Friday, January 16, 2026 · Bath, Somerset
A major co-living development proposal has been submitted for a prominent brownfield plot near Windsor Bridge Road and Upper Bristol Road, promising 272 managed homes and a “car-lite” approach at a gateway into Bath’s western corridor.
The scheme — reported as being designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBS) — would redevelop the site of Victoria Park Business Centre, a mixed employment and storage area close to the River Avon. Industry coverage describes the application as a 272-home co-living project for a riverside location, with the latest updates reported by Building and regional business press. TheBusinessDesk.com also notes the site is partly derelict and positioned for a significant transformation.
For Bath, the proposal lands in the middle of a wider conversation: how the city adds homes while protecting character, managing congestion, and ensuring new housing types meet real local needs. Co-living is one of the fastest-moving parts of that debate — popular with some renters for its “all-in-one” simplicity, questioned by others who worry it can become a one-size-fits-all answer to a complex housing market.
What is co-living — and why it’s different from standard flats
Co-living is typically designed around private studio-style rooms (your own bedroom and often a compact kitchenette or living area) supported by shared facilities. Think communal lounges, co-working areas, social spaces, and on-site management — with utilities often bundled into a single monthly payment. Tenancies can be more flexible than traditional lets, and buildings are usually run by one operator responsible for the overall resident experience.
In Bath and North East Somerset, the council has published interim planning guidance to clarify how it assesses co-living applications, including expectations around amenity space, occupancy, sustainable construction, affordable housing contributions and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). You can read the council’s position statement here: B&NES Co-living Position Statement (Interim Planning Guidance).
The site: a long-discussed redevelopment opportunity
The Victoria Park Business Centre plot sits at a highly visible junction that many drivers and cyclists pass daily. Local reporting over the past year has described the wider area as a mix of modern units and older industrial land, with parts of the site having been underused for decades. In late 2024, Bath Echo outlined proposals to replace the existing buildings with up to 272 “co-living studios,” framing it as a major change for the western approach into the city: Bath Echo coverage.
Project material and consultation boards have also circulated under the name “Windsor Bridge Co-Living,” indicating a scheme designed to intensify a brownfield site rather than expand into open countryside. One set of public consultation boards can be viewed here: Windsor Bridge Co-Living consultation boards (PDF).
“Car-lite” living: the transport question will be central
Any large development in Bath quickly runs into transport reality: narrow corridors, heritage constraints, and limited road space. That’s why the “car-lite” element is likely to be one of the most discussed parts of the application, especially among nearby residents, commuters and local businesses.
Earlier reporting on the scheme concept highlighted very low car parking provision and extensive cycle parking, signalling that the development is intended to work best for residents who rely on walking, cycling and public transport. If that approach carries through into the submitted plans, it may help reduce pressure on local streets — but it will also raise practical questions about deliveries, visitors, servicing, and how day-to-day life works for residents who still need occasional car access.
Support, skepticism, and what planners will look at next
Co-living can add homes quickly in high-demand areas, and it can attract residents who want a managed building and the social aspects of shared amenities. Supporters often argue it eases pressure on the private rented sector by offering an additional option for single renters and young professionals — particularly in cities where traditional one-bed flats are scarce or expensive.
Critics, however, tend to focus on the same theme: whether co-living “counts” as the kind of housing Bath most needs. The council’s guidance makes clear that proposals will be tested against amenity and space standards, sustainability requirements, and policy contributions — and that schemes must be well designed and well connected to services and employment. In practice, planners will likely scrutinise internal space standards, communal provision, management plans, environmental performance, and the impact on local infrastructure.
The application now enters the usual decision pathway: validation, public consultation, technical review (including highways and design), and then a recommendation for approval or refusal. With the site’s visibility and the size of the scheme, expect strong engagement — both from those keen to see long-standing brownfield land redeveloped and from those concerned about scale, tenure mix, and what co-living means for Bath’s future.
Read more: Building — FCBS submits plans for 272-home co-living scheme · TheBusinessDesk.com — former business centre site plans · B&NES — Co-living position statement · Bath Echo — earlier proposal details
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