Bath and North East Somerset Council has decided to abandon its proposals to cut operating hours at Bath Recycling Centre and Old Welton Recycling Centre in Midsomer Norton and to introduce fees for the residents' discovery cards. These changes were initially intended to help save £200,000 annually and generate an additional £50,000 but have now been dropped following extensive public consultation.
Mark Elliott, the council cabinet member for resources, emphasized the council’s commitment to listening to residents. He expressed gratitude to those who participated in the budget consultation, which revealed significant opposition to these measures. Consequently, the council will maintain current recycling centre hours and continue offering discovery cards free of charge.
Discovery cards provide residents with free or discounted access to local attractions such as the Roman Baths, a benefit cherished by the community. Charging for the cards accounted for about one-third of all consultation responses, underscoring the issue’s importance to residents.
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The budget for 2026/27, set to be voted on later this month, remains under pressure. The council is navigating a £7.4 million budget gap amid rising social care costs and a government “fair funding review” that will reduce funding by £12.6 million over the next three years. Council tax is proposed to increase by 4.99%, with a portion directly funding adult social care, translating to an additional £90.97 annually for a typical band D household.
Elliott clarified that while the council expects to raise just over £7 million more through council tax, it must still accommodate an additional £6.4 million needed for adult and children’s social care. “The primary answer to ‘where does my council tax go?’ is supporting the most vulnerable people in the area," he stated.
Councillors welcomed the decision to keep recycling centre hours intact. Andy Wait, who chairs the climate scrutiny committee, described the reversal as “very pleasing,” noting concerns that the original cut would have increased travel distances and environmental impact for local residents. Robin Moss and Malcolm Treby, chairs of other scrutiny committees, also supported retaining free discovery cards but expressed reservations about plans to generate £250,000 from new traffic enforcement fines, cautioning against exploiting this as a revenue source.
Elliott reassured that these powers are intended primarily to enforce traffic laws and enhance road safety, not to create income streams. The final budget will be reviewed by the council cabinet on February 12 and then voted on at the full council meeting on February 24.
Despite significant funding cuts ahead, Elliott emphasized the council’s goal to protect vital services for children and older residents, invest in infrastructure, support public transport, and maintain clean, safe streets for all communities across Bath and North East Somerset.