Planning approved for landscape-led next phase of Bath Press regeneration
Plans have been unanimously approved for the next phase of the regeneration of the historic Bath Press site, with Grant Associates designing the landscape and public realm for a new 220-home neighbourhood in Bath.
Bath and North East Somerset Council approved proposals for the western parcel of the prominent brownfield site on 2 September. Grant Associates is working with developer City & Country and architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBStudios) on the scheme.
The proposals will transform the former printworks site, founded by Sir Isaac Pitman in 1889, into a greener residential neighbourhood shaped around a network of shared gardens, planted courtyards, streets and pedestrian connections. Together with the eastern phase, which is already under construction, the wider Bath Press development will provide 366 new homes.
Landscape is integral to the masterplan. Three apartment buildings taper into shared courtyard spaces, creating a sequence of more intimate landscaped areas within the development. The scheme will also include three children’s play areas and new walking and cycling connections to existing routes.
The landscape design takes inspiration from the distinctive character of Bath and the legacy of Victorian plant collectors, using generous planting and new habitats to bring nature into the heart of the development and establish a strong sense of place.
The majority of the proposed homes will be one, two and three-bedroom apartments, arranged across three apartment blocks, with five townhouses completing the residential offer. The plans include 34 affordable homes, alongside three new commercial units facing Lower Bristol Road.
Landscape is central to the character of Bath Press West, creating a greener, more connected neighbourhood where gardens, shared courtyards and streets form part of everyday life. Our design draws on the landscape character of Bath and the Victorian plant collectors to create a sequence of generous shared spaces, planting and habitats that bring nature into the heart of the development. Together with City & Country and Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, we have sought to create a generous and enduring landscape that gives this important brownfield site a strong sense of place and a greener new gateway to Bath.
Good housing is about creating places where people can put down roots, where landscape and community are part of everyday life, and where development contributes positively to the wider city. As the first practice to win the Stirling Prize for a housing scheme, we understand the importance of responding to local context and the responsibility that comes with designing in a city of such architectural significance. Working with City & Country and Grant Associates, we have designed a distinctive, sustainable neighbourhood that responds to the character of Victorian Bath, creates a greener gateway into the city and delivers 220 much-needed new homes. Planning approval for Bath Press West is an important step towards bringing this long-vacant brownfield site back into use and completing the regeneration of this important part of Bath with a place that feels connected, generous and built to last.
We were especially pleased to have received unanimous support from the planning committee, who recognised the outstanding design quality, which will enable us to realise the wider vision for Bath Press. Bath and Northeast Somerset Planning team were also proactive and positive through the process and really helped deliver this scheme and explain it eloquently to the Planning Committee. It is always a joy to work with an amazing team of consultants. Bath-based FCB Studios and Grant Associates are such a creative team who have helped us deliver something that truly responds to this Victorian part of Bath. Once delivered this will turn a sterile brownfield site into sensitively designed homes within a rich and secluded urban landscape. City & Country has experience and expertise working with complex urban and heritage sites. Having seriously talented consultants who can deliver truly great design is key to the creation of well-designed, sustainable new places to live.
City & Country launched the eastern phase of Bath Press in April 2025, with construction now underway.
Images: Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios