Green light for Berkeley’s 616-home Bath gasworks scheme

Berkeley subsidiary St William has been granted planning permission for a 616-home brownfield scheme in Bath. 

St William, which was born out of a joint venture between the housebuilder and National Grid to unlock complex regeneration sites owned by the latter. 

The Bath Gasworks scheme, which was designed by Grimshaw, will include homes ranging from 1-bed studios to 3-bed apartments with properties designed to meet all ages.  

Seven buildings between five and six stories will be built in total, including 187 sq m of new retail space and a 730 sq m nursery. 

The 4.27ha of brownfield land was formerly used as a gasworks but has not been functional since 1971. The overgrown site is now occupied by derelict buildings and several large gasholder voids. 

It is situated in Westmoreland, slightly west of the city centre and between the River Avon to the north and land recently approved for a mixed-use development to the south.  

To the east is the first phase of the Bath Western Riverside masterplan, completed by Crest Nicholson in 2015. 

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This plan, approved in 2010, also included the land now owned by St William, and would have seen 2,281 homes developed. Only the first phase was delivered, providing 860 homes. 

What remains of the gasworks site is owned by St William and Bath and North East Somerset Council (B&NES). 

For its portion of the site, B&NES is proposing to bring forward an outline scheme for up to 351 homes ranging from 1 bed to 3 bed apartments. 

BMD are serving as landscape architect on the job, with Built Heritage Consultancy as heritage consultant and Ashton Fire as fire safety consultant 

Stantec, WSP, Buro Appold and Ramboll have also provided advice on various aspect of the scheme.