Friday, April 17th, 2026
Bath Uni to Build Hundreds of Flats | Bath Spa Uni Takes Government to Court | Builder Jailed | 5kg Cannabis Seized
🚁 A woman died Thursday during a visit to a Weston retirement home, reports the Bath Echo.
🏗️ Plans to build housing for more than 900 students at the University of Bath have been approved, with councillors divided over whether the development will ease pressure on the city’s housing or increase demand, writes Local Democracy Reporter John Wimperis in Somerset Live.
➡️ Wholly unrelated, but this brand new Uni of Bath study says MBA graduates of super elite US schools are significantly more likely to become top management and CEOs - but the benefits are not spread evenly among male, female and minority MBA grads.
⚖️ Bath Spa Uni is also in the news this week. It’s one of nine universities - only three have gone public - after starting legal action against the government, reports the BBC. Last week, the government sent letters to roughly 22,000 students in England saying they were given maintenance loans in error and must immediately pay them back.
👷🏼♂️ A Bath builder has been jailed after gambling away a portion of fees paid to build an extension, reports the Bath Echo.
🏊🏻♀️ Cleveland Pools may be easier to re-open after the collapse of its operating company, reports the Bath Echo.
🗳️ The public have backed North Somerset Council joining WECA, reports the BBC.
💦 A £300,000 fine for Wessex Water will help improve the ecosystem for regional water voles, reports the Somerset County Gazette.
🦠 An unconfirmed report (Thursday evening) in Jewish News says that Bath’s former mayor, Dr. Bharat Pankhania, has left his post as senior lecturer at the University of Exeter. ✡️ Bath’s Jewish community has reacted to the recent controversy, as told to the BBC.
📆 Stories from our hiatus last week:
🚨 A body found in the River Avon in January was identified, reports the Bath Echo.
☄️ Police warn of a rise in crimes involving catapults, reports the Bath Echo.
Weather
🌥️ Partly sunny forecast this week.
🚌 You have until May 10th to contribute to a public consultation on regional buses. Fill it out here.
City & Region
🚨 A man from Swindon who’s spent two decades in jail for his wife’s murder is to be released from prison despite never revealing where her remains are, reports the BBC.
👵🏼 St John’s Foundation says it has relocated to Queen’s Square to make space for more accommodation for over-65s who need financial help.
💷 Bath Building Society wants to increase gender parity in the organisation to 40%, reports the Bath Echo. Started in 1904, it’s one of 42 UK banks effectively owned by its customers.
🔋 A Somerset gigafactory which is to receive public funding worth £380 million without any consultation, will build batteries for expensive Land Rovers, according to this piece by European Powell on Substack. Part paywalled.
🎨 Radstock paint spraying units destroyed by fire could be rebuilt, reports the BBC.
🏠 A former care home in Newbridge seeks permission to be converted into multiple flats for RUH staff, reports the Bath Echo.
🏨 An old hotel on Lansdown Road, the Belvedere Inn, seeks planning permission to convert into a house, reports the Bath Echo.
🏞️ Campaigners want the Somerset Levels to become the UK’s 16th national park, reports the BBC.
Crime
🚌 Two teenagers were arrested after most bus windows at a depot were smashed, reports the BBC.
🤕 A Bath motorcyclist has been sentenced to a community order after causing catastrophic injuries when he hit a elderly pedestrian, reports the Bath Echo.
🚨 A Bath man has appeared in court after stabbing another person with a knife, reports the Bath Echo.
🌿 A man from Corston has admitted possessing nearly 5kg of cannabis with intent to supply after being caught in Bath city centre, reports the Bath Echo.
🚔 A warrant without bail has been issued for a Bath woman who failed to appear in court for sentencing after admitting causing serious injury while driving disqualified, reports the Bath Echo.
Transport
🚧 Get set for a summer of disruption as road and rail links undergo major works:
🚝 Network Rail is urging passengers to plan ahead as work begins on the Box tunnel and the Grade II listed Sydney Gardens footbridge in late April:
🚍 Buses will replace trains between Bath Spa and Chippenham or Westbury on 25–26 April and 2–4 May.
Rail tickets will be accepted on First Bus services between Bath and Trowbridge or Frome.
Trains between London Paddington and Bath Spa will run via an alternative route between Swindon and Bristol Temple Meads and will not stop at Chippenham.
⛔️ Meanwhile, £5m worth of road resurfacing works have begun across Bath, reports the Bath Echo, but it is at least lower-carbon in nature.
🛣️ A major six-month road closure is to begin on Manvers Street from 26th May, as the Council carries out essential reconstruction work, with bus diversions and disruption expected, reports the Bath Echo.
🚶🏽♀️The council says it will install continuous crossings on Chelsea Road after public consultation. Scroll down on the link above to see what a ‘continuous crossing’ looks like.
↪️ You can subscribe to official updates here.
Sweet stuff 🍯
🦋 A rare butterfly species has been spotted in Somerset after volunteers planted hundreds of elm trees, offering a small but hopeful boost for wildlife conservation, reports the BBC.
🐯 The story of a global face-paint empire that began in Somerset is to debut on a New York stage, reports the BBC.
👥 The BBC reports on the Bath man who started an organisation to help lonely young people connect.
🔌 The next time you check social media, your signal is probably travelling along one helluva long cable connecting Somerset to New York. Read all about it in this BBC piece.
🎩 Top posts from the last Bee:
❤️ Joe Hector’s debut journalism about a dismantled play park at Snow Hill got the most likes, shares and comments we’ve ever had! If you missed it, read it here.
🟡 A detailed account of the resignation of Bath’s Mayor.
💉 A suspected drug den in Abbey Green faced a pivotal hearing.
🎪 The latest Nearfield magazine is packed with features relevant to Bath including WOMAD, which returns to Corsham...
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