An application to turn empty offices in the city centre into holiday lets has been approved by Bath & North East Somerset Council.
The property on George Street | Photo © Google Street View / Google 2025
The offices are on the first, second and third floors above Adventure Café at 5 Princes Buildings on George Street.
Listed building consent was sought alongside planning permission as there are proposed interior alterations.
In their assessment of the proposals, council planners noted that the upper floors of the Grade II listed building had been vacant since 2020, with very little interest from marketing.
Their report said: “Since Covid the office market in the UK has greatly diminished and within Bath there is virtually no requirements for circa 2,000sq ft of office accommodation spread over three floors. For this size of accommodation, the requirement is for circa 2,000sq ft to be on a single floor.”
They added: “Although the proposed holiday lets and ground floor café share access from the street, neither use would be compromised by this arrangement. It is understood that each hotel room entrance door will be provided with their own locking system. This means that even though the stairs are accessible, there is no access into the rooms without proper keys/codes.
“Security cameras monitor first to third floor communal zones. The ground-floor unit already has their own security in place, with the café and rear garden fully lockable and inaccessible at times the ground-floor venue is closed.”
The council had received just one response from the public to the proposals, which said: “There are other things it can be used for, but if it’s been vacant for a while you might as well! Just not too many stag and hen parties I hope!”
