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	Why was the Bath Sport Group formed?   The Bath Rec. and the future of sport in Bath   Why sport and active leisure are so important for Bath & the wider community   Drawing on John Wood’s Inspiration   String of Pearls   Legal status of the Bath Rec.   Bath Royal Forum   Under One Roof
			String of Pearls The Royal Forum concept is not only entirely consistent with the idea endorsed recently, by Bath & North East Somerset Council, of developments along the River Avon emulating a string of pearls, but would be the city centre pearl. More Instead of turning away from the River Avon, like the Rec., the Royal Forum would embrace the river with a garden landscape and would provide: a multipurpose community arena; a permanent home for Bath Rugby as well as modern sports, leisure and retail facilities. The remainder of this document gives the background to the creation of the String of Pearls idea, what is currently envisaged and some details about its current status. Bath’s riverside today The river in Bath is a problem. Travel just a short distance away in either direction, from the great cityscape of Pulteney Bridge and Weir, and you encounter ugly dereliction and decay resulting from 200 years of industrial history, and a negative mindset that began with the Georgians and was reinforced by later developments. This ugliness and decay is not worthy of the World Heritage City of Bath and contrasts badly with waterfronts in other towns and cities and the newly restored Kennet & Avon Canal; a vibrant, well used and much appreciated amenity. We should consider the river as a major opportunity for the city. Over time, with a positive approach we could create a great city waterfront. What is needed would be part damage limitation but mainly the exploitation of opportunities both large and small. What is envisaged with the String of Pearls idea? The drive to improve the riverside would come from an agreed vision of what the waterfront should be like in a few decades time. The river should be considered in its full length, from Bathampton in the east to Newbridge in the west. The vision could include clean water, trip and hire boats, marinas and visitor moorings, boat supply and service points and chandleries, maybe a Bath Harbour, cafes, inns and restaurants, housing, industrial and commercial units, gardens and greens, maybe a concert hall and maybe a lock at Pulteney Bridge. The vision could also include a “park and glide”, that would be part of an integrated transport system for Bath. An important feature would be a continuous towpath. Only a few river users are likely to be boaters. By far the majority will be using the towpath and would include walkers, joggers, cyclists, fishermen, artists, photographers, naturalists, pub-goers, residents, workers and commuters. The boating activity will be an attractive backdrop for them. The development of such a waterfront would improve the architectural and environmental aspects of the city, would boost its economy, providing much employment and income, and would further add to Bath’s attraction as a tourist venue. Possible timescales and milestones The time scale for implementation of the complete vision, once agreed, would be several decades but the process of considering the river has already begun. Paul Crossley, the Council Leader, recently declared that all major developments will have to address the river strategy, and make their contribution towards achieving the String of Pearls vision. In addition to the Royal Forum concept, major potential developments/milestones coming up shortly or in the medium term, and to which we would now add the Royal Forum, may include: • Western Riverside • Bath Cricket Club • Avon Street Car Park • Weston Eyot • Lock at Pulteney Bridge • Park & Glide • Colonnades under Empire Building • Parade Gardens • Entrance to K&A Canal at Thimble Mill However we should make it clear that none of these have been adopted and some would be highly controversial. Nevertheless, these are, beyond any reasonable dispute, exciting ideas and must be debated as part of a riverside regeneration programme. And wouldn’t the Royal Forum provide an amazing centrepiece? Current status of the String of Pearls idea The Council has set up a River Avon Strategy Group, chaired by Councillor Rosemary Todd (Liberal Democrat, Executive Member for Environment). It consists of the Council, who are driving it, the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust and the Inland Waterways Association, the two voluntary bodies who jointly got this subject off the ground, and British Waterways and the Environment Agency, the two bodies with statutory responsibilities. The Group is required to produce a Supplementary Planning Guidance Document within the next year which will be an input to the City Plan. The Group was launched with a publicity event last January (two page spread in the “Chronicle”) and a consultation exercise has since been conducted. top