A derelict building near the centre of Bath has been purchased in the hope of redeveloping the site into student accommodation.
Green Park House, a derelict former residential care home at a key gateway to the city centre, has been purchased by the Berkeley Group. The purchase also includes neighbouring Ernest Ireland House.
The site has an existing planning permission for a 190 bed hotel and office space, however no development based on this consent was brought forward by the previous owners of the site.
The Berkeley Group now wishes to bring about the redevelopment of the site, which currently sits boarded up, occupying a prominent position overlooking Green Park and the River Avon.
The developer will be submitting a new planning application to Bath and North East Somerset Council for purpose-built, managed student accommodation. The proposed design will follow the architectural principles established by the previous consent for the site.
Andrew Saunders-Davies of the Berkeley group said: “With the Council recently legislating to limit the number of student house-shares in neighbourhoods around the city, the provision of properly managed student accommodation is important in helping free up the city’s housing stock for families and first time buyers. The site is situated in an extremely suitable location for student housing.
“It lies close to key bus routes to both university campuses, and is a short walk from the City of Bath College. It is also well located for the city centre and nearby Kingsmead Leisure Complex.”
The Berkeley Group will be hosting a public exhibition of the proposals ahead of a planning application being submitted. This will take place on Monday 9th (4-7pm) and Tuesday 10th (3-7pm) of December, at Sally Ann’s Café in the Salvation Army’s Bath Citadel on Green Park Road.
Located close to key transport hubs, the accommodation will not have any car parking, with tenants being prevented from having cars under the terms of their contracts or applying for residents’ permits, policies that are already successfully enforced at other managed student blocks in the city. The development will also benefit from 24 hours on-site management ensuring the safety and security of students.
