Paul Crossley

Over the last week I have had a variety of interesting meetings. On Monday Councillor Colin Darracott and myself did a presentation to the University of Bath Students (mainly architecture, engineering and Lib Dems) on the Vision for Bath. Our 20 year startegy that will enable us to successfully redevlope the many opportunity sites that lie awaiting in central Bath. There is the Bath Western Riverside - 70 acres for housing, employment and public use; Southgate - about to start after several years of getting the finances right; Bath Quays and many others including potentially Saw Close, Post Office/police station, Hilton/Cattle Market, Gainsborough building. These are all at various stages of design and content. They all come with widespread public comment and engagement as is the way in Bath. And above all they have to be developed in the context of maintaining our world heritage status and preserving the old and historic where appropriate. Not easy - Liverpool is currently being investigated by the World Heritage movement for its dock side redevelpment. We had an audience of 60 and a lively Q&A session to end with.

Somer housing AGM had a great guest speaker who challenged the concept of modern urban regeneration and challenged the industry to put people first in any designs they were developing. Wayne Hemmingway built up the fashion label 'Red or Dead' and then moved across from fashion to housing. It was a great speach and he was really enjoying the topic and went way over time. But we did not care. Wayne engages with the audience and the Somer audience gave very different answers to the questions he posed from his usual audiences. Wayne is well worth listening to if you get the chance. Unfortuneately I could not stay for the social afterwards as I had to rush off to the second part of the evening which was to catch the last part of the Bath Fringe AGM. Somer are the main registered social landlord for socially rented housing in Bath and NE Somerset.  

The Bath Fringe held a meeting to try and engage with more sponsors and to ensure its future vitality and viability. This year the Fringe was excellant and the street theatre was great. However as a lot of the shows are free a lot of work has to be put into sponsorship and fundraising.

Friday 20th saw the Ring of Fire spectacular to celebrate the Visions for Bath, Keynsham and Norton Radstock and its launch from the start of that Vision - the Bath Spa. Standard fireworks gave the fireworks and sponsors paid for the launch, cleanup and use of the Spa. A great show with people enjoying it at vantage points all around Bath. It was the first time in the UK to have a simultaneous 6 site launch ringing a town. It was GREAT.