News / Development
Special protection for former BRI could scupper demolition plans
The former Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI) building could be saved from demolition after it was granted special protection at the eleventh hour.
A developer has been threatening to knock down the old hospital to build student accommodation stretching up to nine storeys high.
After Bristol City Council twice blocked the plans, Unite Students appealed to the Government’s planning inspector to overturn the decision.
is needed now More than ever
Now the council has extended a conservation area, which previously covered St James’ Church and park, to include the former BRI.
Although there are no guarantees, extending the protection zone will make it more difficult for developers to get planning consent for any new scheme.
Aerial of the proposed extended St James Conservation Area. Image from Bristol City Council.
When the council announced it was considering the move last month, a spokesman said it would be a “new factor that would have to be taken into account in any planning decision, such as the existing appeal being decided by the planning inspectorate or any new planning application made to Bristol City Council”.
St James Parade Conservation Area now includes the space surrounding the old BRI building and the former eye hospital, which are on either side of Lower Maudlin Street.
Nicola Beech, cabinet member for planning and city design at the council, said: “Conservation areas help us to preserve and enhance Bristol’s special character through the planning process. As our city centre continues to thrive as an area to live, work and invest in, we should keep conservation boundaries under review to ensure our heritage is protected.
“The St James Parade Conservation Area has been extended in light of the listing of the Georgian chapel within the old BRI site.
“After consulting on the extension and conducting a new appraisal of the old BRI site, the council has concluded there is sufficient special historic and architectural interest to warrant an extended area.
“This designation is a good example of how we can apply appropriate planning controls to strike the right balance between accommodating growth and maintaining historic and cultural sensitivity in a city with over 4,000 listed buildings.”
The move could potentially put a spanner in the works for Unite Students, which bought the 18th century building in 2015 and has since been battling to knock it down and replace it with a 750-bed student block.
The developer’s plans also include a 4,000 square metre building – which could be used as office space or become a new medical school – as well as 23 parking spaces and 457 spaces for bicycles.
But the proposals sparked a fierce response, with nearly 1,000 letters of objection flooding the council’s mailbox, alongside just one letter of support.
A mysterious angel appeared outside the original BRI building in February.
The BRI is one of the oldest infirmary buildings in the country, and still retains some features from when it was built in the 18th century.
The Government planning enquiry into whether Unite Student’s plans should go ahead was postponed in September last year when Historic England granted Grade II listed status to a small chapel on the site after pressure from conservation campaigners. It is currently unclear when the enquiry would take place.
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Read more: Historic chapel on former Bristol Royal Infirmary site saved from demolition
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The council said it keeps conservation boundaries under review and it was the listing of the chapel which prompted ideas to extend the St James Parade Conservation Area. It made the decision after a month-long public consultation.
Beech previously said: “I want to shift perceptions from some developers that heritage is a hindrance to development.”
Unite Students declined to comment at this stage.
Jack Pitts is a local democracy reporter for Bristol.
Main photo: Taken by freelancer Dan Regan for the Bristol Post.
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