Development of housing in Fishponds
The Society welcomes the opportunity to comment on these early proposals by the local developer Castel Developments as part of the Atlas Place redevelopment masterplan. It is proposed that 1,600 new homes be built to buy and rent with some affordable and later living.
We are supportive of the creation of new homes in the city and its environs but these need to be appropriately well designed with cafes, shops, community uses and workplaces to create vibrant spaces with a high-quality public realm.
We have been trying to get a joint presentation of the Atlas Place developments and still hope this will occur. However, in the meantime, below is our initial review.
The additional population that would arise from developing this site and neighbouring sites would place considerable demands on schools, medical services, recreational and other services in the area. A development of this magnitude should contribute to improving facilities proactively and be part of any initial phasing and not left until the end or forgotten.
The documents showing the proposal say all the right things, but the proposals are inappropriate in scale and massing for this area. The area is principally 2-3 storey housing with occasional taller building on corners of main roads as reference points.
The layout is very regimented and makes no attempt to create any interesting public spaces and is just a set of blocks planted on the site.
We wait for further details and how the applicant rationalises their proposals with the principles of the Atlas Place masterplan before formally commenting. One view in the consultation documents along Goodneston Road seems acceptable but the rest are too tall, poor quality and mundane reflecting a poor city centre development inappropriate for the edge of Fishponds town centre.
Ian Jenkins