News / Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone
Additional £140,000 for demolition of former sorting office
Council chiefs are ploughing an extra £140,000 into the demolition of a Bristol eyesore after unexpected problems in the basement’s construction were discovered.
Bristol City Council sold the site of the former Royal Mail sorting office near Temple Meads in 2017 to the University of Bristol for a new £300m campus, but it is contractually obliged to cover the costs of deconstructing the existing building as part of the sale agreement.
At a cabinet meeting in January, it was revealed that the approved budget of £11.25m to carry out the works needed ahead of the redevelopment, in Cattle Market Road, was likely to exceed that amount.
is needed now More than ever
Now, an additional £140,000 has been granted in a decision delegated to officers for “bore trial” inspections in the hope of finding a cheaper way of overcoming the issues.
……………………
Read more: Why Temple Quarter redevelopment will cost more than expected
……………………
The decision, published on Bristol City Council’s website, said: “During the preconstruction and enabling works phases, site trials revealed the construction of the basement to the former sorting office building to be more complex than could be envisaged.”
It said the situation was complicated further by the proximity of Grade I-listed Temple Meads train station and the floating harbour, which created problems over how demolition material could be removed.”
The decision continued: “The council has been working in collaboration with the University of Bristol to identify a more efficient solution to the site works in order to minimise cost and risk to the council.
“Site trials are required to verify an alternative methodology to resolve the issues around the existing basement, which could result in a more efficient solution.”
The works “could result in a significant overall saving due to a more efficient methodology being adopted”, it added.
After 100 years in Clifton, we have run out of viable space for expansion and this development presents us with exciting opportunity to re-engage with Bristol and its communities.
Outline planning permission was granted last year for the university’s new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus at the site.
It is hoped that it will regenerate the area between the city’s main train station and the River Avon.
Adam Postans is a local democracy reporter for Bristol
Read more: Demolition – a family business
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
