Student flats plan for Quasar building
The old Quasar building in Bath city centre could be turned into student accommodation.
A consortium of developers has bought the site, at Ambury, and submitted a planning application to Bath and North East Somerset Council to transform it into flats.
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It would contain ten cluster flats, with a total of 48 en-suite bedrooms, and each flat would share a communal kitchen and dining area. The proposal also includes space for bike storage and bins.
Kit Stokes, from planning and development consultants Aspect360, is the agent acting on behalf of the applicants and said they believed there was a space in the market for this type of accommodation.
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He said: "The building has been identified as suitable for a student reuse because it is a large, vacant and dilapidated building which is not protected under planning policy as an employment floorspace.
"There is evidence that there is a strong student market in Bath with many students wishing to live off-campus in the city centre.
"We recognise that there is anecdotal evidence of problems with students living in other parts of Bath. However, the Quasar building is located away from existing family housing and the potential for disturbance from student occupants is therefore not a significant issue.
"It is our view that developments such as this will free up family houses as students choose to live in purpose-built and managed student accommodation."
Mr Stokes added that his clients had experience in providing private student and shared accommodation in both Bath and Bristol and were confident it could be a success.
He said that there had been initial plans to add another floor to the five-storey building, but they had taken advice from council officers who expressed concerns about such expansion.
And he revealed they were dissuaded from doing anything "more imaginative" because the planners were cautious about making too many changes to the building.
The developers hope that, if the £1 million plans are approved, the work would be completed in time for September.
The renovation work includes the recladding of the building in Bath stone and installing new aluminium windows.
The proposal is the latest in a long line of failed schemes to inject new life into the 1930s site since the games centre closed in 2005.
Previous plans on the table have included turning it into a community centre, a nightclub and reopening it as an arcade.
The student accommodation proposal is due to be considered by June 7 and people can submit comments until April 16.
Comments
by MoeXXX
Friday, March 23 2012, 11:21PM
“Why do xenophobic opinions always seem to correlate with an inability to use an apostrophe correctly? I'm intrigued.”
by spadat1256
Friday, March 23 2012, 11:51AM
“"What's all the fuss about the homeless? Most of them don't come from Bath anyway. "
It's thinking like that which has made Bath what it is. If outsiders stopped coming there this afternoon, Bath will be closed down by sunday evening. You have nothing of value, not even morals.”
by BillShutters
Friday, March 23 2012, 11:01AM
“Driving up Coronation Ave the other day i couldn't help notice the amount of 'to let' boards out, near 20 at a guess. All the btl landlords must be twicthing.”
by highspeeder
Friday, March 23 2012, 10:42AM
“What's all the fuss about the homeless? Most of them don't come from Bath anyway. They nick a ride on the train as far away as Reading. Please don't say they don't because it's a regular occurrence the train manager has the excuse "got no money guv and I'm trying to get to Bath for a bed" In the morning they nick a ride back again. Don't get me wrong look after anyone who has had their roots here but shift the others out! As for the students, I'm all for them moving into accommodation like this. But only if it free's up house's to be used by families etc. I won't be holding my breath though as it will just be a ploy to increase the numbers overall studying here. Perhaps a group of us anti student brigade can arrange a shopping trolley race around their flats and stop them from sleeping at 11 in the morning though! Should be fun!!”
by airhellair
Friday, March 23 2012, 9:23AM
“Surely homeless and vulnerable people should figure as priority here? Why should everything be profit and greed-driven? What is being put in place for its fallout?
Student accommodation is always necessary, there's no denying that. If universities are expanding, they need to be proactively looking at the whole picture, not just the 9k per- head-per-year income. Dame Glynis Breakwell, VC at Bath uni, lives in a house that could easily be converted to accommodate at least 10 students, possibly more. It seems an obscenely big house to be occupied by 2 people.”
by aurea_flamma
Friday, March 23 2012, 8:58AM
“Viscount_V
"I rented I was moved on three times in two years to make way for students. Schooling and jobs were constantly disrupted and a very unsettled life for both the children and myself resulted. It's extremely difficult for families privately renting."
Now that IS a reason for people to be aggrieved by all this HMO stuff - that is awful, and definitely an argument against HMO I could fully support.
But as for converting empty properties and the not in my neighbourhood malarkey well that's a different argument all together.”
by Viscount_V
Friday, March 23 2012, 8:46AM
“It wouldn't free up any HMO's. They're already converted. Unless we have a limit on further conversions in Oldfield Park they will stilll choose to live in the houses there as opposed to rooms. One student has already said they consider the student accommodation on the Lower Bristol Road to be like cells (although I'm sure the homeless would appreciate the heat and safety these provide).
I've noticed student lets on the London Road recently, there's a fair few in Weston and Newbridge too. It's a good idea to spread them out if houses are where students prefer to live. I found however, that with two young kids and landlords preferring the price they could get from putting 4 or 5 students in homes I rented I was moved on three times in two years to make way for students. Schooling and jobs were constantly disrupted and a very unsettled life for both the children and myself resulted. It's extremely difficult for families privately renting.
The Qasar rooms will undoubtedly be let but probably for the short term until the students can find houses. Many drive cars and central living has the parking problems. My thought is that the Uni's should do more to ensure their expansion isn't driving families from the city. Students must also use some imagination when choosing a place to live. A limit on the number of HMO conversions in any one area is a sensible and socially responsible way forward.”
by Lesmond
Friday, March 23 2012, 8:19AM
“How many HMOs would this free up - a dozen or so?”
by Jrbatheaston
Friday, March 23 2012, 1:56AM
“A redundant building which would suit this purpose very well, and perhaps free up some space in the heavy student areas of bath for residents to move in to!”
by SulisAqua
Thursday, March 22 2012, 11:28PM
“The building's been empty for some years and presumably available for anyone else to buy. This seems as good a use as any and will reduce the pressure on housing elsewhere in the city. In any case, there's certainly nothing councillors could do to stop it other than on legitimate planning grounds (of which there's unlikely to be any).”