A final decision on plans to transform the former site of a Bristol school into an £85m retirement community and leisure hub has been delayed.
Councillors had been due to meet on Wednesday (May 31) to consider proposals from investment firm FORE Partnership and care operator Amicala for the five-acre site at Westbury Park, which borders Clifton Downs and is the former location of St Christopher’s School, which closed in 2020.
In an update sent out on Tuesday afternoon (May 30), Bristol City Council’s Development Management team said consideration of the application had been postponed “at the request of the applicant”.
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It comes after planning officers recently recommended that councillors refuse the development, with a report saying it would be “unacceptable in terms of design”.
Basil Demeroutis, managing partner of FORE Partnership, told BusinessLive the group behind the scheme, which also includes development manager Socius, had received confirmation that its plans were now expected to go to committee on Wednesday July 5 instead.
Mr Demeroutis said: “We requested for the decision to be delayed, to allow officer’s more time to review their report. We’ll continue to work closely with Bristol City Council during this period, while we await the outcome of our application to be determined.”
The companies previously said the project, called St Christopher’s Square, could provide around 120 extra care homes for older people.
Under the plans the site’s existing buildings could be refurbished, including the villas fronting Westbury Park and the Grade II-listed building Grace House, while others could be demolished and replaced by new blocks of flats ranging between three and five-storeys in height.
The site could also be opened to the public for the first time in years, with residents of the retirement community and wider local area having access to a new leisure centre, including a café, an urban village hall, a wellness centre featuring a hydrotherapy pool and gym, plus activity rooms.
The planning officer’s report highlighted the proposed scale of the project, adding it would be out of context with the surrounding Downs Conservation Area and the heritage buildings on the site. Planning officers also noted the work could result in the loss of “important existing trees”.
Planners added that the application for the development, which is being devised with a view to making it one of the few extra care communities in the country to operate with net-zero carbon emissions, did not demonstrate a resilience to climate change through its site layout, nor through its approach to design and construction.
According to the report the plans have received objections form Historic England, local councillors and residents, who have voiced concerns about the impact the scheme could have on traffic and parking.
FORE Partnership previously told BusinessLive the group stood by its plans, which it said could deliver “important benefits” for the city.
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