Decision details
Bath Western Riverside Phase II- Outline Planning Application
Decision Maker: Director of Regeneration & Housing
Decision status: Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Purpose:
Purpose:
The Council has intervened at Bath Western Riverside via the
acquisition of former gasholder operational land and has
subsequently delivered infrastructure works to unlock the
brownfield site. By drawing down Homes England Housing
Infrastructure funding, the council has the opportunity to
control
the quality, pace and delivery of housing. Considerable progress
has been made with the gas rationalisation works nearing completion
and an Outline Planning Application prepared for submission. A
masterplan has been developed which meets the Council’s
objectives for a high quality, sustainable housing development. The
proposal will aim for an onsite policy compliant scheme of
affordable housing and will deliver a net zero development. The
scheme connects to the wider Bath City Masterplan creating a
cohesive masterplan with a focus on green space and biodiversity,
maximising connectivity through the provision of active travel
infrastructure. The plans propose up to circa. 351 homes seeking to
achieve a policy compliant scheme of affordable housing in terms of
an overall number and tenure (see Appendix A. Affordable Housing
Statement). Decision E3168 delegated authority to the Director for
Economy and Growth (now Regeneration and Housing) in consultation
with the S151 Finance Officer to:
i. Enter funding agreement with Homes England and WECA to fund
infrastructure and land investment in the future phases of Bath
Riverside on the former gaslands and Council waste site.
Decision:
In accordance with the delegations set out
within Decision E3168, as part of this activity to progress
enabling and investment activities, the Director of Regeneration
and Housing (Economy and Growth) in consultation with the Cabinet
Member for Housing and S151 Officer progress to submit the
outline
planning application for Bath Western Riverside Phase II, with Bath
and North East Somerset Council as the applicant.
Alternative options considered:
1. Progress enabling activity.
The Council could elect to complete the enabling activity and then
pause whilst it considers delivery and disposal routes for the
land, however this would not support the Local Plan Partial
Update (LPPU) policies to meet 5-year land supply and local housing
need.
2. Do Nothing
The Council could elect not to submit the Outline Planning
Application. However, submission of an application provides the
visibility of a comprehensive masterplan for the whole of
Bath
Riverside to be considered alongside the application submitted by
the adjoining landowner under application 22/03224/EFUL.
Publication date: 16/03/2023
Date of decision: 16/03/2023