In this chapter

• Bath: Area overview
• The capacity of Bath
• Site options: Bath
• Site allocations in Bath and its environs
  • Milsom Quarter
  • Bath Central Riverside
  • Manvers Street
  • Bath Quays North
  • Bath Quays and Riverside Court
  • South Bank
  • Green Park Station West and Sydenham Park
  • Bath Riverside
  • Bath Press
  • Roseberry Place
  • Westmark Site, Windsor Bridge Road
  • Stable Yard Industrial Estate
  • Newbridge Riverside
  • Weston Island
  • Twerton Park
  • RUH (Royal United Hospitals), Weston
  • Hartwells Garage
  • Sion Hill
  • St Martin's
  • Sulis Down
  • Englishcombe Lane
  • Burlington Street
  • University of Bath
  • Sulis Club
  • Bath Spa University at Newton Park
  • West of Bath (potential site)
  • South of Burnett, next to A39 (potential site)

Newbridge Riverside

About this page

How this part of the Local Plan Options Document works

These site allocation pages contain the following sections:

Site background

• A broad description of the site, with map if appropriate
• An overview of development proposed or already in progress
• Relevant aspects of planning policy for this site
• The history and status of any planning applications for this site

Options for the new Local Plan

We may suggest one or more possible approaches:

• Keeping existing plans for this site as they are
• Making small changes to our approach, which may allow for changes
• Replacing the approach with something that is substantially different
• Identifying factors or events which may affect this policy in the future

Policy context note

• Where decisions about this site may affect how we approach other sites (or vice versa), we will add a note to explain

Explore this site allocation

Select a section below to read more.

Site background

We recommend considering the policy options for this site together with those for Weston Island.

5.54    This location comprises the Locksbrook Road and Brassmill Lane industrial areas and accommodates a wide range of businesses that perform a crucial role in the diverse economy of the city. Part of this area also includes the Locksbrook Creativity Hub (current Policy SB22), a collaboration with Bath Spa University, and the Fashion Collection Archive, which relates primarily to the creative arts sector.

5.55    There is considered to be scope to reimagine the role of this area and to intensify development opportunities benefitting the city’s economy. Informed by the ‘Future Economic Needs Assessment and Office and Industrial Market Review’ (see below), we will commission a study to thoroughly understand the landscape, natural environment and heritage context of this location and generate an ambitious, deliverable, future scenario for how this current employment location could be re-imagined. We are anticipating an imaginative and creative response to the untapped development potential of the area, that optimises the existing and planned transport infrastructure, set within an ecologically rich landscape that capitalises on its integral relationship with the river environment.

5.56    It is considered that this area has the potential to play an important, even iconic, employment role for the city, reflecting its global recognition, reputation, and history of innovation. Such an approach could complement the city’s central office and workspace core and provide a more diverse employment space offer for the creative industries sectors, advanced engineering sector (such as many of the existing anchor businesses), research and development, biosciences, and other sectors that have specific spatial or operational requirements.

5.57    The future scenario will need to set out a range of different options in which this role could be achieved. All options are proposed within a clearly defined landscape and ecological framework and infrastructure plan.

Options for the new Local Plan

Option A

It is proposed to have a consistent approach across the whole of the site: intensify the development potential of this area, in terms of capacity, and clearly define the range of industrial-related uses that are appropriate for this location. These could include:

• industrial
• advanced engineering sector (such as many of the existing anchor businesses)
• clean tech, health and life sciences, transport and storage
• research and development
• biosciences
• creative industries
• This option would ensure this area continues to serve as the main location for industrial space within the city. We would also identify those uses that would not be permitted (such as residential and PBSA).

Option B

It is proposed to have a more granulated policy towards new development, with different approaches in different parts of the site. This could allow a more nuanced approach, tailored to the specific characteristics and potential of the different areas. For example:

• Locksbrook Road: comprising Horstmann, Bath Spa University, the Locksbrook Creative Industry Hub including the Fashion Collection Archive, various operations, including trade counters.
• Brassmill Lane: Mix of industrial type uses and trade counters, including the Maltings trading estate, larger employers and manufacturers such as Rotork and Roper Rhodes.
• Weston Island

Option C

Take the approach in Option B, but maintain Weston Island as a separate site allocation