By Harry Mottram: After weeks of speculation the plans for Bath Rugby’s new stadium have been published with a caveat that if Bath and North East Council give the green light to the application the Government will then make the final decision.
The council’s planning committee chaired by Cllr Tim Ball will sit down to decide on the multi million pound proposals on September 17th, 2025.
The planning application goes into vast details and includes a recommendation from B&NES planners to allow the development. The lengthy document charting all aspects of the plans can be read at Main%20Agenda%20250917.pdf
Whatever the committee decides the final decision will be with the Government’s Housing and Local Government Secretary, who was Angela Rayner, and is now Steve Reed MP. The report recommends the application but with ‘specific authorisation’ from the Secretary. The received wisdom is the plans will be approved by the committee (possibly with some changes) while Steve Reed could in theory reject it or ask for amendments as well if the council’s planning committee gives it the thumbs up.
Pressure will now be on the committee with opposition stepped up by a number of groups including The Friends of the Recreation Ground, and the Green Party. Their gripe is that a private firm should not be allowed to build a stadium on a public park which will further reduce the size of the park. While they also have concerns over Bath’s World Heritage status and the commercial aspect along the riverside say detractors will take business away from the city’s hospitality sector. Neighbours have also objected since on matchdays there is considerable disruption, noise and congestion – and there would be a smaller Rec as the East stand would encroach further.
Meanwhile the rugby supporters of the plans will be delighted that the first steps have been taken with the publishing of the plans which have been given the recommendation by the city’s planners. They will be cautiously optimistic the plans will be granted which will see a stadium that can hold 18,000 fans on match day.
The planning application shows the stadium expanding in size eating into the land east of the current ground and thus cutting down the space for cricket and other sports and activities. The stadium will also host theatre, music and other gatherings with up to 10,000 people to watch bands and concerts.
The Proposal: Full planning application for demolition of existing Clubhouse, west stand retained wall, and ancillary structures. Removal of all existing temporary structures. Phased comprehensive redevelopment to provide a new sporting, cultural and leisure stadium with hybrid sports pitch, including the retention of and refurbishment and extension to the South Stand, and construction of new permanent North, East and West Stands. Phased construction including the retention and relocation of temporary east stand to facilitate playing of sport during construction. Stadium to include ancillary facilities and structures including changing rooms, flood lights, television screens, scoreboards, camera gantries, media suite, matchday food and beverage outlets and hospitality suites, conference / function / banqueting / hospitality spaces, service and kitchen areas, flexible multi-use areas, offices, storage, plant and substation. Hard and soft landscaping works, flood alleviation works, tree planting, new steps and platform lift, infrastructure works, temporary construction compound and all associated construction works and operations.
Now it is up the planning committee to decide on the fate of the old stadium which would be drastically changed marking another chapter in Bath’s long architectural and social history if approved. One interesting aspect of the application and the arguments over whether the stadium should be built is the defining silence of many or the local councillors, political groups (Green excepted) and the MP Wera Hobhouse – which tends to suggest the sensitive nature of the issue with passions running high on both sides.
The main map is from the planning application and shows the layout on the Rec.
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