WHAM Community update: A planning application for an extensive development of ‘built to rent’ apartments at Little Paradise was originally submitted at the end of 2018 by the developer Dandara. Many of you will have made a planning comment in 2019, I think there were approximately 130 objections. The application did not go to committee for a decision, so was never approved or rejected.
Dandara have now revised their application and submitted new drawings, which can be viewed here
https://planningonline.bristol.gov.uk/online-applications/simpleSearchResults.do?action=firstPage
The website is prone to crashing, so you may need to try again a few minutes later.
There are many documents to look at, so I would suggest starting with the Design and Access statement which, due to file size, is divided into several sections. If you want to make a comment then please do so by 17th June.
Under normal circumstance WHaM would have held an open meeting so that we could look at the scheme together. Instead we are considering an on line meeting using Zoom, and will be in touch with more details should this be the case. We are currently working on our response and would welcome your thoughts on the new plans.
Dandara have provided us with a summary of the changes – see below.
The key amendments to Dandara’s scheme are:
- Agreeing to Bristol City Council’s request for major changes to the proposals to allow for a new MetroBus stop in front of the site on Malago Road. As a result, Leicester Street will be extended through Dandara’s site, creating a loop road to allow service vehicles – like deliveries and waste collection – to safely reach existing and new buildings. Stafford Street would become one way to vehicles exiting onto Malago Road and be a predominantly cycle and pedestrian route;
- 21 new affordable homes will be located in a bespoke building on the small Council-owned car park to the immediate north of the site (called Little Paradise North car park), which Dandara will purchase from the Council (the parking spaces are to be relocated into a new public car park on Little Paradise);
- Altering the new pedestrian and cycle route to create a safe and attractive link from Windmill Hill to East Street. The amended route will take people over a new crossing on Malago Road, down a widened and greatly enhanced pavement/cycle path along Stafford Street, continuing on the newly extended Leicester Street before joining Little Paradise through to East Street; the route will be extensively landscaped and will have active street frontages to help promote a safe environment;
- Remodelling the scale and layout of the development so the buildings gradually climb in height away from the Bedminster Conservation Area, starting at two storeys (plus ground floor) for the new affordable homes, and stepping up towards Malago Road. Most of the homes fronting onto Stafford Street and Malago Road will be in four-storey buildings, mirroring existing local heights at street level;
- Rather than one single taller building on Malago Road, this has now been broken into four parts with different heights: nine, 13, 14 and 16 storeys (plus ground floor on each). This significantly reduces the scale and massing;
- The changes to the layout and design have reduced the number of homes from 329 to 316 (13 fewer homes), while also now including 21 affordable homes;
- A reduction in car parking spaces from 88 to 71 spaces, of which 17 are disabled spaces and 15 electric vehicle charging points;
- An increase in the number of secure bike storage spaces from 358 to 419 plus an additional 32 visitor spaces.