Cinema’s appeal prompts flurry of support for Bedminster development

Owners of the Orpheus in Henleaze are urging customers to back plans for a new £3m, three-screen cinema in Bedminster.

Their dedicated appeal page on the Scott Cinemas website has prompted a flurry of activity on Bristol City Council’s planning portal, with scores of people adding their support for the latest venture from the popular regional chain.

But in truth, the planning application does not just cover proposals for a new cinema.

It is for a major redevelopment of St Catherine’s on the corner of Dalby Avenue, which will incorporate 271 new flats, including a 22-storey tower, retail units and no affordable homes that has met with a raft of objections.

Firmstone, the company behind the proposed development, says the plans will act as a catalyst for wider regeneration of the area.

More than 150 people have so far objected to the proposals, with concerns largely focused on the height of the proposed tower and lack of affordable housing provision on the site.

Outlining his concerns in a written statement, Labour councillor for Windmill Hill, Jon Wellington, pointed out that the lack of affordable housing is contrary to the city council’s policy – which requires developers to provide a minimum of 30 per cent affordable.

“A development such as this with zero affordable housing does not meet our objectives and will not benefit the city or the local area,” Wellington said.

“I have heard the developers reasons for not including any affordable housing and I do not accept them.”

While most people commenting on the application welcome the opportunity to regenerate the St Catherine’s Place shopping area and provide much-needed housing, the majority said they were unable to support the plans in their current format.

Then came the announcement of plans for a brand-new cinema, complete with the latest technology including Dolby Atmos sound and 4k laser projection in all screens, as well as a bar and cafe.

Inside the Orpheus cinema in Henleaze

In its appeal for customers to support the “planning application for a new Scott Cinema in Bedminster”, Scott Cinemas, the group that owns the Orpheus, as well as seven other sites across the South West, said: “Love our cinema? Think our neighbours and friends in south Bristol would love one too? Then help us by supporting our planning application to build a new, purpose built cinema in Bedminster.”

Scott Cinemas operations director Dan Harris told Bristol24/7: “We’re always on the lookout for new opportunities, and we thought that the project in Bedminster was a high-quality development, of good design and layout that will help the local area.

“Bedminster is the only remaining area of central Bristol that is underserved by big-screen entertainment and partnering with a respected local developer to help with the regeneration of St Catherine’s Place was a logical choice for us.”

He said he was unable to comment on concerns about the wider development and affordable housing provision.

Proposals for St Catherine’s Place include 271 new apartments – to include a 22-storey tower and no affordable homes

Responding to the question of affordable housing provision, Francis Firmstone, director of Firmstone, said his firm recognised the importance of trying to deliver affordable housing, “despite the challenges in making it financially viable”.

“Before we started work on our plans, we proposed to the council that we deliver Catherine’s House as affordable housing on a shared ownership basis, but unfortunately we were not able to reach agreement on this,” he stated.

“Since then, there has been on-going dialogue with the council to see how affordable housing can be delivered as part of the St Catherine’s Place development, and we are still trying to find a solution to this.

“When we bought St Catherine’s Place, it had planning permission for 188 homes, with no affordable housing, a recognition of the financial challenge it posed for development.

“But by incorporating the shopping centre, which was not part of the original plans, we recognised that this would make St Catherine’s Place more deliverable, as well as acting a catalyst for the wider regeneration of the whole Bedminster Green area.

“Our current proposals aim to deliver over 300 homes and the much-needed regeneration of St Catherine’s Place shopping centre, helping to deliver a mix of housing and contribute to creating a balanced community in Bedminster Green.

“Our significant investment into a new independent cinema is critical to attracting other retail businesses into the shopping centre and making the whole scheme viable.

“Just as importantly, by regenerating the shopping centre, we will be able to create a vibrant hub and focal point for the local community in Bedminster Green and help revitalise the wider East Street area, supporting other local businesses based in the vicinity.

“We have worked closely with the other landowners at Bedminster Green to create a development framework for the area and are pleased this has now been approved by Bristol City Council. We are still reviewing the feedback to our proposals from stakeholders and the local community and deciding how we can best respond to the issues that have been raised in terms of our scheme’s design.

“We are committed to finding a solution to the current issues so we can deliver this important regeneration project for Bedminster, an area which we consider to be our heartland.”

Firmstone says the recent development of Catherine’s House is evidence of the firm’s focus on delivery. The development has provided 54 homes, 90 per cent of which are already occupied.

All have now sold, 43 to first-time buyers and nine to investors.

He added: “We are in the early stages of our planning for the Argos site and have submitted a planning application which is now open to public consultation. This site faces similar challenges to those at St Catherine’s Place and we are currently waiting for detailed feedback from Bristol City Council on our proposals which we think will really help cement the regeneration of East Street.”

The St Catherine’s Place development is yet to go before Bristol City Council’s planning committee.

Read more: New cinema for Bedminster