Members of the public are being invited by Bath & North East Somerset Council to comment on plans to enhance Bath’s World Heritage status.
The City of Bath World Heritage Site Management Plan has been renewed with a draft published for public consultation.
Bath is an exceptional site in that the entire urban area is inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Venice is the only other city within Europe which holds this honour.
Bath and the surrounding area benefits from World Heritage Site status as it attracts millions of visitors each year.
The unique merits of this prestigious city help to support many businesses to thrive, and makes Bath and North East Somerset even more attractive to companies looking to invest in the area.
People living in and around the city can also benefit from the better quality of life that can be gained from a well-maintained conservation area.
Cities are dynamic places of change where people live and work, so the key challenge is to balance this thriving atmosphere alongside conservation of the globally important heritage.
The World Heritage Site Management Plan will cover the next six years and is produced and overseen by a well-established Steering Group with Bath & North East Somerset Council taking lead responsibility for the site.
Cllr Patrick Anketell-Jones (Conservative, Lansdown), Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said: “The state of conservation in Bath is currently exceptionally good, with considerable new investment being made to protect and preserve many of Bath’s landmark structures.
“Collectively we need to maintain this whilst carefully delivering growth to ensure the vitality of our world renowned city.”
The purpose of the Plan is to set out how this management takes place, what the main issues affecting the site and its landscape setting are likely to be, and how they will be addressed.
Looking to the future, World Heritage Steering Group Chairman Peter Metcalfe said: “Bath is a living city and the quality of our environment is a product of our exceptional people, both past and present.
“This is an ambitious new plan which positively seeks to enhance Bath’s position as a centre of heritage excellence and an outstanding place to live, work and visit.”
The draft plan can be viewed and commented upon at http://www.bathworldheritage.org.uk/management-plan or at Council One-Stop-Shops and libraries.
The public consultation runs until Friday 15th July.
