Bath & North East Somerset Council used AI to read the more than 5,500 comments it received from the public about plans to build a stadium in the centre of Bath.
How the proposed stadium would look from above | Image © Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby wants to build an 18,000-seat permanent stadium at their pitch on the Recreation Ground, near Pulteney Bridge.
The council is due to consider the major planning application on Wednesday, 17th September, although it has been told by the government not to approve it without “special authorisation”.
5,590 comments were received from the public about the plans, ranging from a few words long to paragraphs and paragraphs.
But many of those comments will never be read by anyone, or at least not by a human. Instead of planning officers at the council reading and summarising people’s views, the council used an AI tool.
The planning officer’s 121 page report into the planning application, which will go before the planning committee this week, said: “Given the very large number of representations submitted via the council’s online comments form, these have been reviewed and summarised by Microsoft Copilot.
“This is an artificial intelligence tool that was instructed to identify reasons for objection/support. The programme reviewed all comments received since the application was submitted.
“The topics below are derived from those generated by Copilot and subsequently refined by the case officer based on a review of a sample of comments. Representations sent directly to the case officer (i.e. not via the online comments form) have been read individually and also summarised by Microsoft Copilot.”
The report then listed the reasons for objections, which was edited by the planning case officer from the AI-generated text. It is not the number of comments for or against a planning application which has weight before the planning committee, but the valid planning considerations that those comments raise.
But the sheer volume of comments speaks volumes. Of the 5,590 comments, 5,086 were in support of the stadium being built. 368 objections to the project were lodged and 136 people left uncategorised comments. The full text of all comments left remains publicly available on the council’s planning portal.
Among the people who left comments on the council’s planning portal was supporter Paul Cuckoo. He called the plans: “a vital development to support the future of Bath Rugby in Bath city centre.”
He said: “The alternative is a stadium outside the city, which will decimate the revenue generated in the city centre on match days.”
Greg Rhymes commented: “It’s criminal that a world-renowned sports club such as Bath that brings joy to thousands of locals has had to fight so long to get a stadium fit for purpose.
“It will not only enhance the match day experience it could offer a multi purpose venue for so many in both sport and business. It’s an absolute no brainer.”
Meanwhile objector David Bates commented: “This is a Unesco World Heritage City … I believe. Why should a commercial company be allowed build a permanent stadium in the centre of this city, therefore ruining the beauty of the buildings and destroy a wonderful green park space? For visitors it will not add but subtract from the beauty of the city.”
About 30 Bathonians opposed to the scheme, including “Kes” and “I, Daniel Blake” director Ken Loach, held a protest against the plans on Johnston Street on Friday 5th September.
Mr Loach said: “Bath Recreation Ground was a gift to the people of Bath in 1956 and it should be an open green space forever, and that it was for the leisure for all the people of Bath and visitors for all the sports equally.
“And now we find that one wealthy club owned by one very wealthy man has a lease and is now looking to build a permanent, large stadium here.
“A mini Wembley Stadium in the middle of these Georgian Houses is a travesty.”
A spokesperson for Bath Rugby said: “The Stadium for Bath project will deliver a new, world-class 18,000 capacity venue with increased capacity to host events and regeneration of the riverside, generating a wide range of positive, long-term economic and social benefits for the city and local communities.”
He added: “The proposals will act as a catalyst for creating a destination for visitors and residents which revitalises the riverside and encourages sporting participation within the wider Recreation Ground and across the city, and which cohabits respectfully with near neighbours, the city and its architecture.”
The council’s planning committee will meet at 10am in the council chamber in Bath Guildhall on 17th September to consider whether to give its backing to the plan.
The council planning officers’ 121 page-long report into the plans concluded that the proposals are in overall accordance with the council’s development plans but stopped short of recommending planning permission be approved, in light of the government letter saying the council needed “specific authorisation.”
The intervention is to allow the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government to consider whether the plans should be referred to them to decide instead. The committee remains free to turn the planning application down.
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter
