Aequus Developments Ltd, which is owned by Bath & North East Somerset Council, has won planning permission to create five flats above two commercial properties in Milsom Street.
Five new flats will be created on Milsom Street | Image © Google Street View / Google 2023
Café Rouge is at No.15 Milsom Street and gift shop Vinegar Hill is at No. 16.
Access to the upper floors is via a separate entrance within No. 15 and at the first-floor level, three units will be created spanning both No. 15 and No. 16.
On the second and third floor, it is proposed to create a unit on each floor above No. 15 only. The second and third floors above No. 16 are already in residential use.
The application for the conversion work, including a request for listed building consent, was referred to the chair of the planning committee Councillor Ian Halsall as it was made by the council’s company.
He delegated the decision to planning officers, saying: “There are many positives to delivering five new hopefully affordable dwellings in such a sustainable location which will see the reuse of upper floors of the building and the retrofitting of a heritage asset to significantly improve the energy efficiency following the council-wide declaration of a climate emergency.”
Concerns had been raised about the potential for noise between the proposed flats and the existing flats above Jolly’s next door, with the properties separated by traditional party walls.
But in reaching their decision, the planning officers assessed that the proposal would not cause significant harm through loss of light, overshadowing, overbearing impact, loss of privacy, noise, smell, traffic or other disturbance.
