Members of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s planning committee have been “disappointed” after a new block of flats in Bath was narrowly approved.
A view of the proposed development coming down Wells Road | Image © Kosy Living
Kosy Living’s plans to build a block of 77 “co-living” flats off the bottom of Wells Road went before the committee on Wednesday 28th August, where Chair Ian Halsall (Oldfield Park, Liberal Democrat) used his casting vote to approve the development.
Deborah Collins (Widcombe and Lyncombe, Liberal Democrat) is a member of the planning committee but stood down from the committee to object to the application.
She is also the local councillor for the area where the flats would be built, along with Alison Born, who is also a Liberal Democrat.
Councillor Collins said: “I am very disappointed that the committee approved this application.
“This huge block isn’t appropriate on this site. Councillor Born and I worked hard on behalf of our local residents to oppose this and I am very sad we failed to persuade the committee.”
The vice-chair of the committee, Lucy Hodge (Lansdown, Liberal Democrat) also said she was “disappointed” with how the vote had gone.
She said: “The building is far too bulky for its prominent location but more fundamentally, it’s not the building we need when land is scarce. Small studios, fold-down beds and communal dining – who is this really for?
“Our city is woefully short of affordable housing for its working population and this is just another development failing to address that need.”
The 77 “co-living” flats are not traditional flats, but involve shared kitchen-dining rooms and facilities such as a gym, rooftop terrace, and a ground-floor co-working space all covered by one rent payment.
Each of the studio apartments would have a fold-down bed, a moveable sofa, and kitchenette in one room, and a bathroom.
Explaining the concept at the planning committee meeting, Kosy Living CEO Paul Brundell told councillors: “Co-living is not student accommodation. It is aimed at young professionals and this will encourage young talent to remain or come into the city to help in its future economic growth and create employment.
“It will serve a hugely underserved and underrepresented group, providing them with a high quality communal environment, with space to live, socialise, and work.”
Mr Brundell said that although the co-living building was “not suitable” to include affordable housing, the developer was making a £1.1 million contribution for affordable housing in the city.
Original plans to build a block of 96 flats on the site were withdrawn and redesigned with the design review panel to better fit the city. Mr Brundell added that there had previously been a building of similar height on the site which was demolished in the 1960s.
Planning committee member Shaun Hughes (Midsomer Norton North, Independent) warned during the committee debate that there could be a “cumulative impact” on the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
He said: “On its own, I’m not sure how much impact it will have but … we are sailing close to the wind with UNESCO.”
Granting planning permission was recommended by the council’s planning officers, who said: “It is considered that heritage and landscape harm is outweighed by benefits in this instance.”
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter
