News / Development
Redcliffe Wharf could finally be redeveloped
One of the last remaining empty patches of land next to the Floating Harbour could finally be developed by a partnership between Bristol City Council, Homes England and the West of England Combined Authority.
But concerns have been raised after the council agreed to sign an exclusive deal with Bristol Temple Quarter to revive Redcliffe Wharf and Phoenix Wharf, which has seen several failed attempts to redevelop it over the last 30 years.
The harbour committee has now approved teaming up with Bristol Temple Quarter but the council’s own advisers, Savills, assessed the proposal, along with an unsolicited rival bid by an unnamed leisure operator, and concluded that neither included enough information to be properly analysed and scrutinised.
However, council officers suggested ditching the leisure plans and giving Bristol Temple Quarter nine months anyway to work up the details, which was backed unanimously by the committee despite serious reservations from opposition Labour councillors.
The harbour authority has to become self-financing by 2031 with Bristol City Council currently subsidising the docks by £766,000 a year.
A report to the committee said: “The harbour authority currently generates revenue from rents, marine activities, car parking and events which does not cover the true costs of maintaining the City Docks in an operational state and in a condition befitting its heritage status.
“The harbour authority therefore needs to identify and use any remaining underutilised land for commercial opportunity.”
One of those is Redcliffe Wharf, with the idea being to lease the site so the council can receive ongoing rental income rather than a one-off payment to sell it.
But committee member Tim Rippington, Labour councillor for Brislington East, said that if any housing was brought forward as council homes then the income would have to go into the ring-fenced housing revenue account.
His fellow Labour councillor, Kye Dudd, said: “I just don’t see how a residential proposal works with what we’re after.
“If they’re working up options, I would like to see a purely commercial option as well. Retail, office space, restaurants, that kind of thing.
“Because I don’t think you would meet the test with residential with us as members of the harbour committee and what we’re looking for in terms of affordable housing as well because it’s quite a difficult site.
“Previous schemes fell foul of that as well.”
A former plan for Redcliffe Wharf was for a mixed-use development across six buildings – image: Alec French
Bristol City Council executive director of growth & regeneration, John Smith, said: “We’re going to go off and do this negotiation. We need to come back with something we can recommend.
“I would really not want to have our hands constrained at this stage around the options and how we do that.
“We’ve undertaken to come back to committee with the proposal and we would have to get to the point where we think it generates sufficient income that we can justify that as a site within the harbour.
“It is likely to have some residential. That is a key part of the Temple Quarter development. But it’s going to be quite difficult for us if you give us a list at this stage.
“This is a delicate and difficult balancing act because we have a major regeneration scheme for the city and the harbour authority’s statutory ringfence.”
A report to the committee said Savills backed the proposal to enter detailed negotiations because the site was already allocated in the Temple Quarter masterplan, Muse was a credible delivery partner with a proven track record and there were no significant planning hurdles.
Once the details of the plans are known, they will be brought back to the committee for a decision.
If there is no acceptable long-term rental proposal, the land could be put on the open market.
Main photo: Rob Browne
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