Former Bath Press site to be redeveloped into houses and offices

Dating back to the 1890s, the original building was home to the Pitman Press printing works

A former historic book printing site in Bath will be developed into new accommodation and office space.

Developers City and Country has acquired the former Bath Press site for £13.8m.

Now demolished apart from its façade, the building sits on the site of English language teacher Sir Isaac Pitman's fifth Phonetic Institute on Lower Bristol Road.

The new development will be a mixture of apartments, houses and office space.

Bath and North East Somerset Council has granted planning permission and work is expected to start on site in early to mid 2025.

The former site will be redeveloped into 250 units and office space

City & Country said the the historic façade of the Bath Press site would be preserved.

Dating back to the 1890s, the site was home to the Pitman Press printing works, led by Sir Isaac Pitman, who developed one of the world's most widely used methods of shorthand.

Pitman was born in Trowbridge and is famous for his phonetic alphabet - his first guide being published in 1837.

Developers City & Country said the historic facade would be preserved

The site became vacant in 2007 and much of it was demolished between September 2017 and November 2018 to allow for redevelopment.

Simon Marner, City & Country's land and property director, said: "This is a significant acquisition for the business, with the site due to deliver more than 250 units in addition to the commercial space.

"Bath is a thriving city, known for its status as a World Heritage Site and a centre of international cultural significance and is an excellent fit for our brand."