A new planning application to redevelop the old Homebase site at Pines Way in Bath has been submitted to the council.
How the new development could look | Image © Haze / JTP / Bradley Murphy Design / Pines Way (Bath) LLP
The proposals are for 275 homes in a mix of one to three-bed units, 180 shared living units and flexible retail and/or office space.
The proposed buildings will be up to six storeys high.
Parking for just over 50 cars is proposed, along with more than 700 cycle spaces.
At the start of this year, developer HUB and Bridges Fund Management announced they had acquired the vacant 4.5-acre brownfield site for £18.5 million and planned to transform it as the final piece in the wider regeneration of the Bath Western Riverside enterprise area, with build-to-rent and affordable homes.
They held a public consultation and say community feedback has been incorporated into the evolving design.
The main access into the site is via a priority junction on Stothert Avenue, off the Pines Way Gyratory.
The old Homebase unit, which closed in 2020, was equivalent to two residential storeys in height and had 270 car parking spaces.
A CGI image of Pines Works | Image © Haze / JTP / Bradley Murphy Design / Pines Way (Bath) LLP
At the end of 2020 plans for a waterside retirement village on the site, with up to 288 flats and care facilities, were rejected by Bath & North East Somerset Council because of the proposed buildings’ six-storey height, aluminium-clad design and impact on the World Heritage Site.
But following an appeal in June 2021, the refusal was overturned by a planning inspector. Demolition of the Homebase site took place in early 2023. However, the redevelopment never happened.
Under the latest proposals, lodged by Pines Way (Bath) LLP, the build-to-rent homes would be owned by a single company with on-site property management.
Under such an arrangement, tenants are provided with a range of services and facilities that might not be available in traditional rental properties, such as gyms, shared lounges and dedicated communal, maintained gardens.
The former Homebase site in Bath | Image © Craig Auckland / Fotohaus
The application explains that shared living is emerging as an alternative approach to delivering high-quality rental accommodation in accessible locations.
It says: “The proposed shared living accommodation is professionally managed with a focus on creating a residential community where everyone has their own independent studio style home (with kitchenettes) designed and furnished for one to two people, as well as an extensive range of communal spaces for dining, leisure, exercise, wellbeing and socialising.
“A reception is proposed with a concierge service and management team available on-site full time, who also provide additional services including cleaning, linen changes and event schedules.”
A total of 51 car parking spaces, all able to accommodate ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) will be provided on-site, including 14 disabled spaces, plus one car club space.
A total of 704 cycle parking spaces are proposed and there will be a mobility hub for e-scooter and e-bike hire.
The proposed development will also provide 1,126sqm flexible retail and/or office floorspace.
The redevelopment aims to deliver over 29% biodiversity net gain (BNG), more than twice the mandatory requirement.
The application says that the “consistent positive feedback” during the consultation stage earlier this year reflected strong community support for the development.
It says: “The project team actively incorporated community feedback into the evolving design.
“Key adjustments included introducing new routes across the site, committing to affordable housing, enhancing green spaces with native planting, creating outdoor community areas, integrating the site’s industrial heritage into the design, and balancing building heights.
“Commercial spaces were developed to allow for flexible uses, and efforts were made to minimise light pollution and encourage sustainable transport.”
Despite overall support, the developers acknowledge that some concerns persist, including diverging opinions on parking provision, apprehensions about building heights and density, and ensuring new architecture complements Bath’s traditional aesthetic without negative impact.
They say: “Open communication will be maintained, providing updates and opportunities for further input.
“The team will continue to explore solutions to remaining issues, aiming to balance planning requirements with community preferences.”
Victoria Manston, Development Director at HUB, said: “Pines Way is a fundamental component of Bath Western Riverside’s wider regeneration. The scheme has the opportunity to transform a vacant brownfield site into a thriving new neighbourhood – delivering new commercial space alongside high quality homes for the city’s growing community of workers.
“Bath is hailed globally for its historic design; we have worked alongside Bath & North East Somerset Council, local stakeholders, and heritage advisors to ensure the project complements the area’s UNESCO World Heritage status.
“We have seen firsthand how the Build to Rent and shared living models catalyse regeneration; we are confident this scheme will enrich this historic city whilst addressing the region’s recently doubled housing delivery target.”
Adam Amijee, Investment Manager at Bridges Fund Management, said: “Our proposed transformation of this derelict site on Pines Way will provide much-needed high-quality new homes for Bath’s growing population, while also helping to revitalise this attractive riverside area. From our experience of building thousands of new homes across the UK, we understand how to create developments that meet local needs while also minimising environmental impact, through reduced embodied and operational carbon emissions. We believe this development can be a real asset to the city and the local community.”
Nigel Bidwell, Partner at JTP, added: “It’s a privilege to design in Bath and the Pines Way proposal seeks to balance the sensitivities of this special city with the exciting and important opportunity of contributing to its newest quarter at Bath Western Riverside.
“The design strives to form connections; in providing new greened routes to the city centre but also in its architecture, drawing from the industrial heritage of the site and its river valley setting and this has been further enriched through an engaging and rewarding process with local people.
“Bath’s need for housing is increasingly falling into focus and JTP has been delighted to work with the team at HUB and Bridges Fund Management to bring forward this important scheme for the city.”
The deadline for comments is 21st November. The planning reference is 24/03831/FUL.
