‘Bristol-wide conversation’ to shape future of Western Harbour

Plans for the controversial Western Harbour development around the Cumberland Basin are going back to the drawing board.

Bristol City Council have paid £150,000 to a team of specialists to “lead a Bristol-wide conversation” on the future of the area which spans Hotwells, Spike Island and Bedminster.

London-based Turner Works will create a six-month programme of community engagement, promising to work with the council and local organisations to develop a programme of activities and events over the coming weeks.

The tender for the contract which Turner Works won suggested that these local organisations could include St Paul’s Carnival, Knowle West Media Centre, Southmead Development Trust and Windmill Hill City Farm.

Feedback from this engagement will then be used to create a “place-shaping vision” for the future of the Western Harbour area.

Previous plans have been strongly criticised for not taking local people’s views into consideration.

Many people also want all the options back on the table. Maps and reports published so far have seen the creation of a dual carriageway between the Nova Scotia and the Pump House, the demolition of homes and the Riverside Garden Centre, a loss of green space, and a new bridge across the Avon Gorge.

Turner Works were the creative team behind Super Weston, an online placemaking platform for Weston-super-Mare.

In a press release, Bristol City Council say that they hope “by commissioning Turner Works to engage with Bristolians at an early stage of the project, before any detailed plans are made for the area, the views of residents, stakeholders and the wider city can help to inform the future of Western Harbour, an area with historic and cultural importance to the whole of Bristol”.

Following the engagement period “and development of the place-shaping vision”, the next phase of the project will be to develop a masterplan that will set out a new future for the Western Harbour which will be commissioned in 2022.

Plimsoll Bridge could be demolished as part of the Western Harbour plans – photo: Martin Booth

Bristol mayor Marvin Rees said that the Western Harbour project “is an exciting opportunity for Bristol”.

He said: “We want to put Bristol’s citizens at the heart of a collaborative vision for its future. Turner Works will work with local creatives, city partners and communities across the city to draw together an ambitious vision for Western Harbour that reflects the aspirations voiced by local people.

“Bristol faces complex challenges: a housing crisis, post-Covid economic recovery, and the threats of the climate and ecological emergencies.

“By bringing together ideas on transport, flood resilience and housing, we can respond to these challenges and unlock the potential of Western Harbour to deliver new sustainable homes in an active travel location that will future-proof this historic part of the city for future generations to enjoy.”

The metrobus stop at the Cumberland Basin is next to one of the bonded warehouses which could be turned into flats – photo: Martin Booth

Turner Works director, Carl Turner, said: “We are delighted to have been selected to work with the people of Bristol to help create a shared vision for the future of Western Harbour; one that meets the aspirations of those who live close by and those across the city.

“Our aim is to create the positive energy required to build consensus with an open engagement approach starting later in the summer and into autumn.

“We look forward to working alongside our local partners and involving people in fresh conversations to hear their thoughts and imaginative ideas about what the area can offer in the future.”

‘Western Harbour’ encompasses areas of Hotwells, Spike Island and Bedminster – image: Bristol City Council

Main photo: Martin Booth

Read more: ‘We want to be positive about the Western Harbour but we don’t know how’