Hi All, hope all going well. As you are all aware members of your committee have been lobbying hard on your behalf to ensure the growth of hotels in the city centre is in line with the BANES Visitor Accommodation Study, and that they also have some form of parking and infrastructure improvements  provided. Your committee have spent many hours lobbying various organisations and key individuals over the last few years on this issue, in order to gain as much support as possible for our aims and objectives for the city and it’s tourism sector.

We are represented on the Bath Tourism Plus board, on the Chamber of Commerce and on the Business Improvement District. We have made presentations to all of these organisations to encourage them to lobby for the VAS to be adopted into current planning policy, which would help to provide some structure to the current unrestrained growth in the market. We have also presented the same to key BANES cabinet Councillors, and to the Future Bath Plus board, with the aim of raising awareness of the problems of overcapacity and lack of parking and infrastructure improvements with these developments.

We have also made representations to the BANES planning Core Strategy on this issue, which will be the future for planning decisions in the city.

We have also been trying to widen the support for BIGHA across the residents and business organisations across the city , and have formed an affiliation with FOBRA, and have gained support from the Bath Small Business Federation and the Bath FSB.

Whilst we are not a political organisation, it must be noted for members information  that we have received a large amount of support from the Lib Dem party in Bath , in terms of direct objections to planning applications and in terms of representations in our favour at various council consultations and committees. The Lib Dem leader recently spoke at a FOBRA meeting on our behalf, calling for the VAS to be adopted into planning policy , and the Green Park area local Lib Dem councillor, Andy Furse , has directly supported us numerous times over the hotel planning applications in his ward.   MP Don Foster also called for the VAS to be adopted at the recent BTP members forum and has raised this issue several times with key BANES cabinet members , whilst BTP itself remains quiet on this issue. Whilst trying to remain non political , it must be stated for members information that no such support  of this kind has been received from councillors of other parties. We feel it is only fair that you are provided with this information, given the local elections on 5th May. Also below is a letter supporting us from Douglas Nicol, which is due to be published in this weeks Chronicle.

We will shortly be issuing a letter of concern to BTP and FBP about the future accommodation situation in Bath , and we will be hoping for some support from these organisations, as more and more proposed hotel developments come forward. There are another 3 major proposals in the pipeline, on top of the current planning applications.

We would again ask members to register an objection to the proposed Kingsmead House and Premier Inn  developments, and to contact their local councillors with the same concerns of overexpansion of accommodation in the city, with no infrastructure improvements.

Should you have any comments on this , please contact Les Redwood at enquiries@appletreeguesthouse.co.uk

DOUGLAS NICOL- Chronicle letter

Dear Editor

Hotel application for 4 James Street West (the old fruitiers site).

I question the value of yet another budget hotel in the city centre, potentially catering for 1 or 2 night weekend drunken stag or hen parties contributing to the already concerning anti -social behaviour in the city centre late at night.

As an ex-hotelier and restaurateur myself I do believe that what we need in the city is to develop 2 and 3 night stays mid-week so that the Bed and Breakfasts become more sustainable. If we are over burdened with budget hotel rooms it is my view we will destroy the businesses already here. The Bed and Breakfasts bring huge benefits, add to the citys offer as a destination and give incredibly good service. Take away that weekend business and they may become unsustainable and that would be catastrophic to the city of Bath .

The application has no parking and encourages circulating traffic in the city. The idea that the Tories allow another low budget hotel with no parking is incomprehensible. If a budget hotel can be proven to be required then why not investigate development at Park and Rides, enabling guests to come into the city by bus and giving business to the taxi drivers, who have been hard hit in this recession. It would also create local employment for the people in areas such as Odd Down, Twerton and Lansdown.

Both Cllr Andy Furse and I agree that the site should be used for badly needed social housing in the city to ensure it’s continued diversity and meet huge housing demand. There is already one budget hotel planned for Green Park . Little consideration was given to the residents of Green Park and the surrounding area when that planning permission was granted. On past record I am confident that a Conservative Council will not listen to city residents concerns and steam-roller through this planning application, which if elected I will support residents in their opposition.

Douglas Nicol
Lib Dem Candidate
Kingsmead

For members information only – BIGHA is a non political organisation.