The £20 million investment awarded by the government to the Twerton and Whiteway ward has sparked confusion and controversy.
Twerton in Bath | Library image
In their Christmas newsletter, the ward councillors Tim Ball and Sarah Moore said the “new money for Twerton” was awarded after a bid by Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Liberal Democrat administration – and questioned why Whiteway had been excluded.
But the Liberal Democrats councillors were called out on the local Facebook page for “misinformation”.
A local resident also contacted the Echo to point out that there was no council bid, as the Pride in Place Programme (PiPP) used deprived area ONS (Office for National Statistics) data to work out which communities across the country would benefit from funding.
The resident added that the press release issued on Friday 19th December by B&NES Council made it clear that the funding is for the Twerton and Whiteway ward.
The newsletter was sent out by the ward councillors | Image provided
Both councillors responded promptly after being contacted by the Echo this week.
Councillor Moore referred us to their ‘Twerton and Whiteway Community News’ blog, where they posted on Friday night that they’d had a further meeting with officers concerning the £20 million allocated to Twerton.
“We have received confirmation that the previous information given to us was incorrect, and although the council are regularly placing bids for funds, this money was not allocated as part of a bid from the council.”
The councillors added that the funding had been allocated based on the previous Twerton ward boundary: “We will be working closely with officers and residents to ensure the whole ward is included and residents lead this project.”
The incorrect boundary for the funding had been used | Image provided
Councillor Ball told the Echo that the map they had included in their newsletter reflected the current area in the PiPP proposal.
“However, it is based on pre-2019 ward boundaries, which we believe is an error that needs to be corrected. We are seeking clarification on this and will ensure the correct boundaries are represented moving forward.”
He confirmed that the newsletter delivered to most of the area has been “amended” to reflect the funding issue.
The official council press release issued on Friday said: “Pride in Place funding aims to help communities make long-term improvements that residents want through community-led Neighbourhood Boards.
“Government guidance says the boards must be made up of local people, who will decide how to invest the funding, supported by their local councils and their local MP.
“With support from Bath & North East Somerset Council, which will receive the funding and be the accountable body to begin with, an initial timeline to get a board in place has been agreed.
“In the New Year, people in the Twerton and Whiteway ward will be able to formally share their views on the boundary for the area, the name of the scheme and what improvements they want the board to prioritise. The application process for the board and its independent chair will also get under way.
“Anyone who is ‘from’, living or working in the Twerton and Whiteway ward, holds a prominent role in the community or has a passion for the place will be eligible to submit an application for the chair or board when the application process opens.
“Under the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) guidance, boards should have at least eight members, with the majority (51%) living or working within the area. The local MP and at least one ward councillor will also sit on the board.”
Council leader Councillor Kevin Guy adds: “We end the year with much to look forward to in 2026, not least this unique opportunity for residents to fundamentally do something brilliant for the Twerton and Whiteway ward over the next decade.
“Since the government announcement about Pride in Place in the autumn, the community supported by the council have got the ball rolling and in line with MHCLG guidance, we are all now in a place to take significant steps forward in the New Year.”
