Plans for three new blocks of flats in the heart of Bristol which are part of a major new development have been criticised by local residents.
An application has been submitted to Bristol City Council which could see several large apartment blocks built on the banks of the River Avon, in an area near Temple Meads.
Two of the blocks would be 11-storeys high, and 244 new affordable homes would be created, if the plans are approved by the council.
READ MORE: Big plans for affordable homes on banks of River Avon in the heart of Bristol
The site is on the junction of York Road and St Luke’s Road in Bedminster, and the area is about to be the subject of a massive council regeneration scheme as part of the wider Temple Quarter project which will see thousands of new flats and homes built around Temple Meads station.
But local people have objected to the proposals submitted by developers Donard Homes on the council's planning website for the 11-storey tower blocks.
Many have criticised the size of the towers and the disruption they would create to views of the famous multi-coloured houses in Totterdown.
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There have been 27 objections so far, with all of them coming since January 20.
Mr Duncan Brewood, from Totterdown, wrote: "I absolutely vehemently object to the building of high rised blocks at this site.
"It will utterly ruin what all Bristolians have come to recognise as an iconic city landmark i.e. the Totterdown skyline as viewed from the north."
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While Ms Lucy Morris, of Bradley Stoke, raised similar concerns and wrote: "My husband and I are in the process of buying a property in Totterdown, and have always loved the view of the coloured houses up on the hill. Looking at the proposals, it seems that the high rise development will obscure the lovely, iconic view."
Some residents also expressed concern about whether there were enough community provisions like schools being built alongside the new housing.
One of the people objecting on these grounds was Mrs Kim Dowsett, from Totterdown.
She wrote: "There are a lot of applications in for South Bristol for high rise buildings. I don't believe lots of high rises create a sense of community that people will really want to live in, and I can't see the addition of amenities etc to support this new community (schools, doctors etc).
"It is also hard to see how this block of dense flats will add to the community already here. I am not against new houses but I would like to see low rise, affordable and a mix of family homes with links and amenities to integrate better with existing our community".
Plans have also been submitted recently for a 22-storey tower block in front of Totterdown's multi-coloured homes, while roughly 400 apartments are being planned for the now empty Robins & Day Peugeot dealership on the north bank of the River Avon.
However, in November 2021, the council launched a consultation to help them work out how to turn the area into a new neighbourhood, and it set out 'guiding principles' for the development which included plans to address these concerns.
The first guiding principle is that the area will be a mixed-use one, with new homes, including affordable housing, a small convenience shop, a community facility and some space for employment.
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Another of the guiding principles is that the views of the coloured houses on top of Pylle Hill, and across to St Mary Redcliffe Church should be preserved, with taller buildings more on the eastern corner of the site, near Bath Road.
Aside from the objections, one person has written to the council to show their support for the proposals so far.
Ms Constance Black, from Bedminster, wrote that she was "excited" by the plans and said the area needed investment.
"I love the idea of investment into what is currently a run down, unsafe and completely unattractive area. I think those opposed are doing so because they are so against any kind of change they would prefer to have a run down city centre than have investment.
"Most city centres in the world have a built up centre, and opposing on these grounds sounds completely unreasonable to me. I am excited for my local area to have more investment and become a safer area for my family," she wrote.
The site where the new housing is being proposed is currently home to one of Bristol’s most famous food brands, BART Ingredients, but the company is now choosing to consolidate its base in Avonmouth.
The land is at the western end of Mead Street, which runs from St Luke’s Road to the back of the Fowlers motorcycle dealer.
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High rise social housing is not new in the area - the flats will be directly opposite the 13-storey Yeamans House, part of the wider high-rise blocks of 1960s council flats in Redcliffe.
And a spokesperson for Donard Homes wrote in November that they were seeking to reinstate the area as a "principally residential" one.
“This area was a vibrant residential neighbourhood from the 18th century, which was dramatically changed in post-World War II’s ‘slum clearances’ with the establishment of an industrial zone known as Temple Gate Distribution Centre,” said the spokesperson.
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“The proposals seek to reinstate the area as a principally-residential neighbourhood,” he added.
“The scheme would see the site redeveloped with high-quality one, two and three-bedroom, energy-efficient apartments, all with balconies, all meeting national space standards,” he added.
The plans are part of a major scheme of potentially massive redevelopment of the area on the south side of the River Avon between Bedminster Bridge and Bath Road Bridge.
You can view the application and leave a comment by clicking here.
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