what’s the problem with
locksbrook road?
Bath needs a modern, efficient recycling centre. But BANES ‘s plan for a downgraded, flood-prone site at Locksbrook Road is a disaster waiting to happen.
It’s a waste of taxpayers' money, a betrayal of our promises, and a threat to Bath’s businesses & environment.
FLOOD RISK
It’s being built on a flood plain. The council’s own planning policies say that developments should avoid high-risk flood areas.
The Locksbrook site sits in Flood Zone 3b, the highest risk, meaning it should never have been considered.
wasting our money
This project has already cost £500,000 in public money – with a total budget of £840,000. BANES is spending nearly £1 million on a site that was never the right choice.
This is public money, and we deserve to know why it’s being wasted.
Traffic nightmare
BANES declared a climate emergency in 2018. So why are they pushing a plan that increases car journeys and emissions? The Locksbrook site is too small, meaning long queues, congestion, and more pollution.
Residents will have to drive further to dispose of waste that’s no longer accepted at Locksbrook. And increased traffic in a residential area will worsen air pollution, which already breaches limits in parts of Bath.
business backlash
Local businesses and employers are united against the plan, with 19 of them, including Bath Spa University and Horstmann Group, uniting to urge BANES to reconsider.
Together, they contribute hundreds of millions of pounds to Bath’s economy and support thousands of jobs.
LESS RECYCLING THAN EVER BEFORE
BANES promised a "like-for-like" replacement for the existing Midland Road recycling centre.
That was a lie. The current Midland Road site handles 7,500 tonnes per year. The new site at Locksbrook? Just 6,000 tonnes. That’s a 1,500-tonne reduction—a 20% drop in Bath’s recycling capacity.
Less capacity. Less recycling. More waste.
This means Bath residents will no longer be able to recycle common household items at Locksbrook. The new site will only accept 9 types of waste, down from 31 at Midland Road.
Instead of improving recycling, BANES is forcing residents to drive miles out of Bath to Pixash Lane just to recycle the same materials.
This is not a ‘like-for-like’ replacement. It’s a downgrade.