THE only entire city in Britain to be declared a World Heritage Site will keep its prized status, after inspectors ruled that a modern housing development did not spoil its character.
With its Roman ancestry and Georgian architecture, Bath, in Somerset, revels in its history, but last year experts from the United Nations arrived to examine the development’s impact.
Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) visited after fears that the 2,200-home Western Riverside project could alter the city’s appearance.
Officials conducted a three-day tour to see if Bath was doing what was expected of a Heritage site, which sits beside the Great Barrier Reef and Egypt’s pyramids on the list.
Only one site has ever had its status revoked, and the council said that its Heritage position was never in danger.
Parts of other cities in Britain have World Heritage Site status, such as Liverpool’s waterfront.
