What now for the Scala at Oldfield Park?
City-based developers, Rengen has submitted a planning application to Bath & North East Somerset Council to regenerate parts of the building, which is currently used by the Co-op and dance studio Freedom through Dance, will retain its historic frontage whilst creating new facilities and accommodation.
The planning application, if approved, will allow the company to redevelop the 1960s extension at the rear of the building, includes space for a new Co-op convenience store, a refurbished studio for Freedom through Dance, 32 no. new residential units, of which 10 are identified as accessible affordable housing units, improved landscaping and parking.
Purpose-built student accommodation is also included in the scheme and Rengen has been in discussions with Bath’s internationally acclaimed Norland College regarding their long-term use of the facility.
CEO, Iestyn Lewis, said, “I am proud of Rengen’s portfolio of sensitive and sympathetic redevelopment projects throughout Bath and we’re excited to submit our planning application for the much-loved Scala building.
“If approved this project will bring a new lease of life to the building and retain the fantastic frontage which is something of a local landmark in Oldfield Park.”
Some of this developer’s previous projects in Bath include the former Labour Exchange building on James Street West, Widcombe Social Club and the Bath Sea Cadets headquarters on St John’s Road.
To comment on the planning application please search the B&NES planning portal using the application number 20/00552/FUL.
‘Purpose-built student accommodation is also included in the scheme’. Weasel words. How much of it?
The scheme application has a huge number of documents and quite overwhelming to tackle the reading. The development is quite intense as you would expect to get the most out of the land, already so many student live in oldfield park the locals really not want more.
96 student rooms according to the Chronicle. Presumably because they think a double-digit number will be less conspicuous.
Hopefully this development will be rejected. The area around the scala already has an overwhelming number of student HMOs with some street concentrations as high as 100%. Moorlands Road is now a street of Takeaways and little else. Parking for cars is also ridiculous and compounded by a huge number of Uni students bringing cars and leaving them for weeks or months parked up without being moved.