PLANS to turn former swimming baths into a development of two houses and seven apartments have been given the go ahead. 

Thornton Baths, on Thornton Road, were shut by Bradford Council in 2000 after 70 years of operating.

Since closure, the building has been a gym and snooker hall. The most recent planning permission for the building was for its conversion into a single house.

In assessing the application, a decision report from Planning Officer Richard Holliday said: “The site occupies a sustainable location close to local shops and services and with convenient access to good public transport links in the form of frequent bus services serving the city centre and other centres.

"The proposed development will repurpose an otherwise disused former swimming baths and contribute, albeit modestly, towards the Council’s housing targets.”

It added: “The layout provides for residential units that would achieve acceptable internal space and accommodation, and receive adequate levels of daylight and outlook for habitable rooms.”

The building lies within the Thornton Conservation Area and within the setting of several listed buildings. 

Because of this, a Bradford Council Conservation Officer was consulted on the plans. The report said there would be no objection to the proposals, subject to the use of “quality materials and design aiming to retain and enhance original features”. 

“The Thornton Conservation Area appraisal identifies the original swimming baths building (when vacant) as making a positive contribution to the character of the conservation area,” said the report.

“Original features need to be retained and the design of windows and doors need to be appropriate to fit in with the original character.”

A condition has been added to the decision notice to require approval of details for replacement windows and doors and for any replacement materials. 

The decision report said “subject to the approval and implementation of satisfactory details” the proposal “presents a good quality development that will retain the key features of the existing building and which will not harm or present any other adverse implications for the significance of the heritage assets”. 

It added: “The scheme involves the conversion of the former swimming baths building with relatively minor external alterations, primarily the demolition of the small rear extension, replacement of windows, doors, lantern roof, cladding, render, and insertion of dormers/roof lights.

“The development is considered acceptable, as it will introduce a viable long-term use that will not involve significant alterations to the external fabric of the building, maintaining its general design and appearance whilst introducing relatively small alterations to support the new use such as roof lights and small pitched roof windows to the rear.

“Overall, the development will achieve an acceptable design and result in an improvement in the general character and appearance of the site and its connection with the wider area.”