Plans to build six houses on land at Lambridge in Bath have been unveiled.
The site for the proposed housing
The planning application for land at Hicks Field, between 92 and 106 London Road West, has been submitted to Bath & North East Somerset Council by Foxhills Group Ltd.
The site, which is not within the Green Belt, is described as having a “fair to steep gradient”.
Bailbrook House Hotel is directly to the north and to the south is Avon Rugby Football Club and the River Avon.
Access to the site is shown as being from a private road which in turn is accessed from London Road West.
The private road already provides access to the club and the recent development of six houses also known as Hicks Field, which is on the site of a former nursery.
The planning application says “considerations such as flood risk, thermal performance, ecology, arboriculture, and highways logistics have been meticulously integrated” into the design of the proposed development.
All six homes are shown as detached with four bedrooms and two housing types are proposed.
There would be a total of 12 car parking spaces. The application says this “overprovision” will ensure the risk of overspill from parking onto local roads is minimised and does not create any safety concerns.
The plans also show four cycle spaces per house.
The site is located between 92 and 106 London Road West
The scheme involves the removal of a “substantial” number of trees and shrubs including several large sycamores on the steep embankment along the northern boundary.
However, most of the trees on the boundaries are to be retained with additional tree and scrub planting to improve screening.
An area of wildflower meadow will be provided as well as an area of native species woodland mix.
Independent reports submitted as part of the application conclude that suitable mitigation measures can be incorporated to avoid or mitigate any potential ecological impacts and to demonstrate no biodiversity net loss, although it is understood that off-site mitigation will need to be secured to overcome the current deficit.
By law, a minimum 10% gain in biodiversity is a condition of planning although this is not always possible to provide on the site.
The planning application says that initial site clearance will be supervised by an expert to minimise the risk of injury to priority species such as hedgehogs.
The dangerous plant Giant Hogweed is present on the site and a programme of careful control and eventual eradication is planned.
The planning reference is 24/02712/FUL and the deadline for comments is 30th August.
