Budget 2026 - 2027 update

The full Council met on Tuesday 24th February 2026 to sign off the proposed budget for 2026 - 2027 that was already approved by the Cabinet earlier in February.

This year's budget was agreed with a large majority, meaning projects Councillors Sarah Moore and Tim Ball had requested for our area will now go ahead.

The budget includes a money to cover the following resurfacing projects in our area -

• 1st phase of resurfacing of Haycombe Drive at a cost of £325,000, the 2nd phase is proposed for the 2027 - 2028 budget.

• Resurfacing of Highland Road at a cost of £45,000, this is scheduled to be completed in March 2026, but the funds have been made available in advance from next year's budget.

There is £750,000 in this year's budget to cover the expansion of Haycombe Cemetery, together with £1,102,000 for the Haycombe Cremater. There is also a further £78,500 for bath stone repairs as well as repairs to steps at the Cemetery.

There is £62,000 for the replacement of street lighting in Rosewarn Close.

Replacement of fire doors in both Carrswood and Cleeve Court.

There are also no changes to waste collection frequencies, these will remain fortnightly, there are no cuts to library services, no reduction in recycling centre hours, no reduction in road maintenance and no reduction in our parks and leisure facilities.

Just outside of our area, but will have an impact on residents, there are funds in the budget for the demolition of the old Culverhay School buildings, which are not fit for purpose any more and will make way for the building of 2 new schools on the site.

The Council Tax set this year will mean Bath and North East Somerset Council has the 4th lowest rate of Council Tax of all Unitary authorities (62) in England. The Council is also currently the 2nd lowest rate of the authorities in the South West (12), this is due to North Somerset raising their council tax by 8.99%.

Scheduled Road Works in our Area - February - April 2026

Below are details of all planned roadworks that affect our immediate area, some may be just outside the ward but could impact your daily travel. These are shown in date order.

Highland Road - 17.12.2025 - 10.03.2026 - Scaffolding outside 37 Highland Road, no carriageway incursion

The Hollow - 02.02.2026 - 13.03.2026 - National Grid - utility asset works, 4 ways traffic lights in place

Innox Road - 02.02.2026 - 13.03.2026 - National Grid - utility asset works, 4 ways traffic lights in place

Newton Road - 20.02.2026 - 23.02.2026 - BANES, emergency cable repair to column 1 near footpath to Day Crescent, Footpath Closure

Day Crescent - 20.02.2026 - 23.02.2026 - BANES, emergency cable repair to sign 1 to 3-4-5, Footbath Closure

Bristol Road A4 Dual Carriageway - 23.02.2026 - 27.02.2026 - BANES - carriageway repair, 1 lane closure

Innox Road - 24.02.2026 - 26.02.2026 - Wessex Water - utility repair, Footway closure outside number 14

Wedgwood Road - 24.02.2026 - 26.02.2026 - Wessex Water - customer domestic leak, near 45, some carriageway incursion

Highland Road - 25.02.2026 - BANES - Coring work - stop/go boards

Cleeve Green - 27.02.2026 - 26.03.2026 - Skip on road at rear of 63 Newton Road

Haycombe Drive - 02.03.2026 - 04.03.2026 - Openreach - lay ducting and clear blockage near 225, Footpath closure

Newton Road - 02.03.2026 - 04.03.2026 - Openreach - clear blockage, opposite 76, Footpath closure

Cameley Green - 02.03.2026 - 04.03.2026 - Openreach - clear blockage, opposite number 46, Footpath closure

Cleeve Green - 02.03.2026 - 04.03.2026 - Openreach - lay ducting and clear blockage near number 75, footpath closure

Lower Bristol Road - 02.03.2026 - 06.03.2026 - BANES - Tree felling on roadside, traffic lights in place, midway between Twerton Fork and Connection Hill

Kelston View - 06.03.2026 - Three - utility asset works, no carriageway incursion, approx 25mtrs from junction with The Hollow

The Hollow - 16.03.2026 - 17.03.2026 - Truespeed - utility asset works, Footpath closed, some carriageway incursion

Highland Road - 16.03.2026 - BANES - Full road closure, carriageway resurfacing

The Hollow - 16.03.2026 - 18.03.2026 - BANES - Feeder Pillar replacement, near junction with Kelston View, Footpath closed, some carriageway incursion

Shophouse Road - 16.03.2026 - 20.03.2026 - BANES - Installation of Zebra Crossing, full road closure

Shophouse Road - 23.03.2026 - 02.04.2026 - BANES - Installation of traffic calming scheme, traffic lights in place

The Hollow - 14.04.2026 - 21.04.2026 - National Grid - utility repair and maintenance work, multi way traffic lights

High Street - 20.04.2026 - 23.04.2026 - National Rail - Railway works, full road closure, this is by the railway arch leading into the High Street by McDonalds only, so a diversion will be in place at this location

Where roads are closed, we will provide full details of impacts on bus services (if applicable) closer to the date of the works. 

Some work is added to this list at short notice and we will endeavour to let residents know as soon as we have been made aware.

Twerton and Whiteway Planning Applications - w/c 23.02.2026

This week we have 2 new planning applications for Twerton and Whiteway, please see the details below and if you want to comment, please follow the relevant link.

Ward: Twerton                                                                          App Ref: 26/00439/FUL 

Parish: N/A 

Registered: 16th February 2026                                             Expiry Date: 13th April 2026 Location: 157 High Street Twerton Bath Bath And North East Somerset BA2 1BY 

Grid Ref: (E)372900 - (N)164627                                            LB Grade: N/A 

Proposal: Change of use 3-bed dwelling to 5-bed House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) (Use Clas C4)

Officer: Paige Moseley 

Applicant: 18-25 Properties                                                     Agent: No Agent 

C/o Mr Samuel Taylor 

57 Walwyn Close 

Twerton 

Bath 

Bath 

BA21SZ 

United Kingdom 

To view the case click on the link here.  

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Ward: Twerton                                                                      App Ref: 26/00529/FUL 

Parish: N/A 

Registered: 11th February 2026                                          Expiry Date: 8th April 2026 Location: 26 Cameley Green Twerton Bath Bath And North East Somerset BA2 1SA 

Grid Ref: (E)371893 - (N)164625                                         LB Grade: N/A 

Proposal: Change of use from a (C3) 3 bed residential dwelling to a (C4) 4 bed house of multiple  occupation 

Officer: Ed Allsop 

Applicant: Aurelius Properties Ltd                                         Agent: No Agent 

6 Westfield Close 

Bath 

Somerset 

BA2 2EA 

United Kingdom 

To view the case click on the link here. 

Freeview Road

We have again asked Curo to take a look at the condition of the grassed area where vehicles are parking as the mud is being dragged across the footpath which means residents are having to walk through it to get to their homes.

A number of residents pay a service charge to Curo to maintenance of communal areas, however, this grass is not being looked after at all.

We have also highlighted the need to resurface this road as the condition is deteriorating.

We are also aware of bad road side verges on a number of other roads, where vehicles have either driven or parked on them and are looking at what options are available to resolve this with the Council.

Twerton and Whiteway Ward Councillor weekly updates w/e 21.02.2026

Here is this weeks update on what your Councillors Tim Ball and Sarah Moore have actioned in the area.

Windrush Close -  The lamppost near the garages has finally been repaired by Curo.

Freeview Road - We have received confirmation that the repair to the surface at the base of the lamppost near Hanna Close has been sent to the contractor, this will hopefully resolved the water that flows down the lane every time it rains.

Tanners walk - We have requested double yellow lines are put in the turning area to help prevent this area from being blocked.

North Way - We have requested some of the double yellow lines are extended to prevent vehicles blocking this road and causing issues with the buses.

Haycombe Drive - We have reported the flytipping of household waste.

Councillor Sarah Moore spoke at Planning Committee against another HMO in our area, the application has been deferred for data check before a final decision can be made.

We have handled over 30 pieces of personal case work.

Please do get in touch if you have any issues you would like to raise with us.

Pride in Place update

Pride in Place is bringing up to £20 million of funding to Twerton and Whiteway to help improve opportunities for everyone over the next ten years. The programme is community-led and puts decision making in the hands of local people. Any member of the local community can get involved and play a part.

A new Neighbourhood Board will be set up to manage the programme and be champions of the local community. The board will be led by an independent chairperson following a competitive application process. The chairperson will be a part-time salaried position and the members of the board will be entitled to reasonable expenses

Work to bring Pride in Place to life will take place throughout the year, starting with a series of community events running from February 27 to March 8. These events will provide a space for the community to come together and explore ideas and ambitions for the project. 

Events will take place at The Annex, Bath Foyer, a space made available with support from Housing Association Curo, with other activities held across the neighbourhood.

Councillor Kevin Guy, Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: “We have written to all addresses in the area. If you get a letter, please spare a few minutes to read about Pride in Place and how you can get involved. It is an amazing opportunity for people who live and work in the area to make changes that will improve opportunities for everyone in Twerton and Whiteway. One of the first issues the board will be asked to look at is the project boundary. A change of boundary is fully supported by ward councillors who have been campaigning for Whiteway to be fully included.”

Councillor Paul Roper, Cabinet Member for Economic and Cultural Sustainable Development, said “We strongly encourage the Twerton and Whiteway community to get involved at the upcoming events as well as the wider Pride in Place programme. Neighbourhoods and communities are not defined by lines on maps. They are formed of groups of people who have meaningful relationships and a shared sense of place, identity, or purpose. From residents to businesses, charities to clubs all are welcome to participate.”

Applications for the role of independent chairperson and expressions of interest for Neighbourhood Board positions will open in mid‑February. Anyone who is ‘from,’ living or working in the Twerton and Whiteway Ward; holds a prominent role in the community; or has a passion for the place, will be eligible to apply for the chairperson role or board positions when the application process opens.

People can sign up for alerts about the roles on the council’s jobs and careers website. Further details on the project are available on the regeneration pages of the council website.

What is your Council actually responsible for

We are regularly asked for help on a number of different issues, some of these issues are not the responsibility of the Council, so we have thought you may find it useful to know what B&NES are actually responsible for providing to it's residents.

• Education: Managing schools, admissions, and special educational needs.
• Planning & Development: Local planning, building regulations, and land use.
• Highways & Transport: Road maintenance, traffic management, and parking.
• Waste & Environment: Waste collection, recycling, disposal, and environmental health.
• Housing: Social housing management, homelessness services, and housing benefits.
• Regulatory Services: Trading standards, licensing (taxis, alcohol), and fire safety.
• Libraries & Culture: Libraries, leisure centres, museums, and parks.
• Adult Social Care: supports adults (18+) with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health conditions, or age-related needs to live independently, safely, and with dignity.
• Children’s social care: protects, supports and safeguards children and young people from harm while promoting their welfare. Services range from preventative family support (e.g., parenting advice, services for children with disabilities) to statutory interventions, such as child protection inquiries, foster care, residential care, or adoption when children cannot remain with their families. 
• Corporate Services: Council tax collection and elections.

The Council also has the power to issue fixed penalty fines for things like:

• litter
• graffiti
• fly posting
• dog offences
• parking issues eg not displaying a valid residents permit in designated bays, parking on double yellow lines

However, there are also some areas that are the sole responsibility of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA). Members of each authority in the area sit on committees at WECA, but the key decisions are made by the West of England Metro Mayor. These areas of responsibility are -

Transport and Infrastructure:

Strategic Transport Planning: Developing the regional Joint Local Transport Plan, including the MetroBus network and MetroWest rail project.

Bus Services: Franchising and improving bus services, including managing subsidised routes and introducing "demand-responsive" (on-call) minibus services.

Infrastructure Investment: Managing funding for major transport projects, including cycling and walking infrastructure.

• Economy and Business Support:
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  • Economic Growth: Creating jobs and stimulating the regional economy.
  • Business Support: Providing support for local businesses, including tailored advice for scaling up, innovation, and digital transformation.
  • Funding: Managing the £500m+ Economic Development Fund and other regional investment funds.
• Skills and Education:
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  • Adult Education: Managing the devolved 19+ Adult Education Budget to improve skills and training.
  • Employment Support: Running initiatives like the "Future Bright" career support programme and apprenticeship support services.
• Planning and Housing:
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  • Spatial Strategy: Developing a Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) to coordinate housing and infrastructure across the region.
  • Housing Delivery: Accelerating the delivery of new, affordable homes, including supporting brownfield site redevelopment.
• Environment and Sustainability:
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  • Climate Action: Driving the region's commitment to net zero by 2030 through green energy projects and promoting retrofitting.