Decision details

The Bath River Line is a strategic green infrastructure project which will create a linear park through the heart of the city, connecting communities through a level, fully accessible travel route whilst protecting and enhancing the natural environment.  A FBC for Phase I has been submitted to WECA.  We are requesting that the decision to accept the WECA funding be made by a single member once the funding award offered.

To delegate approval to the Director of Sustainable Communities, in consultation with the s151 officer, to accept the £1.048m grant from WECA. This will allow full approval of the confirmed £1,612k in capital funds for Bath River Line Phase 1.

Many sections of the river corridor are in decline and there is a decrease in the quality of the natural environment. Urgent mitigation is required to halt the decline of this important natural asset and take advantage of the extraordinary opportunity the River Avon presents to create a flagship green infrastructure project for B&NES and the West of England which directly addresses the climate and ecological emergency.

As well as addressing ecological decline, the Bath River Line (BRL) also meets a community need for improved walking and cycling infrastructure, which is not addressed by the private sector. Forming a strategic spine through the city centre, the BRL has been designed to help catalyse and leverage funding from future private sector investments along the river corridor. The BRL will also connect to, and help enable, the active travel measures being pursued by B&NES via the City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) programme. The schemes will be mutually supportive, helping to achieve a step change in sustainable mobility.

There is an option to decline the grant from WECA and not progress the Bath River Line or to re-scope parts of the projects. However, the river corridor is in urgent need of support and investment. Without the project, the existing towpath/ path as well as the natural habitats along the River Avon will continue to degrade and the council will miss the opportunity to significantly improve walking and cycling rates across the city, directly addressing the climate and ecological emergency. The funding now will allow benefits for the community to be realised as soon as possible.

Work to demonstrate the economic, social, and environmental value benefits of the Bath River Line Phase I interventions was prepared by WSP as part of the Full Business Case. The initial Benefit Cost Ratio for Phase I of the Bath River Line is 2.3:1, suggesting it has the potential to deliver high value for money. This calculation is based on monetised benefits alone. There is also the potential for other impacts not currently captured or monetised in the appraisal to positively impact on the scheme benefits, and further boost the value for money. There are wider impacts associated with the Gross Value Added generated from increased construction and tourism jobs and also increased visitor spend. The scheme offers benefits in terms of severance, affordability, and access to services. From an environmental perspective, the scheme will have a beneficial impact on landscape, townscape and biodiversity.