Ashton Gate and Longmoor Village
The proposals for these two sites will be progressed in what is known as a hybrid application as follows:
- Full permission will be sought for sports and convention centre (4000 seats), 230 bed hotel, 30,000sq ft of offices (9 storeys), 140 one and two bed flats in 6, 7 and 18 storey blocks and 540 space multi-storey car park (7 storeys) on land adjoining the stadium;
- Outline permission will be sought for circa 500 two, three and four bedroom homes on site 500m to south west of the stadium.
The Society is reserving its position until full details of the proposals are available. We have made initial comments on the proposals shown to us which are summarised below.
Ashton Gate
Bristol Civic Society supports, in principle, the development of the land adjoining Ashton Gate Stadium which will create a sporting and hospitality hub of benefit to the City and south Bristol in particular. It would considerably increase local employment opportunities particularly for young people. However, the Society is generally averse to tall residential buildings. They are visually intrusive and, unless very well managed, frequently result in poor living conditions for their occupants. We are concerned about the impact of an 18 storey building on views down the Avon Gorge and of the Suspension Bridge from Winterstoke Road and further up the Bedminster Down ridge. We cannot, therefore, support the 18 storey residential tower.
We urge the developers to maximise public transport accessibility, and other measures that could lead to a further reduction in on-site parking. We have asked the developers to work with the Council and transport providers to maximise public transport access and ultimately work towards creating a transport hub including the metrobus and Portishead rail line.
Longmoor Village
The Society welcomes the proposal for around 500 dwellings on this site in accordance with the Local Plan. We would wish to see a variety of unit sizes and tenure options. Open space, both public and private, should be provided within the development and not just on the periphery. The footpath alongside Colliters Brook should not be expanded to include a cycle route as there is already a cycle route alongside the metrobus route.
John Payne
Full Bristol Civic Society review.
Bristol Civic Society review of February 2019.
