Determined to do our bit to support Ukraine’s war victims

As I write, people across Bath & North East Somerset are asking what can they do to help alleviate the appalling suffering unleashed by Russia’s horrifying invasion of Ukraine.

First and foremost we must continue to support aid agencies and donate to established organisations such as the British Red Cross, UNICEF and the Disasters Emergency Committee.

I am proud of our area’s record of welcoming Syrian and Afghan refugees. I have written to the government saying the council stands ready to resettle refugees from Ukraine.

However, we will need more accommodation to do this. Please get in touch if you can offer selfcontained accommodation with a private entrance and its own bathroom and kitchen facilities. If you email Equality@bathnes.gov.uk the council will keep offers “on file” for when requests come in.

This must be a desperately worrying time for residents who have friends and families in Ukraine. We are committed to the council doing whatever it can to respond to this unprecedented and heart-breaking situation. We are very fortunate in having so many excellent local partners, such as Bath Welcomes Refugees and Julian House, who we have worked with on previous humanitarian crises, and we have strong and generous communities that rally round and give help and support.

To express the council’s solidarity with the people of Ukraine we have lit up our Roman Baths in the colours of the Ukrainian flag and we are flying the flag of Ukraine from our Guildhall flagpole.

Bath & North East Somerset Council has also joined calls for the annual UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting, due to take place in June in Kazan in Russia- to be moved. Our city’s cultural reach has the power to promote international understanding and co-operation, and the heritage sector should play its part in promoting peace.

The council does not have any contracts with any Russian stateowned companies such as Gazprom.

I also very much welcome Avon Pension Fund’s commitment to prohibit any new investments in Russian assets and further disinvest from all Russian-controlled and Russian-owned assets, bonds and equities. As with other councils we are talking with the Local Government Association (LGA) about our supply chain and we are expecting further information from central government on this.

Finally, and much more positively, in my last column I said I would update this month on what the council is doing to help revitalise our city centre and local high streets.

My thanks to the incredible local businesses who are working so hard as we recover from the impact of the pandemic.

I am committed that the council will play its part in keeping our high streets vibrant.

We have set up a pilot scheme on our premises at New Bond Street to host pop-up uses. We have provided space to local charities including Cleveland Pools to support their fundraising activities, and also hosted pop-up retailers.

I personally think Milsom Street is looking great, with some great new businesses opening and new fit-outs under way.

We will see new parklets and street furniture installed this summer in Milsom Street and Kingsmead Square and we are going to be consulting on our Milsom Quarter Masterplan in spring.

As well as our fantastic city centre I also want to celebrate Bath’s neighbourhood High Streets. We have submitted a proposal to WECA for £309,000 investment into Weston High Street, Twerton High Street, Mount Road and Moorland Road.

We expect to hear back about this in April and I will keep you updated.