This isn't a Bathwick planning issue, but I know that at least two of us at the bottom of Bathwick Hill go to meetings in the Friends Meeting House, and others of you may have used it in the past for yoga, dance, public meetings or voluntary organisations work. There is an application for change of use to a top-end restaurant, which will be heard NEXT WEDNESDAY (21st Jan). Please try to help us keep it as a resource for the Bath community.

A few years ago a decision was taken to sell the building, with the intention that a local museum might buy it. But instead it got into the commercial development quagmire and has had no investment for several years as a result.

Meanwhile, the plans by the Quakers to move to another building have also come to naught and there is a lot of enthusiasm for keeping the building and reviving it as a centre for community events, public meetings, art exhibitions and so forth. It is ideally suited to dance groups, and could be a lovely central venue for the Bath Festivals. Members of Bath Quakers are actively planning for this alternative future, but because Quakers have exceptionally high business ethics, they won't withdraw from the negotiations without giving the developers a last chance to see their project through.

So there is (yet ANOTHER) planning application for a change of use to a top-end restaurant that will be decided NEXT WEDNESDAY. Raymond Blanc was interested but I understand that that has fallen through. There seems no good reason to change the use of this building, when Bath doesn't need another swanky restaurant (especially an empty one waiting for a buyer) but it could really benefit from a venue for peace, sustainability, community, arts and volunteer groups. It would be good if the council could bring this long-drawn-out development saga to an end by refusing the application.

The planning committee meets on 21st January - that's NEXT WEDNESDAY. But you can still comment on the planning application if you do it right now. You can say that you'd prefer the Meeting House to remain as a resource for the people of Bath and a beacon for peace and community activities, as well as a place for regular silent worship.
The address for commenting on the application is
http://planning.bathnes.gov.uk/PublicAccess/tdc/DcApplication/applicatio...
If you click on 'Associated Documents', you can see the other objections that have been made, to give you some ideas.

You can learn more about the Meeting House at http://www.bathquakermeeting.org.uk/building.php