Lower Bristol Road, Bath, Somerset, BA2

Access to the site is directly off the Lower
Bristol Road. The Bath and West Buildings
comprise three detached, purpose-built
office buildings known as Platinum,
Gold and Silver Buildings. The Platinum
and Gold Buildings are situated at the
front of the site with the Silver Building
behind these. The remainder of the site is
surfaced in tarmac and provides space for
approximately 35 cars.

The Platinum Building is the largest providing 6,914 sq ft (NIA) of space and is currently vacant. Internally, the building provides a number of separate offices over three floors, break out spaces and meeting rooms with a lift serving all floors. Externally, the building is clad in red brick with Bath Stone accents and corrugated metal roof.

The Gold Building is occupied by Living With
Limited and provides 1,388 sq ft (NIA) of
accommodation over two floors. Internally, the ground floor comprises a meeting room and breakout space with the first floor comprising an open plan office space and kitchen. Externally, the building is clad in red brick with Bath Stone accents and corrugated metal roof.

The Silver Building is occupied by Riviam
Digital Care Limited and provides 3,325
sq ft (NIA) of accommodation. Internally, it
comprises two floors of open plan office
space and ground floor level 'basement'
storage. There is a lift providing access to all
floors. Externally, the building is clad in red
brick with a predominantly glazed front
façade and flat roof.

The site and buildings currently cater to office use (Use Class E) and are situated within the City of Bath. Positioned sustainably, in close proximity to
the Bath Central Area, they enjoy access to various services and amenities and benefit from their status as previously developed (“brownfield”) land.

The Council's spatial strategy emphasises
prioritising brownfield sites to align with its
overarching development goals, including fostering new commercial, residential, or other forms of development (Policy DW1). Given the site's current use, introducing additional, new, or renovated office space in this location is primarily acceptable under Policy ED1A.

Proposals for converting the site to alternative uses, such as residential-led developments, will undergo scrutiny based on Policy ED1B, typically deemed
acceptable unless the Council can provide “strong economic reasons” to retain existing commercial space. This assessment considers various factors, including the quality of the office accommodation
being replaced, viability, strategic importance to Bath's wider economy, availability of alternative
locations, and market indicators, among others. Additionally, other policies in the development plan may apply to uses like Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA). Neighbouring sites have
varied their uses through the planning process and demonstrate a material consideration.

While not statutorily listed or within a
Conservation Area, the site falls within the Bath World Heritage Site and near several Grade II listed assets. As such, development proposals should positively respond to these assets through sensitive design, density, massing and architectural considerations. Other pertinent factors include managing flood risk and potential impacts on neighbouring properties' amenities. Policies within the development plan will seek to ensure that any future development proposal responds to the context of the site, through an understanding of its evolution, its functionality, and its impacts.

The site is subject to a 30% affordable housing requirement (Policy CP9), contingent upon a viability assessment and potential application of vacant building credit, if applicable. Knight Frank would be pleased to provide further guidance on planning matters should interested parties require this.

Bath is the only city within the UK to hold a World Heritage Site designation. It was initially inscribed in 1987 for its hot springs, Roman archaeology and Georgian architecture. The latter in particular has cemented the city as one of the most desirable to live in the UK.

Bath provides an excellent range of
amenities and services from shopping to
museums and art galleries. The city is home
to two universities, University of Bath and
Bath Spa University. In addition, there are
a number of highly regarded independent
and state schools in and around the city.

Tourism makes up a large part of
Bath's economy, Visit West research
indicates the city gets 4.8m day visitors
and 1.28m staying visitors on an annual
basis. This supports a range of tourism
services including serviced and hotel
accommodation as well as food, beverage
and leisure outlets.

Bath acts as the administrative centre for
the Bath and North East Somerset district
and has an estimated population of 101,557
(ONS 2021) with the wider catchment
estimated at 447,000. The city boasts one
of the most qualified resident workforces
in the UK. Furthermore, it has a significantly
above average proportion of working age
adults categorised within the most affluent
AB social group.