New council housing to offer homes for young care leavers

Bath’s next batch of council homes will help young people transition from care to independent living.

Five two-bed homes for general needs social rented housing will also be provided in the plans to build eight flats in a disused storage yard off Lower Bristol Road.

Argyle Works was revealed as the second site for council houses during the climate emergency scrutiny panel meeting on January 17.

The council is also turning former offices at 117 Newbridge Hill into seven flats but is yet to reveal the six other locations where another 43 council homes could be built.

Its plans for Argyle Works say: “The council has secured registration with the regulator of social housing as a local authority registered provider of social housing. This means that the council can now directly provide and manage social housing and has embarked upon a programme of delivery.

“Working with Aequus Construction Ltd, the council’s wholly owned development company, it is proposed that some of their existing, indevelopment and pipeline developments are retained by the council and offered as social housing.

“The proposed development at Argyle Works is an example of this, where the council intends to bring the site forward for use as 100 per cent affordable homes for social rent, for both general needs clients and dedicated supported homes for young people transitioning from care to independent living.

“As well as providing social housing, in addition to embracing the council’s sustainability checklist, the council wishes to provide leadership on environmentally conscious building.”

Initial proposals for 28 “micro residential units” at Argyle Works were scrapped after officers raised concerns about the amenity of future residents and overdevelopment of the site.

The revised plans will meet national space standards and provide space to park eight cars and 16 bikes, plus electric charging points.

B&NES Council will consider the application.