The proposal to regularly close the riverside footpath near the Recreation Ground in Bath on match days has been paused following heated disputes between councillors and boaters. Bath and North East Somerset Council had intended to close the path on days when Bath Rugby hosts games, starting this September, but the plan is now under review to ensure proper evidence and governance are in place.
The controversy intensified when the council simultaneously ordered houseboat residents moored along the riverbank to leave by September, threatening legal action if they did not comply. Officials argue the eviction stems from safety concerns related to harsh weather conditions on the river and is unrelated to the path closure.
However, many local councillors and the boaters themselves remain skeptical. When the council sought to formalize ownership of the riverbed through the Land Registry, 11 backbench councillors called the move a “lack of transparency” and requested further scrutiny.
READ MORE: Bath City Southern Premier South Season Fixtures Announced
READ MORE: Met Office Forecasts Cooling Temperatures Amidst Prolonged Dry Spell and Low Reservoir Levels
At a scrutiny committee meeting on July 15, Councillor Saskia Heijltjes (Lambridge, Green), who spearheaded the call-in, highlighted the timing: “The council has effectively owned this riverbed for years, yet it chose to register formal ownership precisely as a £1.85 million feasibility study for a radial gate was gearing up, Bath Rugby’s £70 million stadium redevelopment was imminent, and boaters were being ordered to leave. This cluster of events demands clear explanation, which has not been provided.”
Deputy Council Leader Sarah Warren (Bathavon North, Liberal Democrat) responded, explaining the registration followed recommendations made by a temporarily engaged staff member handling river and mooring matters. She noted that no specific projects are planned currently but suggested future ecological or flood prevention initiatives could justify the registration, all subject to further approvals.
Despite councillors’ concerns about the eviction’s impact on boaters, the council’s top legal officer dismissed the objections as “primarily misconceived,” clarifying that the meeting’s scope was limited to procedural aspects of project references.
The committee ultimately voted to reject the call-in, amid instructions from Chair Andy Wait (Keynsham East, Liberal Democrat) to avoid broader debates about the boaters or river issues.
The council’s eviction order, issued in May, requires boaters to vacate by September or face legal action. Resident Percy Walton, who has lived on a boat near the Pulteney stretch for four years, expressed his frustration: “I don’t think we fit in with their designs for the future. It feels discriminatory against us.”