News / totterdown
Totterdown tower block proposals set for approval
Plans for 152 homes – including a 15-storey tower block – on Bath Road are recommended for approval despite residents’ concerns.
Close to 100 objections (99) have been lodged against the proposed mixed-use development on a vacant former petrol station by Totterdown Bridge, with many criticising the height and scale of the buildings.
One respondent branded the 15-storey tower a “monstrosity” and Bristol Civic Society has raised safety fears about the high rise tower, which has just one escape route, in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy.
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London-based developer Hadley Property Group plans to build 152 new homes across site, comprising the 15-storey block – plus two additional basement floors facing the river for 40 car parking spaces – as well as three, six and seven-storey buildings, with additional office space and 288 cycle racks.
An artist’s impression of what the scheme could look like
The plan is to allocate 20 per cent of the residential units for affordable homes, with a proposed split of 77 per cent affordable rent and 23 per cent shared ownership. The council target for the area is 30 per cent.
Bristol City Council’s cabinet member for housing, Paul Smith, has praised the developer’s approach to affordable housing provision via Twitter. He says there are fiscal measures that can deliver more affordable homes than the planning system, so the figure can be bumped up after approval is granted.
https://twitter.com/bristolpaul/status/1140551425606529024
Council officers are recommending that development control committee members grant permission for the development when they meet on Wednesday (June 19).
But Totterdown Residents Environmental & Social Action (TRESA) group chairman Simon Hobeck is calling on councillors to go against the advice and refuse the proposals.
He said: “The planning officer’s report confirms that building heights of two to four storeys are recommended in this part of the Avon Riverside Area, and that the proposed density of 270 dwellings per hectare is more than twice the recommended density of 120 dwellings.
“But the officer concludes the design of the 17-storey tower is of sufficiently high quality to justify ignoring those policies. We are shocked by this conclusion.”
He argues the Government has been painfully slow to act after the Grenfell fire and points out that Bristol’s new Urban Living planning document highlights the importance of fire safety measures.
In the wake of the Grenfell tragedy that killed 72 people and injured more than 70, the Hackitt Review identified the number of escape routes as an important consideration, stating safety requirements were greater for buildings over 10-storeys and required “the most stringent measures”.
The site of the planned development as it looks today
The officers’ report states: “It is recognised that the development proposes a high density and is on a constrained site, therefore presents a challenge.
“Nevertheless, officers consider that the scheme is of a good quality, and that the negative impacts have been worked through with adequate mitigation in place.”
Residents have raised concerns about the proposed development
Previous proposals to redevelop the site – that included plans for a 12-storey tower block – were refused in 2008, with the size and scale of the buildings and lack of affordable homes, among ther reasons given.
Hadley would be required to contribute £138,725.00 towards local community infrastructure, including £20,000 to improve St Philips Greenway, under a section 106 agreement if permission is granted.
The scheme would also provide a new public space and walkway from Bath Road to the river, as well as a path along its northern edge along the River Avon.
The site of the development was most recently a car wash but once housed a boat builder
Read more: 15-storey tower among plans for 160 new homes in Totterdown
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