Residents and business owners in the Abbey Green Quarter of Bath say they are “exhausted, angry and deeply let down” after a flat long associated with alleged drug activity has been allowed to reopen pending a court hearing.
Officers outside the property on Abbey Green in Bath | Photo © Avon & Somerset Police
They say issues surrounding the property have dragged on for years, with repeated complaints, enforcement action, police attendance and court orders failing to deliver a lasting solution.
A spokesperson for the nearby Colombian Company café said. “We’ve tried to run a business and serve the community, but the atmosphere has been frightening.
“There has been shouting, aggressive behaviour, people hanging around outside. At one point we received direct death threats.”
Other nearby traders, including the Crystal Palace pub, Bath Sweet Shop, and Bath Tea Rooms, say trade has suffered.
Restaurateur Laurence Swan said: “We have two businesses in the Abbey Green area and have suffered with the ongoings of this property for many years.
“Our customers have witnessed violence and aggressive behaviour. This is shameful as Bath is deemed to be a tourist destination and this severe anti-social behaviour from this property has been allowed to continue for nearly eight years in the very heart of Bath’s World Heritage Site.
“We have opened our shops in the mornings to blood surrounding our pavements after a stabbing related to the flat; we had an armed police lockdown in the Abbey Green area last summer, forcing tourists and locals to hide under tables in our cafes. What does this say about Bath?”
He added: “We had a few months of respite before the drug den flat was reopened to the occupier and now we have had vandalism and a high number of break-ins in the small businesses.
“Something has got to change and Curo have to take action to permanently evict the tenant. The police have been supportive; however there is a limit on their arrestable powers.”
There has been some criticism of the lack of support from Bath MP Wera Hobhouse, but this week a spokesperson for the MP told the Echo: “Wera takes all reports of anti-social behaviour extremely seriously and will always respond to her constituents’ concerns and intervene/support where she can.
“Reports to her of the same in Abbey Green were no exception. After first being contacted in January 2026 by local businesses in the area, her office contacted Avon & Somerset Police on two separate occasions to raise their concerns.
“As the matter is now before the courts, parliamentary guidelines prevent Wera from intervening.”
Andrew Snee, Curo’s director of housing, told the Echo: “Supporting communities is at the heart of everything we do at Curo and we understand the impact that this situation has had on residents and businesses.
“As a landlord, Curo has taken action through the courts where appropriate.
“An injunction was obtained to restrict access to the property, and the court has since found that this was breached, with sentencing having taken place.
“We’re currently taking legal steps to take back possession of the property. The case is due to return to court on 2nd April when the judge will consider all aspects of the case, including a defence raised under the Equality Act 2010.
“Powers to close a property sit with the police and local authority, and these are limited in how and when they can be used. As a housing association, our role is to take longer-term action through the courts to take back the property, which is what we are continuing to do.”
The Bath Echo will be reporting on tomorrow’s court case.
