Latest news with #BANES
BBC News
02-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Bath's Victoria Art Gallery marks 'milestone moment' of 125 years
An art gallery has reopened a section of its exhibition space following conservation work, in celebration of its 125th free-to-visit Upper Gallery at Bath's Victoria Art Gallery is now open to the public after extensive conservation work was carried out to protect the Grade II-listed venue houses Bath & North East Somerset Council's (BANES) collection of public artworks, and pieces by artists such as Paul Klee and Grayson Campbell, BANES head of culture and heritage, said it was a "milestone moment" for a "much-loved" council-owned art space. All of the Victoria Art Gallery is free to enter for residents in the BANES Council area who hold a Discovery Card, and relies on support from visitors and conservation work took place, the gallery team developed The Modelling Room, a dedicated learning and engagement studio for schools and the community. The council said it was "very grateful" for the commitment of its supporters and the individual donor who helped to fund the development of the new space. "We are honouring its important past while investing in its future," Mr Campbell said."The completion of vital conservation work in the Upper Gallery and the launch of our first dedicated learning and engagement space are milestone moments. "We're thrilled to welcome the public back to this much-loved cultural space."The exhibition - First Impressions: Printers' Proofs of Works by Great 20th Century Artists - runs in the Upper Gallery until 6 July.
BBC News
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
West Country VE Day street parties 'encouraged' by councils
Eighty years after Victory in Europe Day - the end of World War Two in Europe, known as VE Day - people are being encouraged to celebrate the anniversary with street parties.A flypast, concert, and a Westminster Abbey service are some of the national events lined up over the four-day celebration, beginning on the 5 May bank holiday and continuing through to 8 authorities across the west of England are asking people to apply for any street closure permissions or licences as early as possible. The celebrations reflect the end of World War Two in Europe, as announced by then Prime Minister Winston Churchill over the radio airwaves at 15.00 BST on Tuesday, 8 May 1945. It came one day after Nazi Germany's surrender, nearly six years after the war had begun in are planning local events to mark 80 years since that day, with many authorities, including Gloucestershire County Council and Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES), waiving the usual street party application fees.A spokesperson for the Gloucestershire authority said they would be celebrating VE Day with Town Crier Alan Myatt reading the official proclamation on the cross at midday and with the lighting of a beacon on Robinswood Hill at 21:30 Lightship - a moored former working ship in Gloucester Docks - will also be illuminated at 21:30 BST with the singing of the official hymn, I Vow to Thee My Castle, in Gloucestershire, is hosting an event showcasing the D-Day Darlings, who featured on ITV talent show Britain's Got Talent, with a Winston Churchill character wandering the grounds alongside World War Two re-enactments. BANES Council leader Kevin Guy said the historic occasion was a "great opportunity" for communities to come together to honour and pay tribute to the World War Two generation. He said in waiving road closure charges, the council hoped to encourage groups and communities to jointly commemorate and celebrate the occasion. North Somerset Council has asked people to put any street closure permission requests in leader Mike Bell said: "We've made it as easy as possible to apply for a road closure so people can host street parties."There are some safety and legal considerations that need to be in place [so] we're asking people to apply in good time so that we can carry out the necessary work behind the scenes." Chair of Somerset Council, councillor Mike Best, is working with Taunton Town Council and others, including the Royal British Legion, on a series of events to mark VE day.A spokesperson said there would be a flag-raising ceremony at County Hall, Taunton, at 09.20 BST and a wreath-placing ceremony at the War Memorial at Vivary Park, Taunton, at 17.30 BST.A civic service of celebration and thanksgiving is being held at The Minster in the evening, where there will be a ringing of the church bells in celebration of will also hear a reading of the proclamation, lighting of the lamplights of peace, and a reading of the VE Day tribute. Local schools will be invited to attend along with representatives from military organisations in Somerset. In Bristol, City Hall will be lit-up in red, white and blue for the duration of the four-day celebration, with union flags flying on College Green's flag poles.A city council spokesperson said they were encouraging residents' street parties to take place on the 5 May bank holiday, with the council relaxing its process for street parties in line with government advice."If you would like to hold a resident street party in Bristol on the 5 May then you have until Friday 4 April [to apply]," the spokesperson said. There will be a charge of £21 for larger street Aerospace Bristol museum is celebrating VE Day during the May bank holiday weekend with an event called Spirit of '45: A VE Day 80 will be offering World War Two tours that will include a visit to the newly opened air raid shelter, with their wartime Bolingbroke plane rolled out of the Conservation Workshop. And there will be World War Two spotlight talks, with other ideas still in the planning stage. A spokesperson for Visit West said ongoing walking tours around St Nicholas Market continued the theme, with air raid and shelter tours available. Wiltshire Council is offering guidance online in regard to VE Day celebrations, street closures, and permission or licences needed for events at various asked for anyone requesting a road closure to have already had applications in by 13 across the county include a VE Day flag-raising event at the Ludgershall Town Council war memorial and an afternoon tea party hosted by Tisbury Parish Wootton Bassett will be celebrating with live music, food vendors, army tents and Scarrotts fun across the region will join the nation in lighting the the beacon of peace at 21.30 last big celebration of VE Day took place on the 75th anniversary during the pandemic in 2020, with social distancing regulations in place. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said for this year, the four days of celebrations would mean "people across society will be able to hear our veterans' stories first hand, to reflect and remember".
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Work starts to remove sunken boats from river
Work has begun to remove five sunken boats from the River Avon in Bath. Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES) said the submerged vessels near Pulteney Weir are dangerous to others and pose a pollution risk. Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said: "We have exhausted our attempts to work with the owners to arrange self-recovery, so as a last resort we will be carrying out the operation on their behalf." The work begins on Saturday and is expected to last approximately one week. "We're chasing the owners for recovery costs when we know who exactly owns the boats - but we only know one or two of them," Mr Ball said. The council is hoping to recover the £72,600 costs of the removal once the work is completed. "The sunken boats have been creating a hazard in the waterway and posing a risk to its ecology for a long time, however they are the property of the boat owners who are responsible for them," Mr Ball said. Several of the boats have been left for several years, and the logistics of such an operation present a challenge, the council said. "Some of them are in difficult positions and whether we can actually pull them out on Wednesday and Thursday next week is largely dependent on the weather," Mr Ball said. The same project was attempted last year but was abandoned due to the weather. The works are being done as part of the council's Better Moorings Project, which seeks to address a range of boat mooring-related issues. Several other sunken boats along the river have already been removed by the Canal and River Trust. The council has promised to try to minimize disruption, but sections of the towpath will be closed while the boats are removed. Relief over plans to remove abandoned boats Woman who 'married' Avon continues clean water calls Factory to be torn down to make way for riverside flats BANES
BBC News
15-03-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Work starts to remove sunken boats from River Avon
Work has begun to remove five sunken boats from the River Avon in and North East Somerset Council (BANES) said the submerged vessels near Pulteney Weir are dangerous to others and pose a pollution Tim Ball, cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said: "We have exhausted our attempts to work with the owners to arrange self-recovery, so as a last resort we will be carrying out the operation on their behalf."The work begins on Saturday and is expected to last approximately one week. "We're chasing the owners for recovery costs when we know who exactly owns the boats - but we only know one or two of them," Mr Ball council is hoping to recover the £72,600 costs of the removal once the work is completed."The sunken boats have been creating a hazard in the waterway and posing a risk to its ecology for a long time, however they are the property of the boat owners who are responsible for them," Mr Ball of the boats have been left for several years, and the logistics of such an operation present a challenge, the council said."Some of them are in difficult positions and whether we can actually pull them out on Wednesday and Thursday next week is largely dependent on the weather," Mr Ball said. The same project was attempted last year but was abandoned due to the works are being done as part of the council's Better Moorings Project, which seeks to address a range of boat mooring-related other sunken boats along the river have already been removed by the Canal and River council has promised to try to minimize disruption, but sections of the towpath will be closed while the boats are removed.
BBC News
14-03-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Study recommends new M4 to south coast corridor to avoid Bath
Lorries and other traffic heading to the south coast from the M4 should be routed through Wiltshire instead of Bath, according to a government study. Currently, the designated route from the M4 to the Dorset coast is via the A46 and A36, funnelling it across Cleveland Bridge and through a National Highways' study has recommended making the A350 in Wiltshire the designated route and North East Somerset Council (BANES) said it would make a "hugely positive impact" to traffic in the city. Wiltshire Council said it would need to secure investment but the finding was "a vital first positive step" towards improvements. To avoid Bath, the agency's M4 to Dorset Coast Study recommends traffic should follow the A350 via Chippenham, Melksham and Westbury and then join the A36 at already have to find alternative routes due to an 18-tonne weight limit on Cleveland Bridge in Bath, introduced in Rigby, BANES cabinet member for transport, said the authority was "delighted at this outcome"."No longer will Bath be seen as the preferred route for HGVs between the M4 and the south coast," she said."This will have a hugely positive impact on traffic flows long term in Bath and north east Somerset and air quality enhancements." Parvis Khansari, from Wiltshire Council, said it will mean highway improvements could be made at "several key points in the county" including Melksham, Westbury, Warminster and Salisbury."This corridor is not only essential for regional travel, but these strategic roads also provide vital links between many of our towns and villages here in Wiltshire and so improving them will benefit us all," he said."There is a long way to go before we can secure this investment and make these improvements a reality, but this is a vital first positive step in the right direction."
