Friday, June 5th, 2026
Boaters Fight To Keep River Moorings | RUH Lacks 24-hour Air Ambulance Access | Major Hollywood Star Visits
⚓️ Boaters moored near Pulteney Weir say the spot has been home for years and have vowed to fight a Council directive for them to leave by September, writes Local Democracy Reporter John Wimperis in Somerset Live.
🏘️ Residents in Odd Down say they object to a second planning application for developing the South Stoke Plateau, despite developers cutting back the total number of houses proposed from 290 to 200, writes John Wimperis on Somerset Live.
🔎 30 years after her disappearance, police are launching a #JusticeforMelanie campaign to help solve the murder of 25-year-old Melanie Hall in Bath.
🚁 The RUH lacks 24-hour life-saving air ambulance access despite it requiring not much more than a lit rooftop, reports BBC News.
🅿️ The council wants to hear your views on plans to make residents’ parking permits more expensive for larger vehicles and discounted for smaller vehicles, reports the Local Democracy Reporter in the Bath Echo.
⬆️ Bath’s plush Land Rovers would incur an additional £41.20 for a first car permit and £144.20 for a second. Or here’s the Mirror’s take.
⬇️ Meanwhile, a Fiat Punto would get a £10 discount. See the full breakdown of proposed changes here. And add your voice to the consultation here (5 minute survey).
🏉 Former Bath rugby captain Roger Spurrell has died at the age of 71, reports BBC News. Born on May 19, 1955, Spurrell made his debut for Bath in 1979.
✈️ Bristol Airport - which plans to expand to 15 million passengers annually making it the nation’s eighth busiest airport - has been accused of ignoring opinion outside North Somerset - from villages that lie closer to Bath, writes John Wimperis Local Democracy Reporter on Somerset Live.
🏚️ Councils have new powers to crack down on landlords under Renter’s Rights laws, but no new funding to pursue it, writes John Wimperis Local Democracy Reporter on Somerset Live.
Weather
☁️ Is summer over? This weekend’s forecast is meh.
🌳 The Festival of Nature - incredible outdoor events across Bath and Bristol
📆 June 6-14th
🪺 Identify urban birds with the RSPB
🌼 Spend an evening with wildflowers
✍🏻 Write poetry or photograph in nature
🎟️ Full programme of Bath events here.
👧🏽 Cbeebies author Laura Henry-Allain MBE, creator of JoJo and Gran Gran, reads from her new picture book: Maya & Marley and the New Friend
📆 Saturday, June 13th ⏰ 10:30 AM - 1 PM
📍 Norland College, Oldfield Park
🎟️ Reserve a free spot here.
🏳️🌈 The month-long Queer Bath Festival runs through June
📆 Event listings and information here.
⛺️ Bath Refugee Week
📅 13-20 June
🎟️ Book your spot for the main festival at Fairfield House, June 20th here
🧕🏽 Read our profile of the Festival’s founder here. (No paywall)
City & Region
🛍️ Bath is losing two more independent businesses: The Great Wine Company, is closing after 40 years, reports the Bath Echo. And Silcox Coffee just off Kingsmead Square announced its closure.
🏘️ The council is being challenged for refusing permission to let an Odd Down property become an HMO including a demand for compensation, reports the Bath Echo.
🧱 A Bath building firm that abandoned works on a house near Frome has ignored a court order to pay the owners £33,000, reports the Bath Echo.
🔔 Families who have experienced the loss of a baby are being invited to a special remembrance service in Bath later this month, reports the Bath Echo. The event will take place at Haycombe Cemetery on Saturday 13th June.
Crime
🚨 A 26-year-old man from Bath has admitted possessing extreme animal porn and three charges of making indecent images of children, reports the Bath Echo.
⚖️ A serial shoplifter from Bath has been charged with 17 offences and will appear for sentencing later this month, reports the Bath Echo.
💊 A man recovering from addiction has been giving an 18-month driving ban, reports the Bath Echo.
Transport
🩼 Nine Blue Badge parking permits have been seized as the council cracks down on their misuse, reports the Bath Echo.
🚝 Trains between Bath and Westbury are affected after a vehicle hit a bridge near Bath, reports Somerset Live.
Sweet stuff 🍯
🥢 Not only did Kiefer Sutherland, who’s on tour with his band, say we are his favourite city… he also gave a big shout out to a local restaurant, where he is apparently a regular, reports Somerset Live.
🎬 Scenes for the new Masters of the Universe film, starring Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes and Idris Elba, were shot at Wells Cathedral and Wookey Hole Caves, reports BBC News.
🍉 Independent magazine Nearfield has several original articles in its latest issue, including:
🌳 A piece on the Forest of Imagination, page 13
🐧 An interview with Aardman co-founder David Sproxton as the animation house turns 50, page 43
🥁 A piece about Bristol’s diehard drum n’ bass scene by the Bee’s very own protegee @Beth Burton, page 49 🤩
👰♀️ And the intriguing story of the UK’s first ‘river bride,’ Meg Avon, page 81
🎩 Top posts from last week’s Bee:
🔍 Bath’s former Mayor faces a fresh investigation.
⚓️ Houseboats opposite Parade Gardens ordered to leave or face legal action.
👮🏼♂️ Police escalate action against anti-social behaviour at Snow Hill.
Hi Anu, My brother helped work on the ‘Justice for Melanie’ campaign which the Avon and Somerset Police launched last week in Bath. There is a YouTube video trying to jog people’s memories: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zCRSIw6N_mE&pp=ygUTSnVzdGljZSBmb3IgbWVsYW5pZQ%3D%3D&ra=m