The Build To Rent sector continues to grow, with the news that a 650-home scheme in the city of Bath has been given planning approval.

Watkin Jones’ £130m scheme will include 316 one, two and three bedroom BTR units and 335 purpose built student accommodation units.

Completion is expected in phases from 2024 to 2025. Some 860 secure cycle parking spaces will be provided, along with a car club and electric charging points for the parking spaces available.

The site is described as being within a 15-minute walk of the historic centre of the city and will include landscaped communal courtyard gardens on the first floor.

Alex Pease, chief investment officer of Watkin Jones, says: “This scheme will offer a fantastic living experience for residents in a highly sustainable location near the centre of Bath. I’m thrilled that the committee saw the value that we will bring to the community, with hundreds of environmentally focused new homes that will appeal to a diverse range of people created on a brownfield site.

“The latest RICS data shows that demand for rental housing is rising as sharply as supply is falling with the South West seeing a fast-growing gap, so creating new homes to rent has never been more important. We continue to receive huge interest from institutions, which are seeking to invest in high-quality schemes that will maintain their value as places to live for residents and add desirability to the wider community for decades.”