A councillor on Bath & North East Somerset Council has called for a radical rethink over the location of Bath’s Christmas Market this year due to “cramped passageways” and “overcrowding”.
Shopping at Bath Christmas Market | Photo © 1000 Words / Shutterstock.com
Councillor Karen Walker, the leader of the Independent Group and former Chairwoman of the Council, wants to see the market moved from the city centre around Abbey Churchyard to Royal Avenue underneath the Royal Crescent.
Cllr Walker said: “In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Christmas Market was cancelled last year.
“Currently located around the Bath Abbey and Orange Grove area, the space just is not big enough for the near half-a-million people that visit.
Cllr Walker at Royal Avenue
“Cramped passageways and overcrowding means it is impossible to socially distance. If the market is going to attract such large numbers of people – we need to seriously look at moving the event to a bigger space that can accommodate them.”
Introduced 20 years ago, the Bath Christmas Market runs for two and a half weeks from the end of November until the middle of December.
Cllr Karen Walker has said that moving it to Royal Avenue, with surrounding space at the Royal Crescent and Royal Victoria Park, would be an “ideal setting” for the event to help aid social distancing.
The proposal will be discussed at the next Cabinet meeting, which is due to take place on 23rd June.
