Gold award for Roman Baths

Gold award for Council-run Roman Baths
September 2010

 

Access improvements for disabled people made by Bath & North East Somerset Council at the Roman Baths have won a Gold Award by Able Radio, the online radio station for the special needs community, for what it described as “phenomenal work you have done to make the site more accessible for all.”

 

The news was broken to Stephen Clews, manager of the Bath & North East Somerset Council run Roman Baths, at the end of an online radio interview with Able Radio’s Sally Mitchell. Sally had recently led a team of assessors with special needs to review a range of improvements at the Roman Baths.

 

Stephen said, “To be recognized for our extensive work on improving accessibility at our facilities in this way is very rewarding. Able Radio had carried out a thorough investigation into the services we provide and the recent improvements we have made.”

 

Councillor Terry Gazzard, Cabinet Member with responsibility for tourism and culture, said, “Significant investment by Bath & North East Somerset Council has made the Roman Baths more accessible so that an even greater number of people are able to enjoy the rich history of this wonderful city. Our overall £5.4 million redevelopment project puts the Council in a stronger position to attract even more visitors to the city which will benefit local taxpayers and local traders.”

 

Some of the initiatives to make the Roman Baths more accessible are:

 

·         Installation of two new lifts;

·         Complete revision of the public route through the site;

·         Introduction of a British Sign Language tour presented by veteran BBC See Hear presenter Clive Mason to give people with hearing impairment an accessible alternative to the audio tour;

·         People using wheelchairs can now gain access to more than 60% of the site, parts of which are 15 feet below modern ground level. This is a considerable achievement when working within the constraints imposed by a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade 1 listed building.

 

The 5 year Roman Baths development plan was designed to increase visitor numbers and boost revenue which benefits local taxpayers across the area. The Council’s Heritage Services make a surplus of over £3m each year which is reinvested in other frontline Council services such as street cleaning, libraries and waste services.