Major plans to regenerate Lawrence Hill with new homes and facilities have been broadly welcomed by residents. But they remain guarded over the extent the proposals will benefit existing residents.
The proposals include an estimated 1,500 new homes with 40 per cent affordable housing. The inner-city Bristol ward is considered the most deprived area in the city with the housing crisis being felt by residents living in overcrowded tower blocks.
A series of community workshops in a local cafe on Lawrence Hill took place this week where developer Towncentred’s consultant George Grace laid out a vision for the area.
The plan would see sections of land surrounding Lidl and opposite City Academy used to build new homes, a community NHSdiagnostic centre and a new University of Bristol site.
Locals who have seen the closure of their dentist, a pharmacy and have long-campaigned for dedicated youth provision in the area are keen to see changes in line with the needs of the community. After reading the consultation plans taxi driver Shaban Ali said that while the ‘project brings a welcome opportunity for revitalisation’ he expressed concerns over who will benefit.
Mr Ali, who is a resident of Barton House said: “While plans have been shared, only 30 individuals were involved in the initial consultations, raising concerns about whether this plan truly reflects the diverse needs of the local population. We need to be cautious about the language of ‘community engagement’. For too long, terms like this have served as manufactured consent without truly reaching those most affected.
“The community needs social housing, schools, employment opportunities, sports facilities and youth centres- not just coffee shops or commercial spaces that often cater to more affluent newcomers rather than long-standing residents. Social housing, and essential services should be prioritised, not sacrificed, to create a future Lawrence Hill that benefits all residents.”
Seven local residents attended the first of five community workshops at Rendezvous Plus Cafe. Mohamed Sayaqle, who has lived in the area for 15 years and works with young people, said he felt very positive about the vision for the area.
“Housing is an important issue in the area, a lot of people live in tower blocks so building more houses, making the high street more attractive and with more green spaces is very positive. A lot of people may not know about these consultation sessions however they are taking place in the heart of the community so hopefully more people will come. Personally I support the development,” he said.
Hazel and Richard Jones, whose house overlooks the Coop Funeralcare building on Church Road, support the idea of derelict land being put into use but raised concerns over high-rise buildings being constructed in close proximity to existing housing.
They recently supported the rejection of the plans to develop the Coop building on Church Road into an eight-storey building of student flats which would have overlooked their house. However the couple said they would welcome higher-rise buildings closer to the existing Lidl supermarket.
Richard, who moved into the area in 1982, said: “We like this area, we’ve been here a long time but I think it would help to have the land that is not being used at the moment to be converted with more modern facilities. If there was a Health Diagnostic Centre and a new dentist that would be great.”
While Lawrence Hill has a train station and regular buses, the buses are often full in peak times. Hazel said: “If that’s a problem now what’s it going to look like when more people move in – there’s going to be more people wanting to use the buses.”
Richard added that it would also be great to see the improvement of the local rail network and a bus service that stopped at Avonmeads which has a cinema and bowling but is difficult to reach without a car.