A significant development project in central Bath, spearheaded by Bath and North East Somerset Council, is set to create 96 new homes without any affordable housing, raising serious concerns among councillors.
The Bath and North East Somerset Council planning committee approved the plans on November 19 despite unease about the complete lack of affordable housing. The development, planned for the Green Park Road Car Park site as part of the Bath Quays North regeneration scheme, will consist of two blocks of flats.
Typically, large developments in this area are mandated to include 40% affordable housing according to the council’s own policies. However, developers may reduce this proportion if land values render affordable housing unviable. Planning officers informed the committee that including affordable housing would make the development financially unviable.
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Councillor Fiona Gourley (Bathavon South, Liberal Democrat) questioned this reasoning, highlighting that both the land and the developer, Aequus, are council-owned. She asked, “What is it that is costing so much money that means this isn’t affordable?” Aequus, a building company wholly owned by the council, is partnering via a newly established limited liability partnership (LLP) to deliver the project and sees no affordable housing planned.
The council has stated that profits generated through the LLP could be reinvested to fund future regeneration projects or subsidize social housing. Still, councillors expressed dissatisfaction. Shaun Hughes (Midsomer Norton North, Independent Group) pointed out Aequus’s stated commitment to policy compliance regarding affordable housing, questioning the inconsistency.
John Leach (Walcot, Liberal Democrat) emphasized that unlike private developers, the council does not need to make profit for shareholders, making the absence of affordable homes in such a large development difficult to accept.
Council officers explained that the viability assessment covered the entire Bath Quays North project, which also includes the redevelopment of Avon Street Car Park into commercial properties — a separate development granted planning permission in May 2024.
Councillor Eleanor Jackson (Westfield, Liberal Democrat) questioned why commercial rents from these properties could not help fund affordable housing. Conservative Councillor Tim Warren acknowledged that commercial projects are struggling financially, resulting in the subsidy for jobs being offset by the lack of affordable housing.
The Bath Quays North initiative, once hailed in 2019 as “the most significant development in Bath in a generation,” stalled when a private developer withdrew after the pandemic. Mr. Warren stressed the importance of moving forward and noted that Aequus might include affordable housing if financially feasible, unlike private developers.
Additional concerns at the committee meeting focused on the building heights. The five-storey block will significantly overshadow the adjoining two-storey building on Milk Street, with local resident Klaas Koopmans lamenting the anticipated loss of daylight.
Councillor Ian Halsall (Oldfield Park, Liberal Democrat) advocated that despite drawbacks, the addition of 96 city center dwellings was essential for a living, functioning city. Councillor Gourley, while disappointed, acknowledged the pressing need for housing amid insufficient land supply and reluctantly supported the plans.
The committee voted 7-2 in favor. Alongside the Green Park Road development, the council’s LLP with Aequus is also working on a 65-home development in Bath Quays South, as the council seeks a new development partner for the broader Bath Quays North scheme.
Last year, the council signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Bath to explore utilizing the Bath Quays North site for research, innovation, and enterprise, potentially reprioritizing the area’s usage.