New plans have been drawn up to reclad a Twerton apartment block where chunks of stone have fallen off.
The Spring Wharf development in Bath | Image © Google Street View / Google 2025
The Mill at Spring Wharf in Roseberry Road was completed by Deeley Freed in May 2019, and there was a forward funding agreement with Legal & General (L&G) Property who took possession of the build-to-rent scheme.
But it was discovered that the stone cladding system was failing. The stone was delaminating in places and the adhesive used seemed to be failing as sections were falling off.
It was also understood that the stone product used had not been fully tested for use on a building with a steel frame structure, so was not fit for purpose.
L&G Property arranged for scaffolding to be erected and debris netting installed so that any falling stone would not hit pedestrians. A survey was also undertaken by a contractor to identify and safely remove loose pieces of stone.
Deeley Freed proposed a new stone cladding option be used to replace the failing product and that planning application was approved by the council in March 2023.
L&G Property were due to start the works but came across a number of concerns and ultimately it was identified that the product was also not suitable to be adhered to the steel frame structure without mechanical fixing, and the provider was unable to provide examples of it having been used successfully in similar circumstances.
With an alternative cladding solution “urgently required”, architects acting on behalf of L&G Property have now submitted a planning application to Bath & North East Somerset Council.
A mechanically fixed slate tile cladding has been chosen, which has a similar colouring and texture to the original stone.
The planning reference is 25/02263/FUL. The deadline for comments is 1st July.
