Detailed Plan Unveils Sites for 5,900 New Homes Across Bath

Bath and North East Somerset Council has revealed a comprehensive local plan outlining where approximately 5,900 new homes could be built throughout the Bath area over the next 18 years. The plan, which enters its final public consultation phase this week, establishes the council’s strategic approach to housing and development well into the 2040s.

Following a directive from the Labour government earlier this year that doubled local housing targets, the council was tasked with identifying space for a total of 27,340 new homes across the district. The current plan meets around 80% of that target, reflecting the challenges of balancing growth with heritage and community concerns.

Despite Bath comprising about half of the district’s population, it is projected to accommodate only about a quarter of new housing developments, with the smaller town of Keynsham slated to receive a comparable number of new homes. The council has emphasised protecting Bath’s World Heritage Site status, which influenced their decision to avoid large suburban expansions around the city. Notably, a proposed 2,000-home development near Twerton was removed after the planning inspector stated such expansion would risk UNESCO support.

Consequently, the majority of new housing will be situated in other areas of the district, including expanded villages, significant growth in Keynsham, developments around Radstock, and the creation of a new town at Hicks Gate.

Within Bath, the plan focuses on multiple small and medium-sized sites, primarily brownfield locations along the River Avon in the west, as well as various plots at the city’s edges. Among these, some are flagged as significant regeneration projects, while others remain poised for potential future development.

Highlighted sites include:

Bath Quays North: Previously dubbed the city’s most significant development in a generation, the site is allocated for at least 70 homes within a mixed-use redevelopment. Despite earlier delays caused by the original developer’s withdrawal, the council now plans for 96 homes across two plots. Discussions with the University of Bath for research and innovation spaces are ongoing. Affordable housing will comprise 20% of homes here.
Bath College: Potentially delivering up to 60 flats if site intensification allows. This redevelopment would also provide 20% affordable homes.
Sydenham Park: The former Homebase site is earmarked for over 500 homes, alongside employment space, retail, and a 150-bed hotel, with 20% affordable housing.
Bath Riverside: A large brownfield zone for around 1,750 homes, centred on the old gasworks and industrial areas.
North Bank: Supplementing Bath Riverside, this area includes sites with planning challenges, such as the recently refused Westmark Site, and requires retention or replacement of employment spaces.
Twerton: Multiple smaller sites are planned here, including the Stable Yard Industrial Estate and the temporary fire station at Roseberry Place, both requiring a minimum of 20% affordable housing.

Further sites comprise:

Areas near Avon Buildings and Argyle Terrace on Lower Bristol Road, with potential for future redevelopment.
A small stretch of shops and garages on Julian Road near St James’s Square, which could provide housing with 40% affordability.
Kingswood School’s playing fields in Lansdown, proposed for about 90 homes, with mandatory replacement of playing fields.
Bath Equestrian Centre in Weston and land near Napier Road, both set for around 40 homes with substantial affordable housing percentages.
A small car park on Combe Park leased by the RUH, earmarked for approximately 30 homes.
A treed former railway section near Station Road for about 20 low-carbon homes.
The Manvers Street area, allocated for roughly 60 homes.
Bath Quays South, reserved for some 70 homes, and Riverside Court, which will combine employment space with residential units.

The plan also supports the continuation and regeneration of Bath City’s Twerton Park football stadium site, combining residential development (excluding student housing) with sports facilities to ensure the club’s long-term presence.

Additional allocations include the Hartwells Garage site in Newbridge for 80–100 homes, potential residential extensions near St Mary’s Church car park for student accommodation, and the Sion Hill Campus of Bath Spa University for about 100 apartments.

Several NHS sites are proposed for conversion or redevelopment, potentially providing 50 homes through repurposing existing buildings.

The University of Bath’s main campus is anticipated to accommodate approximately 870 additional study bedrooms.

Importantly, the contentious Sulis Down site on Bath’s South Stoke Plateau remains allocated for around 300 homes despite recent strong opposition and a rejected 2024 planning application by the Hignett Family Trust. The site has been part of local planning for over a decade, and though plans have been scaled back and faced public backlash, development intentions persist.

This local plan presents a strategic framework guiding Bath’s growth, combining housing needs with heritage preservation, community facilities, and sustainable development principles over the coming two decades.