Update on the Bath and Bathavon Area Forums

The formats of the Bath and Bathavon Area Forums are currently being reviewed whilst we identify how best to work with local communities in those areas.  (The Bath Area Forum covered the non-parished city of Bath area.  The Bathavon Area Forum covered the parished communities of: Bathampton, Batheaston, Bathford, Camerton, Combe Hay, Charlcombe, Claverton, Dunkerton and Tunley, Englishcombe, Freshford, Hinton Charterhouse, Kelston, Monkton Combe, Newton St Loe, North Stoke, Priston, Shoscombe, South Stoke, St Catherine, Swainswick and Wellow).

The Bath Area Forum had provided some useful opportunities for the council and other agencies to give out information and consult on schemes.  However, the feedback we have received is that “top-down” meetings of this sort are not the best way of listening to local residents’ views.

So, we are currently drawing up proposals for engagement across Bath and Bathavon which are built around our local communities, and which involve more direct feedback from residents. 

We expect that this will take the form a listening roadshow, to be run on a trial basis,  in communities across the Bath and Bathavon areas. These will also shape how we engage in the future.

This approach will be tailored to the particular areas and communities that make up Bath and Bathavon rather than a “one size fits all” approach. It will also be built around  listening to the priorities that people raise with us, rather than council and agency agendas.

We have had feedback that the Keynsham Area, Somer Valley and Chew Valley Area Forums are working well and will be continuing in their current forms.  Click on the links to find out more about these Forum meetings.

Bath and Bathavon have vibrant and diverse communities and our engagement approach needs to reflect this.  For example, in Bath we will continue to work with residents’ groups including FOBRA as well as with our student residents through the Student Community Partnership.  We will also continue to work closely with parish councils in the Bathavon area.

We will provide further updates but in the meantime if you have any suggestions on this please contact connecting_communities@bathnes.gov.uk

For issues that had previously required direct responses from these Forums, such as consultations, information will continue to be circulated directly to seek feedback.  If you want to be added to the mailing list for the Bath or Bathavon Forums, contact Mark Hayward (details below).

Council Officers Contact Information

Dave Dixon – Community Engagement Manager – People and Policy
Bath & North East Somerset Council
Tel: 01225 396532  
Mark Hayward - Community Engagement Officer – People and Policy
Bath & North East Somerset Council
Tel: 01225 396975

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