Below is a message from WHaM about the planning applications around the Bedminster Green area. Please support them if you can, by making a statement to the Bristol City Council Development Control Committee A.
Statements should be emailed to democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk
For more information about WHaM, visit their website: http://www.whambristol.org.uk/bedminstergreen/
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The planning application 20/05811/F for student accommodation on Plot 3, which is the NCP car park and Whitehouse Lane site, goes to Development Control A for a decision on Weds 30th June at 2pm. If you have previously sent in a comment about this application then you will have received an email about the meeting from Bristol City Council.
You can attend the meeting, which will be an ‘in person’ meeting in City Hall. You can tell the members of the committee what you think about these plans by making a statement to them in person. You will be allowed 1 minute to speak. You need to either send in a written statement by 12 noon on Tuesday 29th (if you can’t attend), or register to speak and send in a statement by 2pm Monday 28th.
Email your statement to: democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk
WHaM is concerned about many aspects of the plans, which received a huge number of objections from many of you. It has been a while since we looked at the details, so here is a summary.
Height / massing
- Height and massing causing harm to the conservation area in general, used as reasons for refusal for plot 1 (Pring St Hill). These would prevent it from being high quality urban design
- Although it ‘complies’ with the framework this does not make it good quality urban design
- Concern that height of buildings would stop sunlight reaching open spaces, both those within the proposed development and those within the city farm.
Density
- The number of students proposed is high and has increased over the time the scheme has been presented to WHaM. The affordable housing element originally mooted at consultation has been withdrawn.
Public realm / landscape
- Loss of sunlight to the farm may harm the biodiversity there
- Loss of sunlight to the farm may lose the amenity value of the farm
- Arrangements around the river and lack of sunlight may result in rubbish and pollution in the river that will be difficult to remove
- Further information of the shadows cast by the development at other times of the year, different from the summer solstice were requested as diagrams plotted on a plan this has not been forthcoming
- BRE guidance suggests light levels be worked out for open spaces including children’s playgrounds and gardens
- What funnelling effect will canyons of tall buildings facing each other have on the public realm?
- Concerns that increased traffic from home deliveries will make the new public realm unpleasant and difficult to use for pedestrians
Internal environment
- Concerns about the internal daylighting of the student bedrooms, what are the levels of light going to be?
- Some student bedrooms look directly into other bedrooms across narrow gaps, what will the effect on mental health of the occupants be?
- How have the recent experiences of student life under Covid restrictions been applied to the design, this is not clear. Should we be designing student rooms like this now?
- Tall thin windows that reach the floor will not be good for lighting bedroom as easily obstructed by items on the floor
- Tall thin windows into bedrooms are not a good idea as can lead to antisocial behaviour, such as ‘upskirting’
Sustainability / regenerative design
- Plans to make use of an as-yet non-existent heat network will not make the scheme sustainable
- Will poor light levels internally drive up energy use?
- Tall buildings typically use more energy than lower rise structures as noted below: