Plans to build another 76 homes on former Ministry of Defence site in Bath are approved

The latest proposals to redevelop a former Ministry of Defence site in Bath have been approved despite fears for the World Heritage Site.Curo now has planning permission for the next phase of its Mulberry Park scheme in Foxhill, which will deliver another 76 properties and 500 sqm of commercial space.The housing association secured outline approval in March 2015 for up to 700 homes and a new 210-space primary school and construction work is already underway.Bath and North East Somerset Council approved the latest proposals despite opposition from local and international agencies.The Bath Preservation Trust objected on the grounds that the development would introduce a “hard urban edge to the skyline” and harm Bath’s World Heritage Site.UNESCO, which designated the World Heritage Site status, worried that the scheme would set a precedent for development, while the National Trust was concerned about light pollution from the properties.B&NES Council planning officers said some harm to the World Heritage Site was anticipated by the outline application.The application initially proposed 96 homes in blocks up to five storeys high.The development will provide a mix of one and two bedroom apartments for sale or the social rented sector, and 13 four-bed townhouses.The officers said buildings five storeys high would have caused it “significant” harm but the reduction in height was a clear improvement.Former councillor Bob Goodman called on the developer to withdraw the plans and design buildings that are sustainable and sympathetic to the environment.Curo’s application said there will be 210 affordable homes across the whole site and the council planning officers accepted the numbers could be made up elsewhere.