A designated University Park at the heart of the Claverton Campus and new Students’ Union facilities are just two of the ambitious projects included in the University’s new Masterplan.
The Masterplan document sets out the University’s vision for the development of its Claverton Campus from now until 2020.
It has been submitted this week to Bath & North-East Somerset Council for its comment and subsequent endorsement. Once endorsed, it can then provide the framework for the campus’ future development although individual projects would still require planning permission in the normal manner.
The Masterplan has taken two years to develop and included three rounds of extensive stakeholder consultations.
The team creating it were asked to look at how the University could accommodate an increase in floor space of almost 50 per cent for its academic and related activities, and a doubling of the residential accommodation on campus.
The challenge has been to find this additional space for growth whilst not adversely affecting the positive features of the existing campus, or impacting too significantly on near neighbours.
University Architect, Professor Alan Day, explains the need for campus expansion: “Our success in research and our increasing popularity with students has meant that we have grown steadily since 2001.
“The need to refurbish the University’s ageing infrastructure, and to respond to changing student expectations has resulted in unprecedented pressure on our existing space.
“This Masterplan is designed to provide additional academic, social and residential space while improving the overall environment of the campus.”
Over the past 20 years the success of the University has resulted in significant growth in its activities. For example, since 1990 the number of students at Bath has grown from under 5,000 to over 12,000 while, in the same period, the total amount of space on campus has only increased from 124,000 square metres to 170,000 square metres. This has resulted in the area available per student falling by almost 50 per cent.
“The University is currently ranked in the top 15 of all UK league tables and, if it is to maintain this position, it must be able to provide the highest quality environment for its staff and students,” added Professor Day.
The main features of the Masterplan include:
- 60,000 square metres of new academic and administrative space
- 2,400 new study bedrooms
- A reconfigured University Park at the heart of the campus surrounded by high quality academic buildings
- Dramatically improved access to the Parade from the bus arrivals area to the east, along with new Students’ Union facilities.
- A new highly flexible general teaching building suited to the needs of the 21st Century.
- A new perimeter footpath which capitalises on the outstanding landscape both within and around the campus.
Professor Day said: “This Masterplan aims to bring the parkland area south of the Parade into the centre of the University by formally designating it as the ‘University Park’. New buildings would then be constructed around the Park and routes across it improved so that the Park becomes the heart of the University.
“Following our extensive consultation exercise, and taking into consideration the current economic climate, we have reduced the proposed increase in additional car parking spaces included in the original draft Masterplan. This vastly reduces the impact additional parking would have on the sports pitches to the east of the athletics track.
“We also now propose to relocate the Norwood Avenue tennis courts to Lime Kiln Field rather than St John’s Field which was the original proposal.”
Full details of the University’s Masterplan can be viewed online at www.bath.ac.uk/masterplan
“What this Masterplan demonstrates is that it’s possible to achieve the University’s objectives whilst also creating a campus that will be significantly more attractive than the one we currently enjoy,” added Professor Day.