Bath Rugby has announced that the club has submitted plans for a new state-of-the-art stadium. The scheme would see the expansion of an 18,000 capacity stadium at The Rec, the club's historic home since 1894, from the current capacity of 14,509

The amended application reflects valuable feedback from the public, key stakeholders, and Bath & North East Somerset Council (B&NES), addressing technical points identified since the initial submission last year, the Rugby club said. While the amended plans have been submitted to the council, they will not be publicly available on the B&NES Council planning portal until the New Year

But in a statement on their website, Bath Rugby, who are top of the Premiership, said that the resubmitted plans still retain all the key benefits included in the original application from 2023. They added though that the new stadium design boasts significant improvements.

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They include lowering the heights of the West and East Stands, enhancements they say are not just aesthetic but also aim to elevate the matchday experience while preserving the unique character of the surrounding area.

Tarquin McDonald, Chief Executive of Bath Rugby, said: "This submission is another important milestone for the club and the city. We’ve listened closely to the community and our stakeholders, as well as the numerous statutory consultees that are invited to comment on planning applications, and we are committed to delivering a stadium that not only meets the needs of our fans but also respects the rich heritage of Bath.

"The amended submission showcases an exciting vision for the future, with significant public benefits that will positively contribute to the entire community. We now look forward to the Council bringing the proposals to a planning committee in the New Year."

In the statement, Bath said that the key benefits of the new stadium design include:

• A new curved roof form which reduces the heights, resulting in increased views of the city and surrounding hills

• Enhanced landscaping to the river

• Redesign of East and West Stand facades

• Re-engineered and enhanced seating bowl

They added that the resubmitted plans still retain all the key benefits included in the original application from 2023:

• 18,000 capacity stadium with significantly enhanced accessibility provisions

• Contemporary and sensitive design

• Significantly increased community use with new stadium facilities

• Regenerated riverside including the new Spring Gardens Walk

• Retention of mature trees, as well as further landscaping and bio-diversity measures

• A host of sustainability measures to support a target of net zero operational carbon

• Riverside café/restaurant, club shop and museum for non-matchday use

The amended plans which have been submitted will be publicly available on the B&NES Council planning portal in the New Year. The club will confirm once the amendments have gone live so members of the public can comment on the plans, they said.

Part of the club's current stadium on the recreation ground includes a temporary stand which costs the club about a million pounds a year to assemble and disassemble, with floodlights having to be brought in for each game – although planners this summer approved a bid to keep the temporary stand up as due to the club's final match taking place on 1 June, there would have only been nine to 10 weeks before it needed to be rebuilt for the new season - and three weeks of that on each end would be spent taking it down and putting it back up.

Initial plans for a purpose-built stadium with an underground car park were unveiled in July 2018 and included regeneration of the riverside area. Historical covenants dating back 100 years at the site had led to legal challenges against the development, but the Supreme Court in 2022 ruled these would be no barrier to the work.

Plans were initially submitted to the council in 2023. Following feedback on those plans, a resubmission of the scheme has now taken place. Bath said that the redevelopment will be done in stages that will allow them to continue playing at the Rec during the building process, with as much of the construction on the stands done during the off-season to limit the impact on their overall capacity, and built stand-by-stand.

The Premiership club's current facilities date back to the 1950s. And the club said there will be better concourses for circulation and more toilets (with hot water), more and improved food and beverage facilities; plus, conferencing and banqueting facilities in the West stand. The stadium will also include offices and class rooms for the Bath Rugby Foundation.

They added: “Riverside regeneration is one of the clear benefits the redevelopment will deliver. Additional space along the riverside will be created by moving the Stadium further into The Rec and removing the existing clubhouse; improved biodiverse planting, seating and lighting in this area will also be of benefit to the general public and the animal populations around the river.”

Bath & North East Somerset Council will determine the fate of the application at a later date. The club said that they hoped planning permission could be determined in the New Year.