Knowle West residents fight plans for 50 homes on health park

A green space in Knowle West the size of one-and-a-half football pitches could be lost to housing.

Bristol City Council housing company Goram Homes has announced plans to build around 50 homes on a 1.2-hectare area of Knowle West Health Park.

The council-owned land is one of 12 sites across the city that, combined, could see 1,700 homes built by Goram Homes.

But Heather Williams, the chief executive of Knowle West Health Park, says the proposal for the park is too invasive.

“When you look at what they’ve sectioned off for the use of houses, there isn’t much green space left, and at the moment the green space is really accessible for anybody of any ability,” she says. “The loss of that much green space would be detrimental to the community.”

The proposed development could see the playpark and multi-use games area at the Health Park relocated to another part of the site.

It could also see the loss of mounds, outdoor gym equipment and a measured mile walk, which is used by walking groups for people with health conditions.

A housing proposal for Knowle West Health Park could see the loss of a green space the size of one-and-a-half football pitches. Photo by Charlie Watts

Vincent White, who’s originally from Knowle West, has been a volunteer walk leader for the Health Park for ten years. He says it would be a travesty if homes were built on the park.

“We walk all around there, and dog walkers use it, so it’s not a good situation,” he says.

“It’s a safe space to go and there’s plenty of wildlife there as well.

“I know they’ve got to have housing, but it’s no good taking up all the green spaces and cramming everybody on top of one another, because then there’s no facilities or recreational ground.

“The word ‘health’ speaks for itself: it’s a health park and it should remain so.”

Last week, an online meeting about the Health Park housing plans was held by the Knowle West Alliance of local residents and organisations.

The consensus of the meeting, attended by 20 people, was that the proposed development site is not the right place to build homes. However, a derelict former caretakers’ house at the Downton Road entrance to the Health Park was given as a potential alternative site for housing.

Knowle West Health Park promotes health and wellbeing in the local area, but 1.2 hectares of it could now become homes. Photo by Charlie Watts

Knowle West resident Katharine Hegarty is part of local planning group Knowle West Future. She is surprised that there could even be a housing proposal for a health park.

“Open outdoor space, healthy living: that’s what that place promotes, and that’s what it needs to be kept for,” she says.

“Anything which would hinder the advantageous use of the space for local residents would be contrary to its original purpose.”

The whole of Knowle West Health Park is allocated for community use, open space, business and 50 homes in the Bristol Local Plan. Thirteen houses have already been built on part of the Health Park for a development called The Bridleway, which was completed in 2014.

The existing buildings on the Health Park – the Knowle West Healthy Living Centre, the William Budd Health Centre and the South Bristol Dialysis Unit – are not being considered for development by Goram Homes.

The playpark and multi-use games area could be moving to another part of the Health Park if it is developed for housing. Photo by Charlie Watts

A website has been set up on behalf of Bristol City Council about the Health Park housing plans. This originally said that the proposed development would be on land adjacent to the Health Park, but has now been corrected to say it would in fact be within the park.

The website also had a timeline on it that said the hope was to submit an outline planning application for the Health Park development in the summer of 2021, but this date was removed from the timeline after Goram Homes was contacted by Bristol24/7.

Goram Homes says that its focus is on listening to the local community to understand its needs and the potential for the Health Park.

“Due to the high number of responses from local residents we will be having further discussions with the community through the ward councillors and Knowle West Alliance before any pre-application submission is made,” says a spokesperson for Bristol City Council and Goram Homes.

“These discussions will now need to wait until the local elections have taken place as we are in the ‘pre-election’ period.”

Local people can let Goram Homes know their thoughts about the housing plans for Knowle West Health Park by phoning 0117 911 4210 or visiting www.healthparkhomes.com     

Charlie Watts is reporting on Knowle West as part of Bristol24/7’s community reporter scheme, a pilot project which aims to tell stories from areas of Bristol traditionally under-served by the mainstream media 

Main photo by Charlie Watts 

Read more: Council-owned housing company to develop 12 sites across Bristol