The public is getting the chance to go online to view – and comment on – Bath’s planned Quays North development, which is poised to transform a high-profile site on the edge of the city centre.
The project will regenerate the area around the Avon Street car park site with 176,292 sq ft of modern office space as well as restaurant and retail units, 92 new homes, a hotel and huge improvements to car parking and public spaces, pictured.
Site owner Bath & North East Somerset Council (B&NES) has entered into a joint-venture with insurance giant Legal & General and London-based property development company Bell Hammer to bring forward the most significant office-led development in Bath for a generation.
Outline planning permission for the development in the heart of Bath’s enterprise zone was granted by B&NES last year. Now the detailed proposals for the site are available to view online.
The new proposals will show the public how the site will be redeveloped into a mixed-use scheme including up to seven new buildings with workspace, homes, retail units and a hotel, with a new promenade providing riverside restaurants, landscaped public spaces and a basement car park.
The council describes the proposal as bringing a new vibrant quarter and riverfront destination to the city.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the public consultation will be held exclusively online at www.bathquaysnorth.com.
Legal & General Capital senior development manager Alexandra Brown said: “It’s essential that even during this period of economic uncertainty, institutions continue to invest in Britain’s towns and cities, driving economic growth and creating jobs for local people.
“These mixed-use proposals will transform the site, creating a bustling new riverside destination with homes and workspace, green open spaces, pedestrian and cycle routes, as well as views of, and links across the River Avon.
“Whilst current circumstances prevent us from holding a physical exhibition, the details of our proposals will be readily available to all. We would like to hear the views of the people of Bath.”
Bath Chamber of Commerce and the Initiative in B&NES executive director Ian Bell added: “Our members are delighted to see progress on this site. It will be a game changer for the local economy, allowing existing businesses to grow and attracting fresh inward investment, bringing jobs for the future. I hope as many people as possible participate in this important consultation.”
B&NES cabinet member of housing, development and economic development Cllr Tim Ball said the scheme was another piece of the jigsaw in revitalising the centre of Bath enhancing the offer that Bath has across the region and further afield.
Bell Hammer director Patrick Davis said the chance to develop on such a scale in Bath occurred once in a generation.
“The size and quality of the office element will enable local companies to grow as well as attract regional, national and international occupiers for whom Bath has never previously been an option, due to the lack of suitable space,” he said.
“With retail, restaurants, hotel and residential uses complementing the business space, Bath Quays North will create an attractive and vibrant addition to the city.”
The Quays North site, along with Bath Quays South – development of which has started after years of delay – form part of Bath’s Enterprise Zone.
Up to 9,000 jobs are expected to be created by firms moving to the two Quays sites – with the first office building of 45,000 sq ft on the Bath Quays South due to open next year.
The two schemes aim to overcome the dire shortage of top-grade office space in Bath which has, over the past few years, forced a number of fast-growing businesses to relocate to Bristol.
To take part in the Quays North consultation and fill in an online feedback form visit www.bathquaysnorth.com. The consultation closes on June 22.
Anyone unable to access the consultation materials online can receive a hard copy by calling 01225 423400.
