PLANS to knock down two buildings used by Fishponds businesses and replace them with 380 new homes have been approved unanimously by councillors.
The Filwood House and Verona House industrial sites off Filwood Road, which currently host workshops, offices and warehouses, will be redeveloped into a new neighbourhood next to the Bristol & Bath Railway Path as part as the Atlas Place project.
But none of the properties would be classed as ‘affordable’ after Bristol City Council planning officers insisted on keeping space for jobs in the local area.
Two tall landmark chimneys will be retained and become the focus of a recreational area serving the new neighbourhood, which is part of the wider Atlas Place masterplan, next to 252 homes at Graphic Packaging International factory and 1,600 at the Castel site.
The current industrial area in Filwood Road is next to the Bristol & Bath Railway Path, and a new cycling and walking route would be created to connect them.
Developers originally applied to build 900 homes up to 13 storeys in a taller, denser estate, but these were reduced to 180 houses and 200 flats in blocks no bigger than six storeys, which the planning committee granted permission for on Wednesday, October 14.
Filwood House and Verona House will be demolished to make way for the new homes.
Residents objected that GP surgeries were already stretched and that a lack of parking would become even worse.
Traffic concerns
Residents-led Fishponds Community Planning Group said: “We are deeply concerned about the complete absence of any affordable housing on this site.
“We are aware as residents of the high amount of traffic in the area, and the amount of pavement parking, rat-running, overcrowded and expensive bus services, and a lack of public transport connectivity to Bristol’s employment centres, as well as overcrowding, conflicts and crime on the Bristol to Bath Railway Path.”
Ward councillors Kelvin Blake and Ellie King (Lab, Hillfields) said in a statement: “This is a significant brownfield site and represents an important opportunity to deliver new homes that Bristol urgently needs, while bringing a currently underused site into productive use.”
But they said zero affordable homes, parking problems and a lack of nearby health services had not been addressed.
Adam Scott-Avis, representing developers Central Fishponds, told councillors: “Plans were significantly reduced from 900 to 380 homes following clear feedback that communities wanted to see lower buildings and chimneys on the site saved.
“We’ve listened and worked hard to balance local expectations, advice from the council and viability.”
Council planning officer Jim Cliffe said: “The development doesn’t include any affordable housing.
“Initially the proposal did include 5%. However, given the amendments that were made to the development at the request of officers, this was reduced to zero.
“The amendments requested were for the inclusion of employment floor space – 730sqm.
“That impacted the overall viability and therefore reduced the capability of the proposal to include any affordable housing.
“The reduction from 5% to zero is unfortunate but officers did prioritise the importance of employment space over affordable housing to retain jobs in the local area.”
He said officers’ recommendation to grant permission despite zero affordable housing was based on recent experience across the city with other applications that had successfully applied for money from the government’s social housing agency Homes England.
Grant could fund affordable housing
Mr Cliffe said: “It’s highly likely that a Homes England grant will become available, which would give the developers cash-flow and upfront certainty on the number of units coming forward.
“It’s a really useful way to deliver affordable housing that way from a developers’ perspective.”
Committee member Richard Eddy (Con, Bishopsworth) said: “This is one of three schemes covered by the masterplan which has been approved already and could produce significant housing for Bristol and Fishponds, so I urge members to support this.
“While it is not cut and dry yet, there could be very significant affordable housing on the site.
“And while I understand that the applicant hasn’t been able to build into this application affordable housing because of the employment space instead, I welcome that they’re going to apply for a Homes England grant.”
Lack of healthcare and parking
Al Al-Maghrabi (Green, Frome Vale) said: “I support this development. It brings over 300 much-needed homes to Bristol in a housing crisis.
“There are a few things to iron out. The developers have taken the community concerns onboard and have worked hard with the officers to mitigate most of those shortfalls.
“I am still concerned about the lack of healthcare and parking.”
By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service