Portland Square: from dereliction to luxury

There’s a telling omission in the marketing literature for the Old Shoe Factory redevelopment of 40 luxury homes on Portland Square.

The website for the “exquisite apartments” with “the very best of interior style and elegance” makes no mention of their location in the neighbourhood of St Paul’s.

While it may be true that St Paul’s has turned a corner, it could be argued that its old reputation still lingers.

But developers will be hoping this could all be a thing of the past as luxury developments start to creep into the area through Portland Square and the neighbouring Brunswick Square.

Portland Square alone is already home to a handful of construction sites with derelict buildings soon to be replaced with apartments.

But there are also plans lodged with the council to bring a boutique hotel to an area that, in reality, still attracts its fair share of drugs and prostitution.

The council’s own Crime Reduction Unit points out on an application to bring 40 new flats to 1-4 Portland Square (the Old Shoe Factory) that the developments are “in an area that suffers with a significant amount of crime and anti-social behaviour.”

The conversion of the Old Shoe Factory, by Juniper Homes, is also joined by Portland View, Portland Heights and 22 Portland Square, all by Barnett Developments.

Three more buildings once housing offices on the square are also due to be turned into flats by smaller private developers.

And between Portland Square lies Cabot24, a selection 24 apartments being converted from an office by Places for People, a housing association which will sell or rent under market value.

Across the square, past Bristol Drugs Project and its needle exchange, is the plush new office development known as One Brunswick Square, converting derelict buildings into a “creative office hub” with all the snazzy interiors of a Google headquarters.

With all the development and change happening in both squares, estate agents have been quick to pinpoint the area as the next property hotspot.

The prices certainly seem to indicate that may be the case – with some two-bed apartments currently for sale for more than £250,000 (one-bed prices start at £129,950). There is also little in the way of affordable housing in the big developments despite the council’s planning policy of 30 per cent.

Nick More, associate director of commercial property agent Colliers International, is keen to stress that what is happening is most certainly not gentrification.

“When people talk about gentrification, they’re really talking about residents being priced out of their own area by a rise in the market,” he told the Bristol Post.

“What’s happening here is different – the majority of these properties have either been empty or squatted for years – or looking back have spent decades being used as little factories or cheap offices.”

However, on a short walk around Portland Square, Bristol24/7 found that people living and working in the area beg to differ.

Rebecca Whiteley, 27, who works in marketing for Shambala festival said: “I think if these developments are sympathetic to the architecture of the building it’s not too bad, but then again people are being pushed out of the city centre.

“They’re making it too expensive for people to live in the city centre, which is a shame, cause it’s quite a diverse area as it is. It would be a shame to lose that.”

Ellen Grist, 30, a structural engineer from St Paul’s, lived in one of the Georgian townhouses on Portland Square for 10 months as one of 10 “property guardians” while the developer who owned the building sought planning permission to turn it into luxury flats.

“Portland Square genuinely was a phenomenal place to live with a group of friends, being a stone’s throw from both Stokes Croft and Cabot Circus. The sight of prostitutes on the square was sadly a reasonably frequent reminder of brokenness of the city but never caused any problems. Walking home late at night I was cautious rather than anxious about my safety. In the 10 months of living on the square I witnessed one handbag snatched and one car attempted to be lifted (the police responded in less than five minutes). 

“I’m sure the new flats will be nice enough, with fancy fixtures and fittings, but even if I had that sort of money I wouldn’t want one myself. I don’t think the sort of community I experienced in my year as a property guardian can be reproduced when big properties are carved up into individual flats. Better make sure you have your own sugar, as luxury Georgian flats don’t lend themselves to neighbourly conversations over the garden fence.”

Ignacio Jorge, 21, from Easton, who works Brunswick Square, added: “These developments have their good sides and its bad sides.

“I think it’s not the area for luxury housing and the gentrification they’re trying to do around these places.

“But I don’t think you can really do anything against that, it’s happening in every major city.  It’s part of the way it is, as more communities get pushed to the suburbs or outside the centre just to be luxury places.  In my personal opinion, I wouldn’t allow it, but it’s done, so I guess we have to deal with it.”

Hayden Evans, 31, from Montpelier, said: “I think with these derelict buildings it’s better to have someone living in them than not living in them.

“I just hope they keep the vibe of the place without trying to spoil it, cause it’s a very beautiful area of Bristol and it’d be a shame if it all just becomes shiny and new and faceless, you know?

“So I think it’s good that something’s getting done with derelict buildings but I hope it’s done in a really good way.”

Julia, 32, a translator from Montpelier, said: “I think there’s already enough flats around this area. Especially luxury flats.

“I mean, they’re lovely old buildings, it’d be nice to see more of them, and more variation in what there is. We don’t need any more luxury homes, no.”

Dom Lane, of housing crisis campaign group No Fixed Abode said: “Surely these developments presented the perfect opportunity to provide affordable homes at the heart of a community in danger of being priced out of their own neighbourhood?

“Building luxury apartments in the centre of our city may highlight Bristol’s economic vitality, but doesn’t it cast a shadow over many lower income residents of St Paul’s? Thousands don’t even have the luxury of knowing where’ll be sleeping next month.”

Bristol24/7 contacted both Barnett Developments and Juniper Homes for a comment about their new developments and the proportion of affordable homes they have, but neither company responded.

A look at their planning applications shows the Old Shoe Factory submitted a document to the council’s planning department successfully arguing that affordable housing was not an obligation.

Portland View also provides no affordable housing, but has made a £130,000 contribution to the council’s affordable housing fund.

With additional reporting from Frankie Talbot.

Read more: Boutique hotel sign of times in St Paul’s