Comments by Bristol Civic Society on the Mead Street survey on emerging principles and concepts for regeneration – January 2022 Bristol Civic Society supports the four Guiding Principles listed in the survey on Mead Street Regeneration:
1. Making it a place people want to live and work, are proud of and which is representative of the community that lives there.
2. Providing better routes for sustainable travel.
3. Quality places: public realm, place-making and a sustainable and low carbon neighbourhood.
4. Quality spaces: green space at the heart of the new neighbourhood and ecological enhancements.
The Society finds most of the points made on the Principles and Concept Plan acceptable and, in particular, approves of:
• The open green space at the heart of the development – if this is well-maintained.
• Maintaining a corner of the site specifically for light industrial and other employment uses, which will offset the loss of employment caused by the development of the site.
• Providing access to Bristol Temple Meads Southern Gateway.
• Improved routes through the site for pedestrians and cyclists.
• The aspiration to provide a low-parking neighbourhood.
• Proposals for small retail and food units, as the nearest shops are currently 10 minutes walk away on East Street and up the hill on Wells Road and Oxford Street.
However, the Society is concerned as to whether residential buildings are appropriate for parts of this site due to the proximity of the arterial A4 Bath Road to the east and the railway line to the south, which is busy during the day and has diesel trains idling overnight. Both will cause noise and air pollution for residents, hence current and projected noise and air quality assessments should inform the location of all residential development on the site.
It is difficult to comment on the issue of increased scale and massing in the absence of more definitive proposals. Any such increase must respect the maintenance of important views and result in a high standard of design for the development as a whole.
With regards to the Constraints and Opportunities shown, the Society feels strongly that:
• Views towards St Mary Redcliffe Church from Totterdown should be maintained.
• Views towards the Totterdown escarpment (Pylle Hill) should be maintained from parts of Bristol north and west of the site and from the Langton Street Bridge.
• There should be street trees and planting along Mead Street.
• The site should connect smoothly with the Whitehouse Street Regeneration Area to the west, providing an active travel route for pedestrians and cyclists.
• The scale of development should consider the transition from existing buildings on York Rd.
Additionally, the Society asks the Council whether there will be sufficient places in local primary schools to accommodate children in families living in the large residential developments proposed for Mead St and Whitehouse St and hence whether a new primary school will be required locally, in addition to the proposed new secondary school near Temple Meads Station.
Also, an extra bridge that is more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists will be needed to enable residents to cross the River Avon to the west of Bath Bridge, as the existing Langton Street Bridge cannot be sufficiently modified due to its listed status.
In keeping with the changes made last year to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the Society would expect the proposed regeneration of Mead Street to provide buildings that are of a high standard of design and sustainability. Only when more details of the development are made available will the Society be able to say whether it approves or objects to this scheme