Petition To Keep Bath Rugby At The Rec Launched

By Glen Leat
October 4 2006

The campaign to help Bath Rugby enhance its area of the Recreation Ground in Bath has started. This is a crucial campaign for one of the oldest clubs associated to the RFU as it hopes to develop its area of The Rec to ensure Premiership rugby can continue at its spiritual home.

Bath Rugby Supporters’ Club (www.allez-bath.co.uk) and ERE (www.bathrugbyere.co.uk), the unofficial supporters’ website, have offered their support to Bath Rugby plc by organising a petition giving people the opportunity to demonstrate support for the following statement:

 “We, the undersigned, believe that the presence of Bath Rugby on the Recreation Ground is an integral part of the fabric of the City and contributes positively to the quality and variety of life in the Council district in many ways. We further believe that Bath Rugby should be enabled and encouraged to develop and improve the facilities on the Recreation Ground in a way that is not only to the benefit of the residents of Bath and the wider community but in keeping with the covenant in the Trust Deed, and that any building should be of a quality and scale that complements and enhances its environment and the status of Bath as a World Heritage City.”

 Signatures, which will be collected for the first time on Saturday 23 September, will be forwarded to the consultant, Jeff Bishop of BDOR, who is carrying out the Strategic Review of the Recreation Ground on behalf of the Trustees of the Bath Recreation Ground Trust, as well as to the Charitiy Commission itself. The petition will be open to anyone to sign. However, in the interests of ensuring a fair and representative petition, BRSC and ERE are asking people to provide their postcode and to declare whether they are regular attendees of Bath Rugby matches.

Penny Brunton, Chair of Bath Rugby Supporters’ Club, commented:

 “We sincerely believe that Bath Rugby should be able to enhance facilities on their part of the Recreation Ground, Bath. The Club has played there since 1894 and is entitled to call ‘The Rec’ its spiritual home. Just as importantly, however, we believe that, although Bath Rugby is a private business, it is also an integral part of the fabric of the City and contributes positively to the quality and variety of life in the Council district in many ways.

 “We recognise that, for the Club to remain at the Recreation Ground and meet Premiership Rugby standards, it must increase both spectator capacity and the quality of its facilities. However, we also appreciate that many local people have concerns over this and any proposed development must be complementary to the existing surroundings. We recognise that The Rec is an important area of ‘green space’ within the City, and that is why we have drawn up and agreed with Bath Rugby plc a set of principles to which any proposed development of its facilities on the Recreation Ground should adhere. These principles are as follows: 

• That any changes to the current design of the area used by Bath Rugby should be in keeping with the local area and the status of Bath as a World Heritage City.
• That the overall proposed development of The Rec and the future plans of Bath Rugby continue to support the wider community and not just the rugby-attending section of the community.
• That Bath Rugby takes account of the needs of all users of The Rec and its proposed development does not have an adverse impact on other tenants.
• That the Project will be independently funded and not require funds from Council tax payers.

“With the reassurance of these principles, we would encourage all those people who share our view of Bath Rugby’s importance to the City and the region to sign our petition and make their support known.”

“Furthermore, we are  personally committed to securing support for Bath Rugby’s proposed redevelopment of the Recreation Ground as we are among the 10,000+ people who enjoy watching Bath Rugby play home games in a uniquely attractive and accessible setting and we recognise that: 

• Bath Rugby runs an excellent community programme at the Recreation Ground, providing coaching, education, confidence-building projects and player appearances for schools, local clubs, businesses and the general public, as well as for young people who are at risk of exclusion from school.
• Bath Rugby is a vital part of the fabric of the local economy, as an employer, attracting visitors and as a catalyst that generates regular income for a range of local shops and hospitality providers.
• Bath Rugby generates regular positive media exposure, worldwide. This is extremely beneficial to the City, whose economy is heavily reliant on its continued success as a visitor destination.
• A successful, professional sports club contributes positively to civic pride, identity and community spirit.”

“What can local people do? Quite simply, demonstrate that they want Bath Rugby to remain on the Recreation Ground. That is why we have organised a petition. That is why we are encouraging people to sign this petition and to write letters to their Councillors and to the consultant carrying out the Strategic Review on behalf of the Recreation Ground Trust.”