Proposals for 33-storey tower in Castle Park are ‘assault on Bristol’

Bristol Civic Society have objected in the strongest possible terms to a proposed residential tower block in Castle Park.

The 33-storey tower block would be built on top of Castle Park Energy Centre as part of a development by the city council-owned Goram Homes.

But the Civic Society have described the plans as “a fundamental assault on the appearance of the city and on its visual traditions”.

Society chair Simon Birch says that the society “is adamant that tall buildings are not essential to meeting the housing crisis in Bristol. They are only one of several ways of increasing building densities. We object to the principle of this development.”

He added: “The proposal is the latest, and by far the worst, in what seems a tidal wave of tall buildings that are unsympathetic to local character. Building heights leapfrog what was considered exceptional only a matter of months ago.”

An artist’s impression of the proposed tower also includes the outline of a 28-storey residential tower that could be built on the site of the current Galleries.

The proposed tower could be built above the Castle Park Energy Centre – photo: Martin Booth

“The Society is very concerned by the seemingly random nature of this proposal,” Birch said in a statement.

“The Society requests clarity on the development plan context that supports a 33-storey tower in this location. We have not been able to substantiate this proposal in planning policy.”

Negative impacts arising from the winning proposals from Groupwork and McGregor & Coxall include what the society calls an “assault on Bristol”.

“At 33 storeys the Society considers that the proposal is a fundamental assault on the appearance of the city and on its visual traditions.”

There is also the impact on both the Floating Harbour and on Castle Park: “The Society emphasises the inappropriateness of this waterfront location for a tall building. The Floating Harbour is a defining feature of Bristol, and other new developments have reflected the scale and massing of the former warehouses and industrial complexes…

“The proposed development will have a very significant, and highly negative, impact on Castle Park. There will inevitably be issues of overlooking and of overshadowing.”

Birch wrote that Bristol Civic Society “wishes to stress that tall buildings like this are inherently unsustainable and carbon-consumptive”.

“At a time of intense concern about sustainability, there is a tension in Bristol between claiming to be green but putting up a lot of intensely un-green buildings.”

Original plans for the tower in Castle Park from St Philip’s Bridge – image: Groupwork McGregor Coxall

If the tower is built, it could become the tallest building in Bristol – beating nearby Castle Park View tower.

The original plans were for a 26-storey tower, containing 80 flats of which a minimum of 24 would be social rent homes.

A spokesperson for Goram Homes said: “Our plans for Castle Park form part of our mission to build much needed housing in the city, creating sustainable communities and contributing to the local economy.

“We haven’t applied for planning permission yet, therefore it’s too early to make any final decisions about the height of the building.

“We welcome all conversations on this topic, as we know it’s incredibly important to local residents.

“We have a meeting planned with the Civic Society this week as part of our engagement with a range of stakeholders in the city.”

Main image: Groupwork and McGregor & Coxall

Read next:

• 22 things you probably didn’t know about Castle Park
• Green light given for development of St Mary le Port site
• ‘There is a democratic deficit in Bristol, particularly with concerns about developments’
• Rees’ response to petition for safer streets met with ‘disappointment’

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