With its distinctive green roof, the Gateway Centre at Snow Hill is a well-known city landmark.
The Gateway Centre at Snow Hill in Bath | Image © Google Street View / Google 2025
Run by Bath charity the Genesis Trust, the centre was originally constructed as a church hall as part of the Snow Hill development more than 60 years ago and is surrounded on three sides by apartment blocks.
The trust offers practical help to people who are homeless and vulnerable, as well as long-term guidance and opportunities through interlinked projects to help people rebuild their lives.
It supports local people through Life Projects, Bath Foodbank and online charity shop Genesis Furniture.
But the building it’s based in still has original features, many of which are now approaching the end of their serviceable life.
This includes replacing the copper standing seam roof to provide additional insulation within the loft space and improve the centre’s thermal performance.
Over the past decade, the traditional standing seam copper roofs on the neighbouring apartment blocks have all been replaced with a graphite-grey zinc standing seam roofing to prolong their life.
Due to visibility across the city, it was felt that the replacement dark grey roofing would be more in keeping with the Bath Conservation Area and World Heritage Site.
Now the time has come to replace the Gateway Centre’s roof and make other changes, the planning application lodged with Bath & North East Somerset Council notes that its design and copper roof can be considered important in defining its status as a local landmark – “a community building whose work with vulnerable and marginalised people makes an important cultural contribution to Bath”.
The planning application says the ideal solution would be to replace the existing copper standing seam like for like but due to the high material cost of copper, that is unaffordable.
Instead, it is proposed to replace the existing copper roof covering with an alternative coated metal which will match the appearance and detailing of the aged copper as closely as possible and ensure the roof will be weathertight for the next generation.
The planning application also includes replacing windows and doors. Most of the old metal windows are single-glazed and have very poor thermal and acoustic insulation, especially being close to London Road.
Also planned are improvements to the layout of the building to help improve access for wheelchair users.
An accessible ramp will be installed following the removal of steps and at lower ground level, the WC and laundry area will be converted for use as an accessible WC.
At upper ground floor level, it is proposed to enlarge the existing accessible WC to accommodate an accessible shower.
The planning reference is 25/01237/FUL. The deadline for comments is 11th May.
