That £20 million Pride of Place government grant awarded to the Twerton and Whiteway ward in Bath will be the focus of much local activity in the New Year.
Pride in Place funding aims to help communities make long-term improvements that residents want through community-led Neighbourhood Boards.
Government guidance says the boards must be made up of local people, who will decide how to invest the funding, supported by their local councils and their local MP.
With support from Bath & North East Somerset Council, which will receive the funding and be the accountable body to begin with, an initial timeline to get a board in place has been agreed.
In the New Year, people in the Twerton and Whiteway Ward will be able to formally share their views on the boundary for the area, the name of the scheme and what improvements they want the board to prioritise.
The application process for the board and its independent chair will also get underway.
Anyone who is ‘from’, living or working in the Twerton and Whiteway Ward, holds a prominent role in the community, or has a passion for the place, will be eligible to submit an application for the chair or board when the application process opens.
Under the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) guidance, boards should have at least eight members, with the majority (51%) living or working within the area. The local MP and at least one ward councillor will also sit on the board.
Councillor Kevin Guy, leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: “We end the year with much to look forward to in 2026, not least this unique opportunity for residents to fundamentally do something brilliant for the Twerton and Whiteway Ward over the next decade.
“Since the Government announcement about Pride in Place in the autumn, the community supported by the council have got the ball rolling and in line with MHCLG guidance, we are all now in a position to take significant steps forward in the New Year.”
- Currently, the Twerton and Whiteway Ward Pride in Place scheme has an indicative or ‘default’ boundary, but it can be amended in line with guidance set by the MHCLG.
- The programme is designed to be community-led from the outset, with an expectation that it will transition to a social enterprise model by year three.
- Once appointed, the Board will prepare a Pride in Place Plan to be submitted to MHCLG by 28th November 2026.
