Recreation Ground (Bath)
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The Recreation Ground ("the Rec") is a large open space in the centre of Bath, next to the River Avon, used for recreational purposes by Bath residents and the public generally.[1]
Part of the Rec is leased to Bath Rugby for use as a multi-use sports ground capable of holding 10,300 people, primarily for professional rugby union matches. During the summer the rugby ground's temporary East Stand is removed to make way for cricket on the larger pitch to the easternmost end of the Rec. This cricket pitch is used for local contests and by the Somerset County Cricket Club for two matches a year. Other parts of the eastern area are used by Bath Hockey Club and there are also tennis courts. There is a cricket pavilion at the William Street entrance to the ground.
In former years, the Rec was subject to flooding from the River Avon, but a flood alleviation scheme in the 1960s improved the flow of the river, though the ground can still get very boggy after heavy rains.
[edit] Charitable Trust status
The Rec is operated by Bath and North East Somerset Council. However the exact legal status was unclear until July 2002, when the High Court determined that the Rec was held on charitable trusts and the council, as sole Trustee, was charged with maintaining the Rec as an "open space" and "as a recreational facility available for the benefit of the public at large." The trust registered as a charity in November 2002.[2]
As a result of the court’s determination, Bath Rugby's use of the Rec for professional rugby was inconsistent with the trusts of the Charity. Since then the Charity Commission has made annual orders authorising the charity to continue the lease to the rugby club of additional land required for premiership rugby while a permanent solution is sought.[3][4] Bath Rugby hold a long running lease to the ground of the old "Flowerpot Stand", but this is not sufficent for professional rugby.[5]
In 1975 Bath City Council, the predecessor council, built a Sports and Leisure Centre and car park on the south side of the Rec after taking legal advice that this was consistent with the trust obligations.[6] However following the 2002 High Court determination, the Charity Commission decided this was a breach of trust by the council as Trustee.[7] In 2005 the council renewed Bath Rugby's temporary lease without the necessary prior consent from the Charity Commission. Consequently in February 2007 the Charity Commission made a protective order vesting all of the Rec in the Official Custodian for Charities while the council conducts a delayed strategic review, and new plans are agreed and implemented.[1]
[edit] Future of the professional rugby venue
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The Rugby Football Union (RFU) have stated that by 2010 all Guinness Premiership rugby clubs will need a spectator capacity of at least 15,000, above the Rec's current capacity of 10,300.
As a result, Bath Rugby's chief executive Bob Calleja wants to know if the club can develop the Recreation Ground. A strategic review of the future of the venue was started in October 2006. Calleja told the Western Mail: "We would like an amber light to be able to proceed by February 2007. We would clearly put our focus on staying at and developing the Rec, but if that was impossible and we were forced to move, then the other options would become serious considerations. But don't mention Swindon or Bristol or Timbuktu, because we have no intention of Bath Rugby playing anywhere but Bath." [8] In March 2007 the trustees of the Rec completed a survey amongst the public showing support for the development of the ground.[9]
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ a b The Recreation Ground, Bath - a statement under the Charities Act, Charity Commission, 22/08/2007
- ^ The Recreation Ground, Bath, Charity Commission, charity number 1094519
- ^ Charity Commission Case No: 607825, Charity Commission, 20 July 2007
- ^ Hopes grow for rugby at Rec, Bath Chronicle, 24 August 2007
- ^ Rec Development, Bath Rugby, September/October 2006
- ^ The Bath Recreation Ground Trust - A Strategic Review, 30 May 2007
- ^ Commission castigates council over land use, Andy Ricketts, Third Sector, 24 August 2007
- ^ Bath seek answers on stadium plan, BBC, 14 September 2006. Last accessed 11 November, 2006.
- ^ Board supports latest rec survey, BBC, 24 March 2007. Last accessed 21 April, 2007.
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