Future development
In 2007, plans got underway for several major building projects. In 2011 some of those works are substantially complete with a brand new shopping centre near the railway station recently opened.
The Western Riverside development has plans for thousands of new houses and flats, some in large for the town buildings of up to nine storeys. Local shops and amenities will also be constructed. In 2007, the International Council on Monuments and Sites ICOMOS, which monitors World Heritage Sites on behalf of the UN body Unesco, reiterated its concerns about building developments in Bath and warned that these could put the City's World Heritage Status in jeopardy.
History
Bath is the oldest of Englandâs principal tourist destinations and has been welcoming visitors for centuries. The three hot springs within the city were sacred to the Celtic goddess Sulis, whom the Romans later identified with the goddess Minerva. Bath first achieved its status as a sacred spa site with the growth of the Roman settlement Aquae Sulis around the thermal springs. The Roman period saw a vast complex of baths constructed - the remains of these were re-discovered in the 18th century and helped fuel Bath's modern revival as a luxury resort.
Bath was a prosperous city in the Medieval period, the site of an Abbey and Cathedral under the Bishop of Bath and Wells. The Reformation under Henry VIII saw some uncertainty emerge in Bath's future, although the reign of Elizabeth I saw the first revival of the town as a spa resort. It was during the Georgian period, however, that Bath came once again into its own. Exceedingly fashionable, Bath was laid out in stately avenues, streets and crescents, encrusted with Neo-Classical public buildings.
Bath suffered a significant amount of damage during air raids in World War II. The prestigious crescents and terraces were relatively unscathed and restored where necessary, but some of the more minor Georgian and Victorian streets were demolished both after the war and during a later ill-conceived phase of development known now as the "Sack Of Bath". Consequently some modern buildings pop up in unexpected places, and the locals are generally very opposed to any major building developments that are put forward. In 2011 some of those works are substantially complete with a brand new shopping centre near the railway station recently opened. Nevertheless, Bath is still an incredibly beautiful city with a smorgasbord of attractions,and the entire city is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.