Dandara’s development comprises three buildings from seven to 10 storeys immediately to the east, west and south of the Green. 339 apartments are provided, plus mixed retail, eating and community uses. Public realm improvements including redesigning Bedminster Green are included.
Bristol Civic Society supports the principle of a predominantly residential development of this vacant site. However, we have a number of serious concerns about this proposal and cannot support this application:
Height, massing and design: the Green is too small to accommodate buildings of this height on its perimeter. The proposed massing of the three buildings is oppressive. There is little variation in height and no breaks in the facades to allow permeability or light into the developments. In considering these issues, the Society is not convinced that the proposal meets the requirements of national and local planning policies to achieve a high quality of design suited to the development context.
Impact on views: There are significant and adverse impacts particularly looking from south to north. As seen from the Alfred Road viewpoint, the proposed development significantly erodes one of the defining characteristics of Bristol’s Victorian suburbs.
Living Conditions: Significant numbers of the proposed dwellings would be single aspect. Each dwelling has a balcony but we are not convinced that there is sufficient external playspace at close quarters for many of the dwellings apart from those facing the Green.
Size and tenure of proposed dwellings: We are concerned about the preponderance of one and two bedroom apartments which comprise about 87% of the total to be provided.
Sustainability: The Bedminster Green developments should be exemplars of achieving sustainability. As it stands, the Society has a number of concerns about the sustainability of the proposed development.
Traffic and transport: We would urge the developers to discuss with Network Rail whether a northern station entrance is possible in the longer term and, if so, to protect the location where it could be provided. The Society is not clear how the buildings will be serviced by delivery and other vehicles.
John Payne
Four-tracking the railway through Bedminster is included in WECA’s Ten-Year Rail Plan. This work could transform the viability of a northern entrance to Bedminster station in much the same way that the Eastern Entrance to Temple Meads was made viable by the recent track upgrade there. This is a very sad missed opportunity.