Date published: 2024-12-20 | Category: Bath, Delivering for local residents, Housing
Plans to build hundreds of new homes on the former gas works site in Bath are taking a step forward following an offer of £18m funding from Homes England.
A report before cabinet members seeks approval to accept an additional £18,202,421 funding, which will enable work to start on the land remediation and infrastructure of the Bath Western Riverside Phase 2 site to prepare it for development.
The single member decision report before Councillors Matt McCabe, Cabinet Member for Built Environment, Housing and Sustainable Development and Mark Elliott, Cabinet Member for Resources recommends approval for the funding from an existing Homes England Housing and Infrastructure Funding (HIF) agreement.
Bath & North East Somerset Council acquired the three large gas holders in the centre of the site, which is approximately 30% of the Bath Western Riverside Phase 2 land, using the West of England Combined Authority Land Acquisition Fund. Gas rationalisation works to remove the network of live gas pipes across the site were completed in October 2023 using Homes England Housing & Infrastructure Funding.
The surrounding land on the site is owned by St William (Berkeley Homes). A land swap between the two parties, which was completed recently, has provided the council with a plot of land to be developed.
If the additional funding is approved, the remediation and infrastructure work will be carried out by St William (Berkeley Homes).
The report also recommends that the Provisional Capital programme for Bath Western Riverside is increased to £44,192m to incorporate the additional funding from Homes England and for the council’s Highways team to progress adoption of the highway from the southern end of the Destructor Bridge, which will enable residential site access from Midland Road.
Bath & North East Somerset Council has submitted an outline planning application for up to 351 homes including high quality, sustainable market and affordable homes on its plot. The application can be viewed on the council’s planning portal, reference 23/01762/EREG03.
St William (Berkeley Homes) was granted planning consent in June 2024 for 611 new homes and a nursery on its plot. The decision can be viewed on the council website.
Housing affordability is a key pillar/action of Bath and North East Somerset’s Economic Strategy 2024-2034. The strategy sets out the council’s approach to delivering the Future Ambition Board’s ambition for our area to be fair, green, creative and connected.
More information on the Economic Strategy can be found here https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/B%26NES-Economic-Strategy-2024-2034.pdf
More information about the Future Ambition Board can be found here https://futureambitionbath.com/
The single member decision report can be found on the council’s website.
ENDS