News / Hamilton House
Blow to redevelopment plans at Hamilton House
Hamilton House has stood at the centre of a bitter feud between artists and owners, who want to redevelop part of the building, for months.
Now, plans to turn a section of the community hub, known as block C, into flats have been dealt a blow after Bristol City Council refused a permitted development application for the second time.
Hamilton House owners Connolly & Callaghan (C&C) say they are disappointed by the decision, arguing funds from the proposed homes would have secured the future of the rest of the building to benefit the wider community of Stokes Croft.
is needed now More than ever
But the news has been welcomed by scores of tenants and artists, who are vehemently opposed to redevelopment and are fighting to retain the premises as a centre of creativity and a refuge for many in the area.
Passions ran high at a community meeting over the future of Hamilton House in July 2017
A bid by custodians Coexist to buy the building was rejected by C&C, leading to a long, ongoing battle over the future of Hamilton House and a mass clearance of block C in March, with tenants forced to cram into remaining space or find alternative studios.
Commenting on the latest decision by the council, Coexist said: “We at Coexist have been in negotiation with C&C for nine months regarding the lease of Hamilton House.
“We feel passionately about upholding and sustaining the community and arts resources that we have helped provide at Hamilton House for the 10 years we have been here. We see the importance of community-led arts and social places as integral to the fabric of our urban and rural spaces in the UK.
“We see the importance that belonging and community brings to people in this complex society. Hamilton House provides the opportunities for people to feel at home, create connections, develop enterprise and foment progressive social change.”
They added that the only way forward is to find the means to secure Hamilton House as a building for community use long into the future.
Orange figurines lined the streets outside Hamilton House
Animosity towards C&C is building among artists, who feel they are being forced out by proposals for new flats and rent hikes and staged a protest early on Monday morning.
But the building’s owners maintain they are working to secure it for the future and have vowed to appeal the council’s decision.
C&C’s head of social enterprise Andrew Baker fielded questions from the community
Andrew Baker, head of social enterprise at C & C said: “The permitted development application was the first step in a process towards a full planning application that would have resulted in 34 much–needed homes for affordable rental to local people, while securing over 20,000 sq.ft. of office and retail space for small business start-ups and artists, plus a community hub in the Stokes Croft block.
“We see this as key to supporting this deprived area of Bristol.
“We will now be consulting our legal team, planning advisors and Coexist in order to decide how best to remain in compliance with existing planning and to proceed from here with our appeal.”
Artists clear out of block C
Read more: Orange figurines line Stokes Croft
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