements are likely to result in increased use of Sulis Meadows.
• The play area was installed by a private developer as part of the adjoining housing estate.  Comments from a recent play consultation suggest it is poorly located, attracts some anti-social behaviour and is not well used by the age group for which it is intended.  It concluded that the existing play facilities should be removed, and alternative play/sports facilities considered, aimed at older children and young adults who are not well catered for elsewhere in the area.  We would like to understand how Sulis Meadows can better serve older children and young adults, with facilities where they can meet and stay active.
• Sulis Meadows is designated a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) notable for its unimproved neutral and calcareous grassland, scrub and hedges.  These features are important habitat for wildlife.  The Council has a responsibility to protect this habitat, ensure that the open space continues to play a role in tackling the climate and nature emergencies and to make space for wildlife to thrive wherever we can.  Read more about how the Council manages grass for wildlife, including how frequently grass is cut.
• The Council needs to manage the open space effectively with a reducing maintenance budget

Suggestions for Improvements

The Council's Parks Department has made some suggestions for how Sulis Meadows could be improved, based on visitor feedback, the recent play consultation and experiences of managing the open space.

View the suggestions in full (clicking this link will open a PDF file).

How to Have your Say

This consultation is now closed.

What Happens Next

Responses to the consultation will be compiled, analysed, and published on this web page.  All published responses will be anonymous.

Priority improvements will be carried out with the available funding.  Any further enhancements will be documented in a development plan for consideration as further funding becomes available.

For further information: parks@bathnes.gov.uk  01225 39 40 41