Vision laid out for land around River Frome

Locals are being asked to have their say on a framework which sets out a vision for regenerating part of St Jude’s over the next 15 years.

Bristol City Council is working on plans for the riverside of the Frome which include 1,000 new homes, work space, employment opportunities, community services and restoring the river to become “a thriving wildlife corridor”.

The proposals for Frome Gateway, which covers the area bordered by Newfoundland Road, the M32, Wade Street, Pennywell Road and Easton Way, were first put forward in 2019 but stalled due to the pandemic.

Now the council, having “worked with local businesses and the community”, is seeking feedback in a six-week consultation which sets out “a vision and set of principles to inform and coordinate development and regeneration proposals” for the area over the coming years.

An artist’s impression of Frome Gateway in 2035 – image: Frome Gateway Spatial Regeneration Framework

The draft Frome Gateway Regeneration Framework will see the area change over time from being mostly industrial with some residential parts to “a healthy and sustainable residential-led neighbourhood with a greater mix of uses”.

This includes changes to streets so that they “prioritise pedestrian and active travel movement” through landscaping, increasing the size of pavements and “a managed reduction in vehicle movements, as well as new crossings over Newfoundland Way and the Frome.

A new “nature walk” footpath will also be created along the southern bank of the river. The existing subway at Junction 3 and Easton Way, which is narrow and often floods, will also be improved.

The framework aims to keep existing businesses in the area, but consolidate “under-used employment space”. Some businesses might need to relocate, the framework states.

As well as delivering 1,000 new homes by about 2035, the project could include 500 student beds, new shops, cafes and workspaces.

Many residents in St Jude’s grapple with a lack of green and community spaces and a stabbing recently took place in the area.

On Friday, Bristol24/7 reported that a youth project within the regeneration area on Clement Street that has been serving the local community for 130 years could be forced to close.

Mayor Marvin Rees said: “We are asking people, residents and businesses to come forward and share their views on what we should be doing with this part of city to see what the principles that should underpin the regeneration of the Frome Gateway as it develops ultimately in years ahead, well beyond my time in political office.

“We want people to really have a sense of ownership because they can see that it’s doing the things that they need it do to for the people of Bristol, the countries and the world.”

“It is important because it gives people in the area specifically and of course the citizens more  widely a chance to speak into what the plan for this area might look like.

“With all priorities we have on land for decarbonisation, biodiversity regain, tackling the housing crisis, making sure we have a mix of housing tenure, make sure we protect employment areas, and we want to hear the views and the voices of people in the area about how we should design this part of Bristol.”

Much of the the Frome in Bristol is hidden beneath the city centre but the flow surfaces in St Jude’s, here seen from Wade Street – photo: Betty Woolerton

Comments received during the consultation, which closes on December 3, will be used to make final changes before it goes to cabinet in early 2024 for approval.

If endorsed, the framework will be used to guide planning applications and investment in the area over the next 15 years.

The council is running consultation events in Riverside Park on November 6 from 3pm to 5.30pm; an exhibition at Lost Horizon on Elton Street on November 8 from 12pm to 6pm; and walking tours from 12.30pm to 1.30pm on November 1, 16 and 30.

To read the full draft Frome Gateway Regeneration Framework, visit www.fromegateway.co.uk

Main photo: Betty Woolerton

Read next:

• Urgent call to save youth project that has served community for 130 years
• A-Z Bristol Pub Crawl: The Volunteer Tavern, St Jude’s
• The hidden river flowing underneath Bristol city centre

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