Twenty Bath projects want £841,439 from the neighbourhood CIL fund, but there is money for only about a fifth. Have your say by midnight on Tuesday 3 November.
Twenty Bath community projects are competing for a share of the city’s neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) fund, and residents have until midnight on Tuesday 3 November to say which ones should get the money.
Between them, the 20 groups have asked for £841,439. The council says the money available will cover about 20% of what has been requested (B&NES newsroom, 13 October 2026). So most of these projects will miss out this time, or go on a reserve list in case more money comes in.
CIL is a charge paid on new developments. Outside Bath, parish and town councils get a share directly. Bath has no town council, so the council keeps 15% of the levy raised in the city and lets residents help decide how it is spent (B&NES CIL Neighbourhood Fund page).
Check the closing date
The council’s press release gave the deadline as “5pm on Tuesday, November 7”. There is no Tuesday 7 November this year. The consultation page itself says the survey runs to midnight on Tuesday 3 November 2026 (Bath Neighbourhood CIL consultation, Round 19). Go by 3 November.
What each project wants
All figures are from the consultation page.
| Project | Where | Asking for |
|---|---|---|
| Bath Beekeepers Association: new teaching apiary | Charlcombe Lane, Larkhall | £150,000 |
| The Urban Garden Bath: training cabin, shop and cafe kiosk | Marlborough Buildings | £100,000 |
| Your Park Bristol and Bath: accessibility improvements | Weston Recreation Ground | £80,040 |
| LUX Youth Project: modernising the youth centre | Roundhill Youth Centre, Southdown | £74,635 |
| Alice Park Trust: play area for older children | Alice Park, Lambridge | £60,159 |
| Sporting Family Change: accessibility and facilities | Hedley Hall, Westmoreland | £52,745 |
| Bath20mphCity: 20mph limits around BA2 schools | South of the river | £37,200 |
| Canal & River Trust: last stretch of towpath | Horseshoe Walk to Deep Lock, Widcombe | £35,000 |
| Avonvale Rugby Club: Scout Hut repairs | Bathford | £30,000 |
| Bath Rugby Foundation: Alternative Learning Hub equipment | North Parade Road | £30,000 |
| Percy Community Centre: refurbishment | New King Street | £30,000 |
| Youth Connect South West: youth hub improvements | Southside Youth Hub, Twerton | £30,000 |
| First Steps Bath: outdoor learning and play | Twerton Community Nursery | £26,780 |
| Bath BMX Club: track facilities | The Tumps, Odd Down | £25,000 |
| Bath City FC: accessible toilet and wheelchair viewing platform | Twerton Park | £21,543 |
| More Trees for B&NES: tree nursery network | Across Bath | £20,945 |
| Bath Laboratory of Culture: courtyard garden | Burdall’s Yard | £20,000 |
| Climate Hub Bath: venue improvements | The Rotunda, Bath Bus Station | £9,500 |
| Bath Organic Group: off-grid solar and battery | Near Victoria Park | £4,892 |
| Share and Repair: Library of Things | Across Bath | £3,000 |
A few of the bids in more detail
- The biggest bid is the beekeepers’ £150,000. The association has already put £30,000 towards buying the Charlcombe Lane site. It wants to move from its current apiary near Newton St Loe, which it says is hard to reach by public transport.
- Bath City FC says disabled fans currently rely on “informal arrangements” by stewards. The money would replace a stepped part of the main terrace with a level wheelchair viewing platform, and add an accessible toilet with baby changing.
- The canal towpath between Horseshoe Walk and Deep Lock is, according to the Canal & River Trust, the last unimproved section on the route between Bathampton and the city centre. It gets muddy and uneven in wet weather.
- Bath20mphCity wants 20mph limits within about 500 metres of every school south of the River Avon. Its bid says a similar rollout in BA1 is expected to be finished by March 2027.
- The Urban Garden’s £100,000 is part of a project worth about £161,000, and it still needs planning permission.
What it means for you
You can read every bid and fill in the survey on the council’s Have Your Say page. For a printed copy or another format, email connecting_communities@bathnes.gov.uk or call 01225 396975.
The survey results go to an advisory board of eight Bath ward councillors. The board makes recommendations, and the council leader makes the final decision. The council says the whole process can take up to six months from application. The next round is expected to open in June 2027 (CIL Neighbourhood Fund page).
Earlier this year the fund paid for the restoration of the boundary wall at the Jewish Burial Ground, work at Riverside Youth Hub and a sensory garden at Oldfield School. The council’s fund page says £2.86 million has been awarded to 80 projects across the city since 2015.
Have your say