News / Housing
Land for 350 homes as part of major south Bristol regeneration
Bristol started from a low base but is fast gaining momentum in the drive to meet acute housing need across the city, according to mayor Marvin Rees.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting, in which members agreed to the acquisition of land from City of Bristol College to facilitate a new development in Hartcliffe, he said the council’s ambitious approach is also gaining outside interest, but most of all bringing security and happiness to families.
South Bristol is earmarked for major regeneration and this latest step is set to provide 350 homes – of which at least 30 per cent will be affordable – across the former school site and council-owned land off Hawkfield Road.
is needed now More than ever
Paul Smith spoke of the joy at new homes, jobs and training coming to his old stomping ground
Paul Smith, the council’s cabinet member for housing, spoke of his joy at being able to bring more homes, jobs and training opportunities to his “old stomping ground” as he presented the report to cabinet on Tuesday.
“The Hartcliffe campus was part of the site of Hartcliffe Secondary School (now the Bridge Campus), which I attended,” he said.
Hartcliffe campus site plan. From Bristol City Council
Smmith confirmed outline planning permission has been granted for 350 new homes – 105 affordable, of which 80 will be available at social rent and 25 shared ownership. 50 per cent of the rented affordable housing will go to local lettings “to help sustain and reinforce local communities”.
“We are talking to the developers and they are looking at their finances to see if we can get it up to 175 affordable – bringing it up to 50 per cent affordable to help meet the acute housing need in the area,” he said.
“We have had very productive talks with the college about their work in south Bristol. One of the things we have done is a deal to provide land to the college at Hengrove Park, adjacent to their main facility to build a new construction training skills centre, funded by the LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) to provide construction training for people in the local area, where there are going to be so many new homes.
“Regeneration is not about buildings – fundamentally it has to be about giving people additional skills, confidence and income.”
Read more: New £6m construction skills centre for Bristol
When questioned why there is not more affordable and council housing being provided on the site, Smith reiterated the hope that the provision will be increased to 50 per cent affordable.
He added: “This is not the right place to have a lot of new council housing. Hartcliffe has, apart from Barton Hill, more council housing than anywhere else in the city.
“We want to see it being accessible across the whole of the city not continue to concentrate it in one area where that has always been the case.”
Helen Holland, a cabinet member and councillor for Hartcliffe and Withywood, welcomed the plans, saying: “There will be people in the tower blocks overlooking this site who are desperate for a family home. This is a win-win all round, providing jobs and homes.”
Read more: New site could expand opportunities at Hengrove’s Bottle Yard Studios
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