Planning permission has been secured for the redevelopment of the former Homebase site and car park to provide a new 288-unit care complex over the river from Green Park Station. As of 2023, the Homebase building has been demolished to make way for development.
2021 – Planning Appeal & Public Hearing
The application refusal was subsequently appealed. BPT spoke against the scheme, maintaining that due to its excessive height, scale, massing, and inappropriate use of materials, the development would fail to reinforce local distinctiveness, would not preserve or enhance the character of the Bath conservation area, and would harm views into and across the World Heritage Site. Read our appeal statement here.
As of September 2021, the appeal for a proposed care community on the Homebase site was allowed. The inspector emphasised that the site was visibly distinct from the Georgian city due to its location south of the river and the modern character of surrounding development such as the Western Riverside and Albert Crescent developments. In this context, the proposed height, scale, and design of the development was concluded to be appropriate. The use of industrial materials such as brick and sheet metal were felt to be more ‘honest’ to the history of the site.
Our press release in response to the decision is available here. Following this decision, BPT has continued to emphasise our concerns with the sprawling height and scale of development concentrated south of the river and the cumulative impact this will have on the setting of the World Heritage Site.
2020 – Planning Proposals for Redevelopment of Homebase Site to Create New ‘Care Community’
Application 20/00259/FUL was submitted for the demolition of Homebase, over the river from Sainsburys and Green Park Station, and the development of a “new care community” by Guild Living. The site is also located directly over the river from the Grade II* terrace at Norfolk Crescent, with some landscape sightlines maintained across the Green.
BPT was engaged in the development of proposals at pre-application stage. We felt that the proposed layout of the site had improved following our initial discussions, with a resulting increase in the site’s permeability and connection with the existing area. Whilst supportive of the principle of well-connected brownfield development, we ultimately objected to the scale, design, use of materials, and absence of affordable or mixed tenure housing.
Read our response the 2020 application here.
Read our revised submission in July 2020 here.
Read our revised submission in November 2020 here.
In December 2020, the application was referred to Planning Committee with the recommendation to permit the scheme. BPT spoke against proposals, citing harm to the setting of the conservation area, the setting of multiple listed buildings, and harm to wider landscape views across the World Heritage Site. Councillors voted to refuse the scheme on the grounds of excessive height, bulk and massing in the World Heritage Site, as well as harm to residential amenity, insufficient parking provision, and the unacceptable loss of trees.