'No appetite' for Bath to lose heritage status for housing

A top councillor has branded the idea of Bath giving up its UNESCO World Heritage Site status to build more housing a “non-starter.”

- John Wimperis Local democracy reporter [e-mail]

Top, a view of the Royal Crescent in Bath.

(Pics: Top, Getty, above, David Hargrave)

Bath and North East Somerset Council has been told by the government that it needs to find space to build 27,000 new homes across the area over the next 18 years.

But the council has come under fire for suggesting building most of those homes in North East Somerset, despite most of the demand coming from Bath.

Matt McCabe (Bathavon South, Liberal Democrat), the council's cabinet member for built environment, housing, and sustainable development, insisted the council could not build the homes as a suburban expansion of Bath because its green setting is specifically protected in the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site listing.

He said: "I know there have been some calls for Bath to give up its World Heritage listing from outside of Bath, but there is no appetite for that politically and within Bath - so that is a nonstarter."

Mr McCabe was speaking at a meeting of a council scrutiny committee on October 23 discussing the plans. Chair of the committee Andy Wait (Keynsham East, Liberal Democrat) criticised the council's proposals to build most of the homes in North East Somerset.