Bath Rugby fit-for-purpose home rejig plans

Article posted by Coliseum, October 11^th, 2023

Image: Bath Rugby

The Premiership Rugby club Bath Rugby have recently submitted their planning application to the Bath and North East Somerset Council to redevelop the current facilities at their home venue – the Recreation Ground in Bath, England (UK).

‘BATH RUGBY’ stated that a new Stadium for Bath will deliver an exceptional, fit-for-purpose and modern home for Bath Rugby at the Recreation Ground, the spiritual home of the rugby club for over 125 years.

The Bath Rugby is a professional rugby union club in Bath, Somerset, England (UK). They play in Premiership Rugby, England’s top division of rugby. Founded in 1865 as the Bath Football Club, since 1894 the club has played at the Recreation Ground in the City Centre.

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The 14,509-capacity Recreation Ground is a large open space in the center of Bath, England (UK), next to the River Avon, which is available to be used by permission from the Recreation Ground Trust for recreational purposes by the public at large but particularly the people of Bath and those living in the surrounding areas. It serves as the home facility of the Bath Rugby.

The Bath and North East Somerset Council is the local Council for the district of Bath and North East Somerset in Somerset, England (UK). It is a unitary authority, with the powers and functions of a non-metropolitan county and District Council combined.

‘BATH RUGBY’ further stated that the plans also include the regeneration of the riverside in the heart of the City, the creation of significant sporting and community benefits for all, whilst ensuring that the club continues to provide a considerable contribution to the City’s economy for decades to come.

Key highlights of the application include:

An 18,000-capacity stadium with significantly enhanced accessibility provisions;
Contemporary and sensitive design;
New hybrid pitch increasing community and amateur use;
Regenerated riverside including the new Spring Gardens Walk;
Retention of mature trees, as well as further landscaping and biodiversity measures;
A host of sustainability measures to support a target of net zero operational carbon; and
Riverside café/restaurant, club shop and museum for non-matchday use.

Said Tarquin McDonald, Chief Executive, Bath Rugby, “We are absolutely delighted to have submitted our proposals. This is the culmination of many years of collaboration, listening and refining, which we now believe delivers the world-class facility that Bath Rugby and the wider City deserves. We are excited to share our vision with all and would ask people to review the proposals via the Bath and North East Somerset Council planning portal and ultimately support them.”

There is a statutory planning process which now follows, and which will result in the application being considered by the Bath and North East Somerset Council Planning Committee in due course.

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