The Council’s consultants have carried out a second consultation on a masterplan for development at Western Harbour. At this stage of the masterplan, the consultation tested opinion on the key elements of the plan before proceeding to the detailed masterplan. It sets out a spatial framework of potential solutions to the major infrastructure requirements and indicates the potential of developable land.
The Society has commented. Key points are:
- Western Harbour is the significant entrance to the city from west and it is vital that the emerging masterplan respects and enhances the historic setting whilst creating a contemporary new area which is fully connected to the adjoining local communities.
- We addressed both the master planners and the City Council. The Council is treating the area as part of the City Centre as opposed to an ‘inner urban area’ and this is driving inappropriate density of development. We think this is wrong. The Council owns over 90% of the land, and it should determine the brief to developers to ensure that development enhances and protects a unique element of Bristol’s character and provides real benefits for the existing community within which it will sit.
- Whilst the number of homes to be delivered has come down substantially from that quoted previously, the number of homes needs to be moderated further downwards. We advocate for gentle densification here, with townhouses and apartments from 3 to 5 storeys high. 6/7 storeys is too high and the blocks in the visualizations appear to be too close together.
We submitted detailed comments under the headings of:
- road alignment
- over-development and liveability
- car-free development
- flood defences
- views
- the heritage assets – the warehouses, Brunel’s lock, Brunel’s old bridge
- building heights
- specific development locations and proposals
- community, cultural and business space