Plans for a large student accommodation development on a business park in Bristol have been redrawn by the developers after the council refused planning permission in the face of a huge backlash from local businesses.
Councillors were inundated with objections from around the world because the development would have seen the globally-famous Invisible Circus have to move away, and objections also came in from a venue called the Dare To Club, opposite the development site.
But now, six months on, the developers are back with a fresh set of plans which sees fewer student flats and more industrial and commercial space instead. They held a public exhibition of the new set of plans last week, and an online exhibition and consultation process has begun.
Developer Dominus had received the backing of local community groups and councillors for their original plans. The project would have seen the Premier Business Park, an industrial estate on Kingsland Road between The Dings and the area around the St Philips household recycling centre, levelled and then a development built based around purpose-built student accommodation for 705 students, along with shops, business premises and a new community centre for The Dings.
Councillors refused permission at the end of June, saying the development would have meant students would be stuck living on an island surrounded by industrial estates. The council also said they did not want to lose so much commercial land either.
Now, Dominus has returned with fresh plans. The number of student beds has reduced from 705 to around 560, and the area to the north-eastern end of the site, opposite the Dare To Club and Alfred Street, will have no student accommodation there at all, and just be a five-storey commercial building for light industrial use.
“We’re really excited by the way our new plans are shaping up,” said Dominus’ development manager Tristram Taylor. “Working directly with the local community, ward councillors and council officers means we can develop a proposal that they can support and create a place that thrives now and long into the future.
“We are confident that previous concerns are being fully addressed, and that we will be able to transform this site into a vibrant place for people to work, live and come together as a community. Getting feedback from local people and businesses is fundamental to this,” he added.
In response to feedback from local community groups, Dominus is proposing a new community hub located on the corner of Sussex Street and Kingsland Road, directly opposite the Dings residential neighbourhood.
“The scheme includes a new pedestrian crossing for Kingsland Road and a new pedestrian and cycle connection into the Bristol & Bath Railway Path, which will provide inclusive access,” a spokesperson explained. “As well as employment space and the community hub, the scheme includes best in class, professionally managed student accommodation,” he added.