Our planning team successfully led the process of securing planning permission and listed building consent for the conversion of Kelston Park, a large Grade II* listed building with associated walled garden and wider parkland, to hotel use.

AZ Urban Studio worked closely with officers of Bath & North East Somerset Council and Historic England through pre-application and application stages to address a range of considerations associated with the future viable use of the designated heritage assets engaged.

The site featured almost all planning constraints possible, including listed buildings, a conservation area, setting of a world heritage site, green belt, AONB, and important ecological considerations.

Our approach to the project was to demonstrate through detailed assessment and evidence that the existing use (office) was not compatible with meeting the maintenance and conservation needs of the building, and that the change of use would unlock and secure those future conservation needs, together with delivering other benefits.

AZ Urban Studio led and coordinated these complex applications, and prepared a range of supporting documents including a Town Centre Uses Sequential Test. The applications were determined under delegated powers following positive working with officers of the Council to resolve extremely challenging and complex matters inevitable on a project of this type and scale.

The project is one of a number of rural / heritage projects that we are working on with Simon Morray-Jones Architects across the south west region.