Bath has held a World Heritage Status since 1987. Since then, many tourists have flocked to the city to admire its unique architecture and aesthetic.
However, with this status comes a demand to live in such a historic city and to build the homes to satisfy this demand. But, every new development needs to obey certain rules so that it doesn’t damage the character of Bath and thereby risk losing its World Heritage Status. We saw this most recently in Liverpool, whose decision to build Everton FC’s new stadium on the historic docklands caused UNESCO to remove World Heritage Status.
Now Bath could be following Liverpool in losing its status if the plans drawn up by Grimshaw Architects, for the development of the former Bath gasworks site, are given the go ahead.
While these new buildings will provide over 600 new homes and over 7,000 square feet in in non-residential space, the Bath Preservation Trust wrote an ‘open letter’ pointing out that the designs infringe upon many of UNESCO’s rules, such as aesthetic and height of the buildings.
Losing this protection could lead to the loss of vital tourism for Bath, which the city itself relies on. The plans are entering the final phase and just need approval from the Bath and Northeast Somerset Council.
Watch this video and make up your mind about this crucial project.
