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. Mr Maindonald has therefore withdrawn his plans for the site.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.

The South West RDA is preparing to apply for planning permission to demolish the old buildings, create a bat roost and landscape the site.

(JM)