Komedia has warned that top artists are being put off from performing in Bath due to “untenable” difficulties getting their tour buses into the city.
Richard Daws, chairman of Komedia Bath, urged members of Bath & North East Somerset Council to make it easier for artists’ tour coaches to get to the venue on Westgate Street and consider extending the reduction on business rates.
He said: “Moles is gone. Don’t let Komedia do the same.”
Mr Daws warned councillors that difficulty accessing venues could put artists off from stopping in Bath on their tours.
He told councillors: “Komedia has smaller scale touring acts that have very good access, typically arriving in smaller vans .. to Westgate Street. That works perfectly.”
“Larger scale acts tour the country in coaches and have ongoing major issues visiting Bath. These appear now to be untenable.
“So we are requesting that access to Westgate Street is offered on the same basis to larger scale artists, as it is currently offered to smaller scale acts.
“If this is not possible then Bath will no longer be able to host the big name acts that we attract to Komedia.”
Westgate Street lies within Bath’s city centre security zone, also dubbed the “ring of steel”, where vehicles are restricted between 10am and 6pm. Businesses can apply for a permit for vehicles to enter.
Mr Daws said there had been “no problem” with acts in transit vans booking in but warned: “The same welcome is not afforded to coaches.”
Band Everything Everything played at the venue earlier this month but their coach had to access from Westgate Buildings, where other vehicles were already parked across the bay. Mr Daw said: “It was very very unsatisfactory.”
He added: “It would be very easy to park outside the venue, unload, disappear off somewhere else, and then come back and load in at 10 o’clock at night.
“All we are asking is can we do the same with larger scale vehicles as we do currently with smaller vehicles.”
The derelict Beau Nash cinema was renovated into Komedia in 2008. Since 2019, it has been a community-owned venue, as a community benefit association.
Mr Daws also urged the council to extend the business rates reduction available to charities to community benefit societies. He said: “Many councils across the country do this.”
Council leader Kevin Guy invited Mr Daws to speak with the cabinet member for finance and the relevant officers at the council who could look at extending the business rates reduction.
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter
