The former Princess Royal Pit Head Baths at Bream are to be returned to nature later this year following a local developer's withdrawal of plans to redevelop the site.
In 2006 the site's owner the South West of England Regional Development Agency (South West RDA) invited developers to submit proposals. It received three.
Local developer Evan Maindonald's plan to demolish the existing buildings and create a dive training centre on the site were accepted by the South West RDA in cooperation with the Forest of Dean District Council, West Dean Parish Council, English Partnerships and the Forestry Commission.
However, detailed investigation of the scheme revealed that the proposal would have been more expensive to deliver than originally envisaged, making it financially unviable. The business partner with whom he was hoping to deliver the dive training centre has since found another business opportunity. Mr Maindonald has therefore withdrawn his plans for the site.
Two other proposals, which would have seen the existing building brought back into use, were ruled out at the time as unworkable. The building is structurally unsound, its concrete frame and floor slabs having suffered serious sulphate attack, and it would cost an estimated £1.8 million to make it safe. No bidder was willing to put forward the level of investment required to bring the building to a safe standard of refurbishment.
At the start of the process the South West RDA and its partners agreed that the building should be demolished and the site returned to the Forestry Commission if no workable proposal was brought forward.
Structural surveys have found that the building is unstable and poses a serious threat to both members of the public and to the bat colony which lives there. A security fence was recently put up to restrict access, but there are persistent problems with trespassers who are putting their lives and safety at risk.
A small amount of emergency demolition work was carried out on the building earlier this year to remove a section of chimney which was in immediate danger of collapse but the building will remain dangerous until it is demolished.
Engineers Arup and environmental consultants Cresswell Associates have drawn up a scheme which will see a small section of the building retained and converted into a bat roost. The rest of the building will be demolished and the site will be landscaped and returned to the Forestry Commission.
Chris Foley, the South West RDA's head of regeneration for Gloucestershire and the West of England, said: "We are disappointed that it has not proved possible to keep the site in use, but of the three proposals that were put forward two were simply not workable and the third has now been withdrawn. It was always going to be challenging to redevelop this site because of the costs involved.
"The building is in a dangerous state and continues to deteriorate, so we cannot just leave it as it is.
"We do recognise the role which the Princess Royal colliery played in the history of the area and we do plan to keep a small part of the building as a bat roost. We are also willing to commission an information board to provide visitors with information about the history of the site, if the community so wishes."
Evan Maindonald, Managing Director of MELT Homes, said: "We started from the point of seeking ways to bring this historically interesting building back into use, so it could be retained. However, the cost of doing this was simply prohibitive. Our dive centre proposal initially looked as if it would be viable and, as a recreation use for the site, would have delivered significant benefits to the surrounding area. However, unfortunately we were not able to bring it to fruition in this instance."
The South West RDA is preparing to apply for planning permission to demolish the old buildings, create a bat roost and landscape the site. Once the work is completed, the site will be handed back to the Forestry Commission.
For further information, contact Ben Murch at CHPR
on 0117 944 1415 or ben.murch@chpr.co.uk
Notes to editors
The South West RDA leads the development of a sustainable economy, investing to unlock the region's business potential. It works in partnership with public, private and social purpose organisations to drive up the region's productivity by giving people the skills they need, encouraging enterprise, improving infrastructure, regenerating places, and promoting the strengths of the region. For more information see www.southwestrda.org.uk
