®Planning appeal decision
7 Gay Street, City Centre, Bath, BA1 2PH
Planning appeal 3279555 at 7 Gay Street, City Centre, Bath, BA1 2PH (Bath and North East Somerset Council) was allowed on 20 December 2021 by Inspector Webb B, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect that loss of office space would have on the economy of Bath.
the change of use from office (Class E) to a dwelling (Class C3)
- Authority
- Bath and North East Somerset Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Change of use
- Inspector
- Webb B
- Postcode
- BA1 2PH
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect that loss of office space would have on the economy of Bath
What decided it
The poor quality of the office space, the availability of ample alternative office accommodation in Bath, and current market signals indicating the loss would not harm economic development outweighed the policy target for office space growth.
The loss of poor-quality office space was outweighed by the heritage benefit of returning the Grade I listed building to its original residential use and the evidence that the local office market could readily absorb the loss without adverse effect on business.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy B1 of the Bath and North East Somerset Core Strategy 2014Policy ED1B of the Bath and North East Somerset Placemaking Plan 2017
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.