Bid to protect meadow that ‘saved city’

An area of unspoilt farmland which Bath residents believe saved the city from flooding during Storm Dennis could be protected for generations to come.

Plans to spend millions of pounds transforming Bathampton Meadows into a park and ride site serving the east of Bath were shelved in 2017 after fierce opposition from the public.

Now B&NES Council is in talks with the National Trust about an asset transfer to protect the land in future, with an unusual deal which may not require the council to fund its maintenance.

Scores of photos - including this one from Rob Power - have been posted to social media in the last few days of the land covered in water. One local, David Higgs, said on Twitter the meadows had become ‘Bathampton Lake.’

While others spoke of the land absorbing the huge amounts of rainfall, preventing the centre of Bath facing a ‘deluge.’

One said: “Good to see Bathampton Meadows doing its stuff to prevent central Bath being deluged.

“Bath and North East Somerset Council understands the meadow’s vital role and the stupidity of previous council’s decision to put a park and ride in this climate emergency we need a natural flood defences.”

The future of the meadows would have looked very different if massive public opposition had failed to convince the council to drop its plan for a new park and ride.

Cllr Kevin Guy said the community had been “vindicated” after the meadows prevented a “complete mess” in Bath.