Industrial site scheme for students
More than 100 students could be housed in a new block if plans to redevelop a site in an industrial part of Bath are given the go-ahead. A proposed four-storey building would also rehouse a “highly valued” gym and increase space for light industry on the Locksbrook Road site. If approved, students would have the choice of 61 studio rooms and 42 en-suite rooms in flats that applicant Summix LRB Developments Ltd said would address growing demand. A study it commissioned from estate agents Knight Frank found that student numbers are projected to increase by 28 per cent - 1,780 students - a year until 2021/22 but the development of housing was “minimal”. It said without purpose-built student housing there would be unwanted pressure on the private rented market. The application says: “The proposed scheme allows us to develop student accommodation in a site which otherwise would be unsuitable for ordinary residential development. “It allows a significant contribution to purpose-built student accommodation to help meet not only the current demand but any future demand. “If growth of the universities is stabilised, the purpose-built student accommodation market should continue to grow to increase supply and move students out of HMOS [homes of multiple occupancy].” Communal spaces and rooftop gardens have been included in the plans. Plans state that students will be able to access the rooftop gardens “by prior organisation” to avoid issues of antisocial behaviour. The green roofs are also meant to address concerns about biodiversity, while the toilets would flush with rainwater to boost the scheme’s sustainability credentials. There would be 23 parking spaces and 82 cycle spaces. The site is currently occupied by the Plumb Centre and the Genesis Lifestyle Centre. The latter has been there since 1997 and is described as a “highly valued community facility”. The plans add: “The proposed development allows the current gym to expand and to be re-homed in a much higher quality building, which will strengthen the business. “The proposal also includes a 30 per cent increase in employment floorspace, which helps to retain business in Bath and strengthen the function of the industrial estate.” The gym will have 364 sq m of floorspace and there will be 1,354 sq m for light industrial use. A 2015 study found there was little or no industrial land available in the city so the application says it was important to increase the floorspace. It says the end users of the light industrial use space are unknown but the applicants have had interest from “spectacle manufactures, design agencies and likewise”. The development is also likely to create a number of new jobs. The site is at risk of flooding from the River Avon so the internal floor heights will be above the maximum anticipated flood levels. The application will be decided by Bath and North East Somerset Council.