A high-profile housing development site on the edge of Bath city centre has been sold for a much higher price than expected.
Hope House, pictured, a Grade II listed former girls’ school, which is set in 6.18 acres of grounds in Lansdown, has been acquired by property group Acorn for £13.1m in a joint venture with housing developer Galliard Homes. 
The price is more than £3m hgher than property agents Savills had expected in February when it was instructed to sell the site by previous owner, developer Square Bay, and reflects the strength of the city’s housing market and spiraling land values.
London-based square Bay obtained planning consent for 14 new build houses and 44 one, two, three and four bed apartments in the 18th century former Girl’s Day School Trust building.
Square Bay partner Markham Hanson said: “Sites of this size and calibre very rarely come to the market in Bath and, understandably, Hope House attracted significant interest from a wide range of local and national developers.”
Hope House will be the first development in Bath for Acorn, which has offices in London, Cornwall, Bristol, Cardiff and Southampton. It said it planned to refurbish and convert the listed main school building while the new buildings would be in a style sympathetic to the surrounding area. The site will also have extensive open space and woodland, car parking and a tennis court.
Acorn’s Bristol office regional managing director Robin Squire said: “We have been looking for a suitable site in Bath for some time and we are delighted to have secured this opportunity.
“The development fits perfectly with our philosophy of providing high-quality bespoke new homes in stunning locations and we are very excited to acquire such a unique site.
“There are very few sites of this grandeur and profile left and the team is committed to ensuring that the development is of the very highest quality and reflects the local environment and surroundings.”
Construction work is due to start this month with the first completions anticipated next August.
Square Bay also owns a 17-acre former Ministry of Defence site in Warminster Road, Bath, with planning consent for 204 homes and a 55-acre greenfield site in Westbury.
Pictured below: A computer-generated aerial image of the finished scheme
