The Hartwell site inquiry.

I have handed over some editorial space to John Taylor to comment on a forthcoming public inquiry regarding the redevelopment of the former Hartwell Garage site. I know it’s an issue of interest to a lot of people.

Here’s what he has to say….

“In March 2020 an application for outline planning permission to turn the former Hartwell garage site on Newbridge Road in Bath into a huge residential and student development was unanimously rejected by the council’s Planning Committee.

There were nearly three hundred objections to this proposal, which was widely viewed in the neighbourhood as being too large for the site.

The developer, Oakhill, appealed against this decision to the Secretary of State and asked for a public inquiry. This will be held as an on-line inquiry between 16^th and 26^th February. 

Both the Planning Inspectorate and BANES’ own planning websites are difficult to use unless you know what you are looking for. The community from the streets surrounding the proposed development in Newbridge run a community website, which has links to or copies of the various documents and is much easier to use to get a picture of the development.

Bath Newseum readers can gain a quick impression of how colossal this development is from the photo montage here: 

Plans and Photos – Hartwell Site Over Development (Bath) .

All information about the Inquiry and how to take part are here: 

Appeal – Hartwell Site Over Development (Bath) .

The locality has been disappointed by the developers’ low level of interaction with the community. It’s fair to say that a balanced development, providing affordable family homes to buy and rent at a smaller scale would be welcomed. This huge complex would be on one of the main gateways to our World Heritage City.”

A copy of Bath Preservation Trust’s excellent critique of this proposal is here:

bath-preservation-trust-objection.pdf 

Thank you John.