From the Council on heating oil costs for low income households: Bath & North East Somerset Council is offering financial support to residents on a low income who are struggling with rising heating oil costs.
Recent increases in the price of heating oil are putting pressure on households across the district, particularly those who rely on oil to heat their homes.
To help, the council is providing support through its Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) for residents who have recently purchased heating oil, or who need to place an order but cannot afford to do so.
Councillor Mark Elliott, Cabinet Member for Resources, said: “We know that rising heating oil costs are causing real concern for some households, especially for people on low incomes or facing unexpected financial pressures. This support is there to help residents stay warm and get through a difficult period, and I would encourage anyone who is struggling to come forward and apply.”
You may be eligible for support if you: heat your home using oil; are on a low income or experiencing financial hardship ;need to purchase heating oil now, or have recently bought oil but are unable to meet the cost. Residents can apply for support in one of the following ways: Online via the Welfare Support pages on the council’s website; By phone by contacting the Welfare Support Team on 01225 477277.
Applications will be assessed under the Crisis and Resilience Fund, a UK Government grant scheme administered locally by Bath & North East Somerset Council to support residents facing financial hardship. Support for heating oil will be provided as a Crisis Payment.M
From the Council on the Roman Baths: Bath & North East Somerset Council is introducing £1 tickets for The Roman Baths to help make one of the country’s most extraordinary historic sites accessible to even more people. Launching in time for the Easter holidays, UK visitors receiving key benefits will be able to enjoy £1 tickets for themselves and their children.
The Roman Baths is a place where 2,000 years of history come vividly to life. As one of the best‑preserved ancient spas in the world, it welcomes around a million visitors each year who come to discover the natural thermal spring that made Bath famous, walk through the ancient temple courtyard, and stand beside the iconic Great Bath. It is a space that has sparked curiosity and wonder for generations.
This Easter, there are even more reasons to visit, with a family trail inspired by eggs, hands‑on archaeology sessions, craft activities and late‑night opening adding fresh excitement for visitors of all ages. The £1 ticket offer aims to ensure that as many people as possible can share in these experiences.
To support visitors on low incomes, the council is introducing £1 entry for UK adults who receive Universal Credit, Pension Credit or Employment Support Allowance (ESA). Each eligible adult can bring up to four children aged 6 -18 for £1 each, while children under six continue to visit for free. Carers accompanying an eligible visitor will also receive free entry. In addition to the new £1 tickets, all residents of Bath & North East Somerset can continue to enjoy free entry to The Roman Baths through the local Discovery Card scheme.
Councillor Paul Roper, Cabinet Member for Economic & Cultural Sustainable Development, said: “Everyone should have the chance to experience the magic of The Roman Baths, regardless of their financial situation. This site is not only a jewel in Bath’s heritage crown, it is one of the most important ancient monuments in the country. By offering £1 tickets, we hope that families and individuals on low incomes will join us to enjoy a memorable and meaningful visit. We want The Roman Baths to be open, welcoming and accessible to all.”
The £1 ticket scheme forms part of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s wider commitment to making culture and heritage more accessible, especially at a time when many households are feeling the pressure of rising living costs. The hope is that this initiative will help more people discover – or rediscover – one of the UK’s most remarkable historic sites.
An allocation of £1 tickets will be available all year round, every day across all time slots and can be booked in advance online or by phone. For more details see: https://www.romanbaths.co.uk/ps1-ticket-roman-baths
Student accommodation. By John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter: Councillors have approved plans to build accomodation for 926 students at the University of Bath.
Bath and North East Somerset Council’s planning committee heard that the “much needed” student accommodation at the university’s Claverton Down campus would create somewhere for students to thrive, and reduce the pressure on HMOs and private rentals in the city.
The university’s chief operating officer said: “The delivery of 926 bedspaces will allow the university to offer on campus accommodation to all of our first year students.”
The buildings would be built on sports pitches on the eastern edge of the campus and would involve building over two tennis courts. The university says it will replace them with two padel courts.
Planning committee member Toby Simon (Bathwick, Liberal Democrat) said: “For me the important part is that it allows the university to provide on site accommodation for their first years which has been a long time objective of this authority.
“The harms identified are outweighed by the advantages and mitigations proposed. I am very conscious that we need to work with universities.”
Ian Halsall (Oldfield Park, Liberal Democrat), whose ward includes the city’s student area, said: “The university has to grow to be sustainable. It contributes so much to the gross value added in this city and its reputation.”
He said that he originally thought that the design of the eight blocks of student accommodation looked “a little Soviet,” but thought that the proposed materials made up for this. He said: “It’s not going to win awards for its architecture but it is a good design.”
He added: “We’ve got to remember this is a 1960s campus. Its a concrete jungle. It is already having an impact and I don’t think this development is going to increase any harm.”
Planning officers estimated that the student accommodation would remove the need for the equivalent of 386 student houses in the wider city, but some councillors disagreed. Shaun Hughes (Midsomer Norton North said: “From what I can see this, this will increase the number of HMOs developed in our city.
“If you have a thousand more students coming into accommodation for their first year that are then seeking HMOs for their next two to three years, it’s going to put more demand on HMOs not less.”
Fiona Gourley (Bathavon South, Liberal Democrat) said the plans would be beneficial for students. She added: “It’s been decades since the last major residential development at the university. And actually, seeing some of the accommodation that was put up in the early days, this looks like a huge improvement.”
Councillor voted 5-2 with one abstention to delegate power to their planning officers to grant planning permission for the application – the planned blocks are illustrated here.
Bath Voice and Local Democracy Reporters
The journalists are funded by the BBC as part of its latest Charter commitment, but are employed by regional news organisations. A total of 165 reporters are allocated to news organisations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland including Bath Voice. These organisations range from television and radio stations to online media companies and established regional newspaper groups. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities, second-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
Bath Voice Monthly Newspaper is distributed free to thousands of homes and some supermarkets – distributed from the first of the month. Harry Mottram is the News Editor
Email him at news@bathvoice.co.uk Bath website: https://bathvoice.co.uk/news/
Bath Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/bdtf2kep Also on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bath_voice And Bluesky @bathvoicenews.bsky.social And also on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/harrymottram6/
Harry Mottram is a freelance journalist has his own website with more stories on a variety of subjects at https://www.harrymottram.co.uk/ and has a strong social media presence – check out his work.
Read the newspaper online at :https://issuu.com/bathvoice
To advertise to thousands of Bathonians call Shaun on 07540 383870 or email him on sales@bathvoice.co.uk