NOTES ON A SMALL CITY

Richard Wyatt

Columnist Richard Wyatt assesses the impact of a new supermarket built on land owned by Bath Rugby. There are opposing arguments: it helps secure the club’s future at Lambridge, but does it leave us with too many supermarkets?

It’s fair to say Bath Rugby Club has already opened its biggest Christmas present this year. This is the proceeds of an exchange of contracts on part of the land it owns on the London Road at Lambridge with the supermarket chain Lidl GB.

According to the club’s press release, it will deliver “a modern and bespoke food store beside Bath RFC’s existing training facilities.” At the same time, the club says it has permanently transferred the adjacent training pitches and clubhouse to BATH RFC, thus “securing the amateur club’s long-term future at Lambridge.”

It’s not surprising that since emerging from the pandemic Bath Rugby has been reviewing its assets, and talks about this land transaction as providing financial investment in the amateur club. But this is going to be a sizeable sum of money and, with all ‘legal obstacles’ now cleared, must surely inject a few coppers into the club’s long term ambitions for a permanent stadium at the Rec? Although I do hear that the idea of more ‘permanent’ structures on this green lung –belonging to the citizens of Bath –might still throw up legal challenges.

I must admit I heard rumours about a land sale on the London Road some time ago and was not surprised when it was officially announced.

As you see from exerpts to the right, Bath Rugby says it was impressed with Lidl’s “high-quality sensitive design, with consideration to the local setting and sustainable features, such as proposing to incorporate local Bath stone, natural timber cladding, air source heat pumps, a green roof and electric vehicle rapid charging facilities.” However, all of this is subject to an official planning application which hasn’t yet been submitted to the local authority.

Lidl say a new store on this site would “enhance access to Lidl’s high-quality and affordable produce for local residents, on the eastern side of Bath and outlying villages.”

I can see the arguments for and against occupying some social media space before too long.

I can see that this supermarket, which prides itself on being one of the cheapest chains on the high street, would be welcomed by people living on the east side of the city and, as l keep hearing, it’s all about providing ‘choice’ –but do we really need yet another store?

With people moving back into newly created city centre flats, there is some sense in new mini-markets opening around them to serve their domestic needs. But we are already well-served at Lambridge. Just a bit further along this busy and polluted road is Morrisons, and more importantly the little shopping centre in Larkhall ‘village’ would be under threat. Apart from the Co-op store, there are longestablished and well supported family businesses that might find it hard to survive a mass exodus of locals.

The media release talks about an “extensive public and pre-application consultation with the local community” which will take place before a planning application is submitted, and that “plans and initial proposals will be shared with the public and local businesses in due course.”

All very considerate, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that the company has bought the land with the single intention of building a supermarket, whatever is said in mitigation.

I also can’t help thinking that with any proposed store needing a fair-sized car park, this site could have made an ideal mini east of Bath Park and Ride!

As has already been pointed out to me, this will attract more traffic to an already congested stretch of road. Its access issues would mean re-designing the T-junction with the old Gloucester Road and probably scrapping the bus lane in front of this site. It would also contribute to the destruction of an area of mature woodland which buffers the city boundary and become yet another example of ‘ribbon development’, sticking suburban fingers into our green and rural surroundings.

No doubt nothing will come before B&NES planning department until well into the new year, but I cannot see the proposal being unopposed.

If it all goes through, as it probably will, Bath will be supermarket ‘book-ended’ with a Lidl on the way into town and another on the way out, whichever way you approach our World Heritage city.

All the above is my personal point of view, and I like a cut-price bargain like the next person. I just think it’s a shame if an established and well-served local community has to suffer as a result of yet another supermarket store.

As a ‘Lidl’ aside, someone recently suggested that this ‘supermarket’ site and the practice ground could have provided an alternative site for a brand new rugby stadium!

P.S. Happy holidays! n

Local Green Cllr Joanna Wright joined other locals outside the London Road field that Bath Rugby have sold to Lidl to build a supermarket

PLans foR neW suPeRmaRket

“Since emerging from the pandemic Bath Rugby has undertaken a review of all its assets, including Lambridge. This land transaction unlocks the potential of land directly adjacent to the amateur club’s training facilities, and will provide investment in the amateur club. "This will create funding opportunities for the amateur club, helping the facilities at Lambridge to be revitalised. This will also enable Bath Rugby to invest in our wider community rugby programmes, and the women’s pathway and professional team, assisting amateur rugby to grow and thrive in the long term. "We were impressed by Lidl GB’s commitment to deliver a high-quality sensitive design, with consideration to the local setting and sustainable features, such as proposing to incorporate local Bath stone, natural timber cladding, air source heat pumps, a green roof and electric vehicle rapid charging facilities.” Bath Rugby chief executive Tarquin McDonald

Richard Wyatt runs the Bath Newseum: bathnewseum.com