Redevelopment of ground back on the agenda
The redevelopment of Twerton Park is back on the agenda for Bath City Football Club.
In March 2020 the club’s plans to develop the stadium and surrounding area, which included the addition of student accommodation and a 3G pitch at the venue, were turned down by BANES council.
The pandemic has seen the redevelopment plans put on hold and December 2020 saw any consideration of appealing the council’s decision dismissed by Bath City and their partners, Greenacre Capital.
In February 2021 Bath City chairman Nick Blofeld told the Bath Chronicle: “We think we’ll end up with a smaller, more sympathetic scheme than before. It was scale which prevented it last time among a few factors, but that was the main element which saw the plan rejected.
“We still intend to have the 3G pitch and student accommodation. It’ll be smaller in height and we might have fewer facilities than originally planned, that’s all driven by finances. We think it’s doable.
“Whatever happens we should get significant contribution to paying off the debt and a massively improved grandstand and clubhouse – that’s the ambition. We’ll have facilities to help us run sustainably in the long term and enable us to at least break even every year.”
On 29 October the club released the following statement: “We appreciate your patience with the ongoing redevelopment plans for the Club and wanted to say we are making steady progress behind the scenes with what remains a complex and challenging project.
“The proposed re-determination of Twerton by B&NES Council as not suitable for Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA), plus the tight control on the scale of any development here has been a further setback to the original plan.
“However, we have a number of potential partners interested in working with us, mindful of the new conditions, and are currently refining a process to select the most suitable to address both the Club and Twerton’s long-term needs.”