Former Bath gasworks site homes set for green light

A planned redevelopment of a former gasworks site in a Bath suburb into more than 600 homes looks set to be given the go-ahead.Berkeley Homes (Oxford & Chiltern) Ltd wants to build 611 homes at the site on Windsor Bridge Road in Twerton.Proposed is the demolition of existing buildings and decontamination/remediation of the site to facilitate redevelopment for a residential-led mixed-use development.The scheme would comprise of residential dwellings and provision of Class E floorspace, together with associated infrastructure, landscaping and car and cycle parking.Engineering works, on site and to associated areas, are also proposed, along with access and works to the existing river wall, infrastructure and gasholder voids.The application site comprises approximately 10.5 acres of brownfield land and is bound by the River Avon to the north and Windsor Bridge Road to the west.Currently, the site comprises several gas holder voids, which are no longer in use, and derelict buildings.The proposal would provide 611 residential units and go a “significant way” towards meeting the target number of dwellings across the whole site.Bath and North East Somerset Council’s planning committee will consider the application today (5 June).A report for the committee said: “The scheme delivers on the policy allocation requirement of 1,750 dwellings, by providing 611 units of various mix.”Whilst being found to have significant viability issues the scheme still provides 13 per cent affordable housing units on site, along with a host of other financial contributions that have been agreed in order to mitigate the impacts of the development, including contributions to sustainable transport infrastructure, public realm and open space and sustainable construction.”The proposal also sees the provision of an early year’s facility. The scheme provides biodiversity net gain and ecological enhancements. The scheme is therefore considered to complies with the relevant planning policies as outlined above and the development plan as a whole.”