Bath Chronicle – Sporting dream for the heart of Bath
by Matthew Pardo
A BOLD plan to transform the sporting heart of Bath has been put together by business people, engineers and architects.
The vision is aimed at breathing new life into the debate over the future of the area around the Rec – although there is no price tag and no funding.
Working under the title BathSport, the ambitious plans centre on a complete overhaul of the Rec, with a new stadium for Bath Rugby club, a transformation of the Bath Sports and Leisure Centre and Pavilion, the development of new facilities for Bath Cricket Club and the creation of a new recreational space equivalent to nine rugby pitches.
The designs for the project have been inspired by the two John Woods – the master architects behind the development of Georgian Bath.
Work on he plans has been going on for months and it is hoped prominent Bath engineers and architects will be able to develop the proposals.
Business consultant Andrew Mercer, one of those involved in the plan, said: “This would establish Bath as the best sporting city in the country – well in time for the 2012 Olympics. If it was in place, we would have everything for everyone in this World heritage Site. Heritage, culture, shopping and the best place for team like the Americans to base themselves. This is what we should all be aspiring to.”
The partnership behind the plan – which includes architects Feilden Clegg Bradley – was gorged through frustration over the legal status of the Rec.
The plans are outlined on the website www.bathsport.org, which says: “ Bath’s heritage is based on being a city designed for pleasure and public life. The Bath of today is recapturing some of its appeal as a vibrant place for visitors and residents but the modern physical structures required to support these attractions are lacking as a reluctance to change prevails.”
It says the aim is to create “elegant structures set in an extensive and well connected public space where the people of Bath can go for recreation.”
Bob Calleja, general manger of Bath Rugby, said in the next few years, pressure on the club would mount as Premiership rules forced the side to increase its stadium capacity.
He said: “This is certainly a grand vision and we are very interested in anyone with that sort of project in mind. We have to be realistic and we have to look carefully at any timescale. This project is community focused and it provides more facilities than just rugby, which is a very exciting prospect for Bath. O course, we appreciate that there are all kinds of legal issues which would have to be overcome if this went ahead but we would keep an eye on it. But even this is a wider issue that just what will happen to Bath Rugby, we do need to do something sooner rather than later.”
He added: “Our intention is to stay and play at the Rec. That said, there are other options.”
He said there was no possibility of the club ground-sharing at either Swindon or Bristol because rugby authorities insist clubs should be the main tenant at the facilities they use.”
Bob Holder, who chairs the sport and leisure committee of the Bath Chamber of Commerce, paid tribute to those behind the plan, saying their sole motivation was a love of the city and a desire to see the most made of existing facilities. As the Rec is now, it is not a good use of space,” he said.” There are rugby stands of mixed quality, a leisure centre considered by many to be an eyesore and a pavilion which is much admired by many but which is old. This site does need to be looked at. This scheme is only one proposal – it isn’t the scheme to end all schemes and no doubt there will be other ideas. This is just about opening the debate. There are a lot of practicalities to get through – who would back or pay for it? – but there has to be an opening of the debate.”
He said Bath’s involvement in housing athletes taking part in the 2012 London Olympics meant the vision was well-timed.
Mike Keys, of Feilden Clegg Bradley, said it was hoped to get other expert businesses on board.
He said: “The purpose of this is to see if there is any support for anything to happen.”
Cllr Colin Darracott, Bath and North East Somerset Council’s executive member for economic development, said: “I have not yet had time to study the plan but it is helpful to have other people looking at this kind of thing.”
The vision is being mooted at the same time as the council launches its own Future of Bath initiative – a drive to ensure the city presents a positive image to the outside world in years to come.
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