Bid for town green status for The Rec 'is a stalling tactic'
A resident opposed to moves to give Bath Rugby a greater share of the Recreation Ground has applied for the site to be made an official town green.
But the application by retired NHS IT manager Jack Sparrow has been dismissed as a "stalling tactic" by the politician at the heart of the process of sorting out The Rec's future.
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Jack Sparrow has been accused of using stalling tactics with his application for town green status PICTURE: Lloyd Ellington
Mr Sparrow, from Bathwick, has lodged an application under the 2006 Commons Act to have the whole of The Rec, including the city's leisure centre, designated as a town green.
Such a status would make it more difficult for new development to take place there, and similar applications were used in an effort to stop the Bus Rapid Transit scheme in Newbridge.
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Anyone wanting to apply for such a designation has to prove that there has been use of the land for recreation over a long period of time.
Mr Sparrow's submission says the land had been used – and continues to be used – "as of right by the inhabitants of the city of Bath for at least 20 years for lawful sports and pastimes".
He also points to the 1956 covenant governing The Rec, drawn up when the land was given to the old city council.
The Rec's delicate charitable status has held up Bath Rugby's plans to develop a larger arena for more than a decade.
The Charity Commission last month launched a consultation into plans to allow the club to have a bigger area on The Rec, in return for its former training ground at Lambridge passing into public ownership.
Around 2,000 people took part in that exercise, and the commission is deciding whether to allow the shake-up to progress.
Mr Sparrow, who has lived in Bath since 1983, said the solution currently being looked at was "a disaster".
"I would like to see The Rec returned to open space. I don't mind amateur rugby being played there, but Bath Rugby are abusing the situation. They have outgrown The Rec."
He said the rugby club's current main lease allowed for a "ridiculously low" rent, and that a proper lease payment should be being paid with regard to the leisure centre.
The chairman of the Bath Recreation Ground Trust, councillor David Dixon, who has been working with the commission, B&NES Council, residents and the club, said: "This is merely a stalling tactic, an application which in my view fails on many accounts as a town village green, not least there is a leisure centre in existence and people, are not free to access the land, as all sports and activities are to be booked and paid for through the trust."
Comments
by bath1946
Tuesday, January 22 2013, 11:43PM
“Thank you BathSolicitor, the 1922 covenant is also relevant as are the written intentions at the time of the conveyance. "Stalling", i don't think so.
ChronicReader, i can't either.”
by ChronicReader
Monday, January 21 2013, 4:46PM
“Is anyone else having trouble accessing this application on the council's website?
they give out the reference "TVG12/1"
but when you use their search function to find it, it comes back blank.
how is the general public supposed to give feedback on this if the council hasn't put it on their website? is that even legal?”
by jessiethecat
Monday, January 21 2013, 1:32PM
“Thanks, Bath Solicitor - I think that's nailed the 'bought from the Forester family' story, once and for all.”
by BathSolicitor
Monday, January 21 2013, 11:10AM
“jessiethecat: you might want to read this.......
http://tinyurl.com/axtkhu9”
by jessiethecat
Sunday, January 20 2013, 11:31AM
“The land was bought from the Forester family by Bath City Council. No, it wasn't. If you think that, prove it. But you can't because that's not what happened.”
by ExileinBath
Saturday, January 19 2013, 10:17AM
“I can't think of any other city in the country considering building a stadium in the centre. It is bonkers to think this an option. Most of the new stadiums in the country are built on the outskirts of city centres where space is available for the infrastructure and parking which accompany such a development (let alone the disruption whilst building is in progress). I'm not going to play the game of suggesting possible sites for this new development, but all should look to other towns and cities in the UK for considerate examples and save a remarkable piece of greenery in the heart of the City of Bath. The argument that Bath Rugby are looking for a cheap option seems to hold true. Today's rugby is a commercial operation, let it develop without a cost to the (quieter) majority in the city who don't follow the game rather than giving in to those who are most vocal. Rugby may have been played at the REC for a considerable time, but initially as an amateur game, not one which hopes to become one of the top clubs in the country. Good luck to any options which halt this development.”
by DariusMehta
Thursday, January 17 2013, 4:32PM
“The antis are in denial on that, Mike, even though it is in the HC judgement which they are happy to quote from except that point and that the point that the beneficiaries are not only the people of Bath but the public at large.”
by Mike_the_Taxi
Thursday, January 17 2013, 4:19PM
“"He also points to the 1956 covenant governing The Rec, drawn up when the land was given to the old city council"
That old saw, again!
The land was bought from the Forester family by Bath City Council.”