Who are the developers?

St James’s Investments and Tesco are jointly developing this site. Both St James’s Investments and Tesco have extensive experience of successfully delivering complex, mixed-use regeneration schemes.

Who is designing the scheme?

The architects are MAKE, an award-winning international practice whose projects include residential and office developments, urban masterplans, education and research buildings, hotels and resorts, sports facilities and interior and product design.

How big is the development? What will the mix of uses be?

During initial consultation the public told us they wanted a mix of uses for the site. The final plans for the first application submitted to the Council comprised the following:

• 4,580 m2 of creative work units

• 3,383 m2 of retail sales (6,300 m2 gross)

• 2,610 m2 of offices

• 220 m2 of community space

• 10 houses

What will happen to the existing buildings on the site/will the existing buildings be retained?

The scheme proposes retaining a proportion of the main building façade which has been investigated by our historic architectural advisers, Purcell Miller Tritton. We have also proposed the retention of the landmark chimney stack. It is likely the remaining buildings, some of which date from the 1970s, would be removed.

How long will construction take?

It is too early to say. The start date will be dependent on gaining the necessary planning consent and legal agreements.

When will you start work on the site?

This will be dependent on gaining the necessary planning consent and legal agreements.

Will the development be eco-friendly?

Energy efficiency and waste prevention will be paramount in everything we do on site. Design specifications such as automatic lighting and natural ventilation will boost energy savings for tenants, as will renewable technologies such as solar hot water panels and air-source heat pumps.

What stage of the planning process are we at? What is the next stage?

We submitted a detailed planning application to Bath & North East Somerset Council (B&NES) in August 2010, following two years of public consultation and are hopeful that this will go to committee in early 2012. An additional planning application has been submitted to the council in June 2011, relating to a change of use in some of the space although this has gone to appeal for non-determination.

The mixed use development will look the same, with the community space replaced to provide additional creative work units and flexible office space. The original application can be downloaded from the Planning section of the B&NES website by quoting application number 10/03380/EFUL.

Members of the public are able to comment on the initial planning application here .