From the Editor… (03/07/2026)

There is a real mix of stories in this week’s newspaper – some hopeful, some frustrating, and one or two that feel like a reminder of just how quickly life in our city can be turned upside down.

Perhaps the most encouraging development is in Combe Down, where there are finally some genuine signs of hope for the future of the allotments.

After the sadness and anger that followed the closure of the site last autumn, it is heartening to hear that Bath & North East Somerset Council is now formally pursuing acquisition of the land, though how this will play out, we will have to wait and see. For many people, allotments are about far more than vegetables and flower beds. They are places of community, routine, wellbeing and shared purpose, as the allotment holders showed with their strong campaign to save them. If there is a chance to secure that future for the next generation, it is clear local people want it taken.

Looking ahead, another story that will certainly get residents talking is the future of the Bath Christmas Market. Love it or loathe it, there is no doubt it has become a huge part of the city’s festive identity. Proposals to extend it from 18 days to 25 from 2027, and potentially spread it into places like Parade Gardens, Queen Square and Kingsmead Square, will be welcomed by some and questioned by others.

There is always that balance to strike between boosting the visitor economy and making sure the city still feels manageable for the people who live and work here every day.

Then there is the troubling situation outside The Empire, where plans to make a historic vault safe have been refused over heritage concerns. It is one of those very Bath stories where no issue is ever simple. On one side there is the understandable desire to protect the city’s historic fabric. On the other, there are residents facing huge costs, uncertainty and anxiety over a problem they say was not of their making, and the potential for the pavement to collapse.

And finally, last week’s extraordinary weather gave all of us plenty to think about. Scorching heat followed by violent storms, flash flooding, damaged roads and disrupted services – it was an extreme week by any standard. These are the sorts of events that no longer feel rare enough to dismiss as one-offs. In all fairness to the emergency services, local authority and organisations such as Curo, there was a very quick turnaround for sorting out issues, and praise should be given where praise is due.