Developers have submitted a planning application to build two hotels and a block of 108 flats on a site next to Temple Meads Station.
The plans, first revealed by Bristol Live in July last year, would see three tower blocks built on what is currently an empty plot of land next to the Floating Harbour at Temple Quay which was formerly used as a location for the pop-up Yurt Lush restaurant. Developers want to build a four-star hotel with 234 rooms, an aparthotel with 168 rooms and a block of ‘build-to-rent’ flats with 108 new homes.
The three buildings would be built around a green space in the centre, and developers say they will plant 65 new trees, including riverside willows at a location where Bristol City Council recently and controversially cut down trees by the water’s edge. Of the 108 flats, all would be rented out by the developers, and 20 per cent would be classed as ‘affordable’ in planning terms.
Read next: Landmark building by Temple Meads to be demolished for flats
Although the city council’s policy for the city centre is that all developments should have 40 per cent affordable housing, that can be reduced to 20 per cent if developers build within a certain timeframe, in a policy switch back in 2018. The developers, IKB Developments, said the rents of those 22 flats would be set at the Local Housing Allowance rate, allocated to tenants through the council’s HomeChoice scheme.
The residents of the block of flats would have private balconies and a rooftop garden, with shared work and social spaces, and a gym in the building. The site, known as ‘Plot 3’, is the last of the Temple Quay area north of Temple Meads station to be built on. Bristol Live revealed the plans in July and the developers conducted a pre-application consultation exercise in the summer of 2022.
Plot 3 was originally intended to be a huge conference centre, with plans proposed in 2017, but that conference centre scheme has now been expanded and moved to Temple Island, in place of the arena, so the plot has been left undeveloped for the past six years as a result.
The four-star hotel would be eight storeys high, the aparthotel would be seven storeys high, while the block of flats would be 11 storeys high. The consultation last year, and discussions with the council, changed the designs of those buildings, with a move away from ‘uniform rectangular shapes’.
“At ground floor there would be space for a new café, bar and shop, helping create active street frontages. The hotel would also have a first floor restaurant open to everyone, complementing the existing local bars and restaurants on offer,” a spokesperson for the developers said. “The three buildings would be positioned around a large, central, open space, with extensive landscaping with trees, grassed and planted areas.
“There would be a meandering route through this garden, with seating and areas to relax and socialise, as well as a children’s play area. This space would be for pedestrian use only, with alternative routes for cycles and e-scooters around the site, to create a safe space. The scheme aligns with the Temple Quarter Framework, which sets key principles including height and massing,” he added.
It is the latest development scheme around Temple Meads to be announced this year, with the transformation of the area beginning to take shape. Developers last week submitted a planning application to knock down the old Robins & Day Peugeot garage and build 432 flats there.
The owner of the Grosvenor Hotel also asked permission from the city council to finally demolish the derelict building, and the city council itself unveiled the next step in its £100 million plan to redevelop the area around Temple Meads, which will include a new bus interchange to the north of the station at The Friary, a new entrance with shops and new station facilities there, a new car park and entrance to the south of the station and 10,000 new homes to the east.
As well as all that, there are also plans unveiled by Bristol Live today, to demolish the City Point building on Temple Way opposite the station approach, which currently houses the Holiday Inn and offices.
Read more about Temple Quarter:
Massive Silverthorne Lane development of homes and school given green light
Govt finally gives missing £95m to kickstart Temple Quarter regeneration
Chinese food wholesaler behind Temple Meads could become hundreds of student flats
Temple Island revamp deal finalised for 550 homes, hotel and offices
Deliveroo opens its first Bristol delivery store in partnership with Morrisons
- Grosvenor Hotel near Bristol Temple Meads to finally be demolished
- Temple Quarter needs to be 'shaped by Bristolians'
