Plans to build 220 new homes on the western half of the former Bath Press site in Bath have been unanimously approved by Bath and North East Somerset Council’s planning committee. The developer, City & Country, which purchased the site in early 2024, is already constructing homes on the eastern section behind the historic art deco facade.
This approval means a total of 366 homes will be developed across the entire former Bath Press site. Simon Vernon-Harcourt, representing City & Country, said the project will transform what has been a “sterile brownfield site” into a “sensitively designed” residential area within a rich and secluded urban landscape. He emphasised the developer’s experience working with complex urban and heritage sites and the importance of high-quality design in creating sustainable new homes.
The Bath Press, once the city’s largest employer, closed its doors in 2007 and has remained a prominent vacant brownfield site in Bath for nearly two decades. The new plans include the construction of three large blocks of flats alongside Lower Bristol Road, with a further three large blocks behind them. A terrace of townhouses designated as affordable housing will be positioned along Brook Road.
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Local councillor June Player expressed concerns about the scale of the new developments, describing the situation as “David and Goliath” for residents of the adjacent two-storey Victorian houses. She highlighted potential adverse effects on their privacy and enjoyment due to the proximity and height of the new buildings. However, other planning committee members welcomed the development. Councillor Fiona Gourley praised the plans, noting the long-standing vacancy of the site, while Councillor Tim Warren emphasised the necessity of the housing project.
The development includes 34 affordable homes out of the total 366, which is below the 30% typically required by the council. The committee was informed that including a higher proportion of affordable housing would compromise the project’s financial viability.
Keith Bradley, from Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, the Bath-based architectural firm behind the design, described the development as a “distinctive, sustainable neighbourhood” that respects the character of Victorian Bath. He remarked on the importance of the planning approval as a key step in revitalising the site and completing the regeneration of this vital area in Bath with a neighbourhood that feels connected, generous, and built to last.
The Bath Press building has a rich heritage, originally founded as the Pitman Press, known for printing dictionaries related to Pitman’s Shorthand-developed by Bath’s own Sir Isaac Pitman and once the most widely used shorthand method in the UK. The site features an art deco facade completed in phases up to 1926.
Currently, homes at the former Bath Press site range from £350,000 for a one-bedroom apartment to £900,000 for a four-bedroom townhouse.