Plans for a 18-storey apartment tower in the city centre have been changed to reduce the amount of shared spaces. The co-living block replacing the Premier Inn on the Bearpit roundabout will no longer have shared spaces on each floor, but just on the top two floors.
Developers were granted planning permission by Bristol City Council to change the plans for the tower block, increasing the number of studio rooms from 132 to 150, as well as removing balconies. The tiny studio rooms will each include a small kitchen and bathroom.
Next to the tower block will be an even taller building of student flats, reaching 28 storeys in height. The student flats remain unchanged from the previous plans, which were given permission in March last year.
Councillors on the development control A committee voted to approve the changes to the co-living block. They originally considered the changes in January, deferring a decision due to concerns about the impact of the loss of shared amenity spaces. However planning officers told them they would struggle to refuse permission on this ground.
Oliver d’Erlanger, planning director at Olympian Real Estate, said: “The experts who operate successful co-living buildings have advised us to consolidate the small amenity spaces to large shared spaces. This approach is proven to work much better for residents. The changes will also see an increase in the number of affordable homes.”
Initially, the shared living spaces would be included on each floor. Instead, this would be replaced by extra studio bedrooms, while shared living spaces would be created on the top two floors. These floors will include private offices, yoga and fitness studios, a co-working space, and a communal kitchen and dining room.
The studio bedrooms will include tiny kitchens and bathrooms, and are smaller than minimum space standards for self-contained flats. But planning officers are factoring in the shared living spaces on the top two floors, which still falls short of minimum standards for a shared house. However “co-living” is a new type of accommodation, without standards set locally.
Green Councillor Ellie Freeman said: “This is a tweak to a previous application. We may have our own concerns but people make choices, and if they choose to live in this then hopefully they’re going to with their eyes open and they understand what it’s all about.”
Labour Cllr Al Al-Maghrabi added: “Bristol is in a housing crisis and we need those extra homes. This helps to prevent urban sprawl and they have worked to make sure there are good transport links. The communal areas have gyms and yoga classes, and I actually think it’s great.”
Six councillors voted in favour of granting permission, while two voted against and one abstained. The demolition of the old Premier Inn has already begun. Co-living is relatively new to Bristol but popular elsewhere in the country. City-wide standards are expected to be set soon.