Plans submitted to convert struggling Bath hotel into two houses

Plans to convert a struggling hotel on the edge of Bath into two houses have been drawn up.

Bailbrook Lodge Hotel in Bath | Photo © Google Street View / Google 2025

The proposal is to reinstate the original pair of semi-detached houses at Lower Swainswick, which have been used as Bailbrook Lodge Hotel in recent years.

A planning application, and one seeking listed building consent, have been lodged with Bath & North East Somerset Council for the conversion of 35 and 37 London Road West.

A statement from the planning consultants involved says: “The hotel has been struggling for many years and offers only 15 potential rooms.

“It has direct competition from the large Bailbrook House Hotel immediately next door and is of course sited outside of the city, where many visitors arrive without cars, and make increasing use of the low-cost Airbnb type accommodation that is now most prevalent there, and the more centrally located hotels.”

The consultants say that reinstating the original two houses will involve only minor changes – reversing the knock-through, removing some ensuites and providing a new doorway to match the attached property.

Their report notes: “The new chapter of use is likely to be unnoticeable, other than there will be a removal of transient visitors, and reduced associated traffic, and the hotel signage will be removed.”

The premises are Grade II listed. It is proposed that existing parking facilities will be kept.

The planning reference is 25/02927/FUL, and the deadline for any comments is 29th August.