News / Western Harbour
Western Harbour masterplan unveiled but start date still years away
A circular residential tower will have one of the best views in Bristol if it is built as part of the newly unveiled Western Harbour masterplan.
The tower will look down the Avon Gorge towards the Clifton Suspension Bridge, where another bridge was also earmarked to be built as part of some of the earliest plans for the development.
It is in the middle of the empty patch of grass hemmed in by a circular road on the Spike Island side of Plimsoll Swing Bridge, set to be retained in the latest plans for the area which will feature up to 1,200 new homes.
is needed now More than ever
This small patch of land could see some of Bristol’s most highly desirable real estate built on it – photo: Martin Booth
Also being kept in its current location is Riverside Garden Centre, with some of the original much-derided plans for the Western Harbour seeing a new road carving its way through the site.
But the new scheme is already being criticised, with stickers next to the Pump House against the ‘imposed’ plans, calling to ‘stop the blighting and bullying’ and that there has been ‘no say for (the) local community’.
Blocks of flats could be built on empty land between Riverside Garden Centre and the New Cut – photo: Martin Booth
Three new towers between the garden centre and the New Cut now form part of a new aerial view of the masterplan, with the towers appearing to be as high as three historic bonded warehouses which could all be turned into housing.
Blocks of flats can also be seen on both sides of the Cumberland Basin in the aerial image, with the images released on Monday by Bristol City Council showing cafe and restaurant outside seating areas overlooking the water.
The Western Harbour regeneration project area sits at the western-most end of the Floating Harbour, “as a gateway between city and countryside” – image: Bristol City Council
Bristol City Council leader, Tony Dyer, said: “We’ve listened to feedback and have adjusted our proposals for Western Harbour based on how people felt about the initial ideas shared back in the autumn.
“We’re delighted to be able to retain Riverside Garden Centre in its current location and look forward to continuing our work with them to develop plans for how the garden centre will look in the future.
“Ashton Meadows will remain a green open space linking Greville Smyth Park to the river and to the recreational spaces of Ashton Court and Leigh Woods beyond.
“The draft masterplan also addresses the acute need for housing in Bristol, proposing between 750 and 1,200 new homes for the area whilst ensuring the Grade II-listed bonded warehouses, while repurposed remain the dominant features of the skyline to the west of the city.”
Outside seating from cafes and restaurants overlooking Cumberland Basin in one of the images released as part of the new Western Harbour masterplan – image: Bristol City Council
49 per cent of the land within the Western Harbour area is currently taken up by roads, parking and other hard surfaces – photo: Martin Booth
The new masterplan from Londppn-based urban planners Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands follows the firm gathering opinions over the autumn of 2024 for how the area could be improved.
The Western Harbour encompasses an area at the western end of the Floating Harbour, with the northern boundary following Hotwell Road, Dowry Place and Oldfield Place and including the elevated flyover system; the central area includes the part of Spike Island west of Avon Crescent, Cumberland Basin and the Plimsoll Swing Bridge; with the boundary to the south of the New Cut following Brunel Way and Jessop Underpass.
Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands say there was “significant support to keep Brunel Way overpass in its existing position”.
Other proposals include “improvements to the landscape around the overpass and freeing up space for trees and wildlife by replacing the many interweaving routes with a single road” which has the potential to remove around five football pitches of tarmac.
Much of the spaghetti-like network of elevated roads near the Create Centre could be removed to make space for new housing – photo: Martin Booth
Andrew Brown, chair of Bristol City Council’s economy & skills committee and harbour committee, said: “One key part of the masterplan is how we can make Western Harbour more accessible, by improving pedestrian and cycle paths and creating better connections to make it easier to get around and enjoy the area.”
Brown has teased the possibility of “a riverside park and elevated riverwalk”.
These will integrate with future flood defences and “enhance the experience for anyone walking, cycling or wheeling through Western Harbour, encouraging them to stop and enjoy the views whilst also engaging with nature”.
Brown added: “By bringing together the well-established assets, heritage and communities in the area with a mix of new shops, cafes, cultural uses, creative workspaces and homes we can create a vibrant and sustainable neighbourhood.
“There are still many steps ahead of us before we can begin any work on the ground, including works to address the ageing road and bridge network.
“We will continue to provide opportunities for you to have your say and influence the evolving masterplan.”
Cumberland Basin is at the heart of the Western Harbour plans – photo: Martin Booth
The masterplan will soon be available to be seen at www.harbourhopes.co.uk where a survey can also be completed.
Exhibitions presenting the proposals will be on show at the Create Centre from Tuesday to March 5 and on Museum Square next to M Shed from Tuesday until March 9.
You can also meet the Western Harbour team and share your thoughts in person at Underfall Yard on Saturday 1 March 1, or at a webinar on Wednesday and February 25.
For more information and to sign up for the webinar, visit visit www.harbourhopes.co.uk
People against the scheme say the developers are “blighting and bullying” the local community – photo: Martin Booth
Main image: Bristol City Council
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