TRESA is grateful to Cllr Andrew Varney (Brislington, Liberal Democrat) who shared an update on the tower block building development at Totterdown Bridge. We have reproduced it in full below.
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We recently attended a meeting with Clarion, the owners of the Boatyard, to get an update on their unfinished development near the Totterdown Bridge. As residents may know, not much has been happening on the site since the previous construction company, Mid Group, entered into administration last year. Clarion has been dealing with legal issues since then but now has a new construction partner to finish the development. The good news is, while new designs for the interior of the building are being worked out, Clarion are offering to temporarily pull back the hoardings so that we can reopen the footpath, cycle path and bus lane, something we have been calling for several months. The recent removal of one of the cranes will also help facilitate this. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that the building will be occupied anytime soon, and the latest forecast is a completion date of early 2025!
Local people were also concerned about the recent collapse in the riverbank by the new development. We have been assured that the building is resting on dozens of piles and is sitting on a concrete ‘raft’ and is completely unaffected by the changing riverbank profile. However, Clarion will be reprofiling the riverbank to improve its appearance, perhaps with rock matting that will also allow for reed beds to grow. We also asked about litter on the riverbank and the developers have promised to make sure everything is kept clean and tidy.