The former Avon Fire And Rescue Service Headquarters Temple Back
This large site runs south from the Counterslip with return frontages on Temple Back and Temple Street. The image shows the proposed tall building seen from the corner of St. Philip’s Bridge and Temple Back. After Avon Fire and Rescue moved their HQ to Keynsham, redevelopment became the preferred option for the uninspired empty building.
Cubex, who are developing the Finzel’s Reach site on the opposite side of the Counterslip, own the site. They propose to build 300 homes – 80% build to rent and 20% affordable provision in a building that includes the 16-storey tower (as shown) together with a 7-storey commercial building on Counterslip and Temple Street.
The Society supports redevelopment but would prefer a greater proportion of residential accommodation. At 16-floors, the corner tower is a step-change above the surrounding buildings in Counterslip and Temple Street. The Society has invited the Council to assess whether the hyper-dense Finzel’s Reach development on the opposite side of the road to the 16-floor tower would create an attractive street. The residential accommodation offers a communal living approach that devotes 10% of space to shared use that will add an attractive new choice of housing for residents in the expanding city centre residential market. An urban design aspiration of the Council has been to improve the urban grain of the area, damaged by post war redevelopment. The Society welcomes the use of trees a to green the edges of the development and reduce the impact of the street widths.
John Frenkel
johnfrenkel5@gmail.com
Bristol Civic Society’s full statement [PDF]
