Pennyquick Hill Lorries

 We are pressing the council to remove the spilled cement from the carriageway on Pennyquick Hill.

It seems that every day another Lorry gets stuck looseing traction whilst going uphill despite the fact they shouldn’t be using the road as it has an 18 ton weight limit.

Cllr Sarah Moore who has been chasing this matter said: ‘We have fought hard to get the weight limit in place which will become enforceable when the new signs go up in the next few weeks”.

The Cement still needs to be removed despite matters that will improve once the heavy Lorries are removed from this road.

Time to book your flu or Covid Jab

 The best time to have your flu vaccine is in the autumn or early winter before flu starts spreading. Therefore, it is important to receive a flu jab.

On an average year the flu virus kills 11,000 people and hospitalises many thousands more. The flu vaccine is your best protection. The flu vaccine helps protect against flu, which can be a serious or life-threatening illness. It's offered through the Council every year in autumn and winter to all staff to help prevent serious illness from flu.

Am I eligible for a flu jab?

The NHS eligibility criteria is clear and lists high-risk groups, including those aged 65 and over. If you are in a high-risk group, you will be invited to attend your flu jab appointment by your GP.

The NHS flu vaccine is given to people who:

• are aged 65 or over (including those who will be 65 by 31 March 2027)
• are aged 18 to 64 and have certain long-term health conditions
• are pregnant
• live in a care home
• are the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receive a carer's allowance
• live with someone who has a weakened immune system
• are experiencing homelessness or staying in a homeless hostel or night shelter

Need to book a flu jab follow this link https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/vaccination-and-booking-services/book-flu-vaccination/

Community Energy Network Coordinator; Twerton and Whiteway

Is this a job for you ?

Community Energy Network Coordinator; Twerton and Whiteway

Location: Bath Hybrid – working from home, BWCE office in Bath, or on site in the community partners’ location.
Reporting to: Head of Community Engagement at BWCE
Hours: Part-time (15 hours per week worked flexibly) 
Rate of pay: £150 /day or £20/ hr. The individual will be self-employed and responsible for arranging their own tax and NI payments.

BANES Community Energy Network is working with local community partners in Twerton and Whiteway to enable local residents to reduce energy bills, improve home energy efficiency and explore options for community-owned renewable energy projects.

The Community Energy Network Coordinator will carry out community engagement activities to enable local residents and community organisations to both participate in and benefit from BANES Community Energy Network activities in the area. The Community Energy Network Coordinator will display significant knowledge and understanding of the local community.

Working with the Community Energy Network (CEN) and local community partners, the coordinator will organise events, recruit and deploy local Energy Champions, raise awareness, and ensure the project’s activities are inclusive, practical, and aligned with the goals of embedding energy advice into everyday local services to help lower energy bills and improve energy efficiency, connecting community members to work together, and empowering communities to explore and build their own renewable energy projects.

Follow this link to find out more or to apply for the role 

https://www.bwce.coop/current-vacancies

New Changes to Plannig rules reduce democracy

 The new National Scheme of Delegation for planning decisions, which becomes mandatory from31 October 2026. There are no transitional arrangements, so this is a hard deadline. For B&NES. This means less planning applications that residents care about being able to be determined by councillors in committee reducing democratic accountability.

The key changes are:

• Schedule 1 applications must be determined by officers and cannot be called to Planning Committee. These include, broadly, householder applications, residential developments of up to nine dwellings on sites below 0.5 hectares, most reserved matters applications, minor commercial developments and a range of technical applications such as discharge of conditions, non-material amendments and lawful development certificates.
• Schedule 2 applications are also presumed to be delegated, but may go to Committee where the national gateway test is satisfied.
• For a Schedule 2 application to reach Committee, the nominated officer and nominated member must agree that Committee consideration is justified and the application must raise either a significant planning matter, having regard to the development plan and other material considerations, or an economic, social or environmental issue of significance to the local area.
• The national scheme therefore removes the existing ability to seek Committee consideration for Schedule 1 applications. Ward councillors can still request Committee consideration for Schedule 2 applications, but must identify the significant matters relied upon under the gateway test.
• The changes concern who determines an application, not how its planning merits are assessed: planning policies, material considerations and residents’ ability to make representations remain relevant to the determination process.
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• This is an important change because it reduces the range of applications over which local councillors and communities can seek public committee scrutiny. Our own scheme and constitutional arrangements must comply with the national requirements from 31 October.
  
  
  The change has been mandated by the Labour government who seem hell bent on pushing through reforms to the planning system although Your Local Lib Dem councillors remain opposed to these changes but have no choice but to work within the new scheme.
  
  
  It’s important to remember that residents and councillors will have less say in important decisions that affect our communities.
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Bath Neighbourhood CIL funding applications consultation (Round 19)

 Bath and North East Somerset council are asking you to help us decide which of these shortlisted projects should receive funding from the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) for Bath. The CIL is a charge which is payable for some new building developments, to be spent on projects which benefit the community.

Public consultation on which projects you think most deserve funding is a required part of the decision-making process when allocating CIL money.

Given the significant interest generated in this funding round, the requests for funding exceed the current availability. When the recommendations are submitted, it is likely that some projects will be placed on a waiting list for future funding opportunities.

Please follow this link to see the applications noting there are specific ones for Twerton and Whiteway that you might want to support.

https://haveyoursay.bathnes.gov.uk/bathcilfunding/

Please follow this link to give your response.

https://haveyoursay.bathnes.gov.uk/bathcilfunding/index.php?contentid=8

Community energy grants

The BWCE Fund is open for grant applications until 1pm on Thursday 29 October.

The BWCE Fund is an independent charity distributing grants to local community projects that reduce carbon emissions or tackle fuel poverty, funded by surplus income from BWCE’s renewable energy projects, and administered by the Quartet Community Foundation.

The Fund is now open for grant applications of up to £5,000 until 1pm on Thursday 29 October. Grants are available for community groups and local environmental organisations in Bath and surrounding areas. 

Carbon reduction does not just relate to energy projects; it might also include local food, sustainable transport or waste reduction or indeed any activity that reduces carbon emissions. Typically, the Fund receives fewer applications around addressing fuel poverty or affordable warmth - so applications in this area are particularly welcomed.

The Fund has supported over a hundred community projects since 2015; details of previously funded projects can be found on the BWCE website: www.bwce.coop/community-benefit     

“…We are aware that fuel poverty is not just a winter issue as our climate changes and would like to see projects that provide, for example, more warm and cool spaces for vulnerable people in the area.  We would also welcome projects that help to shift people from oil heating in rural areas to low carbon alternatives.”    Jane Wildblood, Chair of Trustees for BWCE Fund

For information on eligibility criteria and how to apply visit the link quartetcf.org.uk/grants/bath-west-community-energy-fund/

Planning applications Twerton and Whiteway ward week commencing 12.10 . 2026

176 Haycombe Drive, Southdown, Bath, Bath And North East Somerset, BA2 1PP

Proposal

Conversion of existing dwelling to 2no self contained one-bed flats (retrospective).

Type of Application

Full Application

Status

Pending Consideration

Ward

Twerton

Applicant Name

Mr Neci Irvine

Agent Name

Mr D Bissex

Agent Address

10 Meadow View Radstock BA3 3QT

Case Officer Name

Ed Allsop

To comment on the application or for more details follow this link

https://app.bathnes.gov.uk/webforms/planning/details.html?refval=26/03737/FUL#details_Section

 

Address of Proposal

Bath City Football Club , High Street, Twerton, Bath, Bath And North East Somerset, BA2 1DB

Proposal

T1 - Western Red Cedar - Fel. lRecent increased lean over car park, huge amounts of deadwood and broken branches.

Type of Application

Tree Works Notification in Con Area

Status

Pending Consideration

Ward

Twerton

Planning Portal Reference Number

PP-15263996

Applicant Name

Debbie King

Agent Name

No Agent

Case Officer Name

Jane Brewer

To comment on this application follow this link

https://app.bathnes.gov.uk/webforms/planning/details.html?refval=26/03804/TCA#details_Section