Heritage
The Bath Grounds get their name from theCricket
The Bath Grounds is home to Ashby Hastings Cricket Club. It is also historically known for hosting Leicestershire County Cricket Club.Other uses
The Bath Grounds is also used for other sports such as hockey and bowls, as well as local events including the starting point of the Ashby 20 Road Race, the annual tribute band Fake Festival and other local festivals.Controversies
The Bath Grounds has recently been at the centre of a controversial development dispute, in which it was proposed by Oaklands Hotels Ltd - owners of the grounds and adjacent Royal Hotel - that five houses be built on the grounds, covering around a fifth of the available green space. The proposals were met with fierce local opposition, including petitions, objection letters, local media coverage and the formation of a "Friends of Ashby Bath Grounds" community group with a Facebook page and website. In the face of this opposition and objections from Sport England, English Heritage, the Environment Agency and Ashby Town Council, the proposal to build houses was withdrawn during August 2014. However the owner still plans to extend the Royal Hotel including two new buildings that many local residents and the Town Council feel are unsightly and out of keeping with the Grade II* listed building.Ownership
As mentioned above, the Bath Grounds and Royal Hotel are owned by Oakland Hotels Ltd. This company, whose sole directors are Simon Dawson, a local property developer, and a Klaus Bach, purchased them from Allied Sanif in 2011. Until 1999 they were owned by Bass Hotels. For many years the Bath Grounds have been leased by the hotel owners to Ashby Town Council to operate as a public park for the community. Each lease has been subject to a right of renewal. The Town Council sub leases areas of the grounds to Ashby Hastings Cricket Club and to Ashby Bowls Club for their pavilions and pitches. The current Town Council lease expires on 21 June 2023 and contains a renewal clause for a further 28 years.Friends of Ashby Bath Grounds
The Friends of Ashby Bath Grounds are concerned that whilst the Bath Grounds remain in private ownership, there is always a danger of further attempts to build on them. Their campaign will now turn to working with the Town and District Councils to ensure that the Bath Grounds are properly protected in the new Neighbourhood and Local Plans and ideally to achieve community ownership of the grounds. The Friends are also working with the Town Council to improve the Bath Grounds for community use and will shortly be presenting detailed suggestions for a well constructed path for pedestrians and wheelchair users between the South Street and Prior Park Road entrances. Details of this Project, including a public consultation questionnaire, can be found on their website (see below).http://bathgroundsfriends.webs.com/External links
References
{{Authority control Cricket grounds in Leicestershire Ashby-de-la-Zouch