Plans for what would be the tallest building in Bristol’s history have been proposed - and already met opposition from the city’s Civic Society. Developers had already outlined a proposal to build a 25-storey tower block on top of the council’s new green heating station next to the Floating Harbour at Castle Park.
But now, new plans have been mooted to increase the size of that tower block to 33 storeys high - which would smash the record height or any building ever built in Bristol.
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The council’s own housebuilding company Goram Homes owns the heat pump station that has been completed this year on the old council depot between the Floating Harbour and the new Castle Park View building that now towers over the city centre.
Earlier this year, Goram announced it wanted to build a block of flats over the heat pump station, and said it had chosen the winning design in a competition held with some of the city’s designers and architects. And now, it appears those plans have changed, and while Goram Homes said the final height of the building hasn't been confirmed, the council's development company did not deny the Civic Society's claim that the height had increased to 33 storeys.
In March 2022, Bristol Live reported that a collaboration between Groupwork and McGregor Coxall had won a competition, run by Goram Homes and the Bristol Housing Festival, to design a new tower block at Castle Park. Their winning plan was for a 25-storey residential tower block on the site next to Castle Park and Goram announced this would now go forward through the planning process. In August this year, the site was listed on Rightmove by Goram Homes and the site and development opportunity was described as a '26-storey tower block'. But today, November 28, just three months on, Bristol Civic Society - one of the ‘stakeholders’ who were consulted on the original plans - has issued a statement condemning a change in the plans it has been shown, which would create a 33-storey tower block instead.
At present, the tallest building in Bristol is still the spire of St Mary Redcliffe Church, with claims the 26-storey Castle Park View, which was completed this year, potentially taller, depending on where the split-level base is measured from. Castle Park View is definitely the tallest occupied building in Bristol, but a 33-storey tower block next door would almost certainly be taller.
Bristol Civic Society said the new plans it had seen were ‘an assault’ on Bristol. The society’s chair Simon Birch said: “The society objects very strongly to this development proposal. The Society is adamant that tall buildings are not essential to meeting the housing crisis in Bristol. They are only one of several ways of increasing building densities. We object to the principle of this development.
“The proposal is the latest, and by far the worst, in what seems a tidal wave of tall buildings that are unsympathetic to local character. Building heights leapfrog what was considered exceptional only a matter of months ago. The society is very concerned by the seemingly random nature of this proposal. The society requests clarity on the development plan context that supports a 33-storey tower in this location. We have not been able to substantiate this proposal in planning policy.
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“The society has identified the following negative impacts arising from this proposal: Assault on Bristol. At 33, storeys the society considers that the proposal is a fundamental assault on the appearance of the city and on its visual traditions.
“The impact on the Floating Harbour: The society emphasises the inappropriateness of this waterfront location for a tall building. The Floating Harbour is a defining feature of Bristol, and other new developments have reflected the scale and massing of the former warehouses and industrial complexes.
“The impact on Castle Park: The proposed development will have a very significant, and highly negative, impact on Castle Park. There will inevitably be issues of overlooking and of overshadowing,” the Civic Society’s statement added. “The society wishes to stress that tall buildings like this are inherently unsustainable and carbon-consumptive. At a time of intense concern about sustainability, there is a tension in Bristol between claiming to be green but putting up a lot of intensely un-green buildings,” it said.
The details of the change from March’s 25-storey building proposal and the 33-storey tower block planned now are unclear - Goram Homes’ website still shows the same plans as those revealed in March, and the council-owned company said it was still undecided. “Our plans for Castle Park form part of our mission to build much needed housing in the city, creating sustainable, vibrant communities and contributing to the local economy," a spokesperson for Goram Homes told Bristol Live.
"We haven’t applied for planning permission yet, therefore it’s too early to make any final decisions about the height of the building. We always welcome conversations on this topic, as we know it’s incredibly important to local residents. We have a planned meeting with the Civic Society this week as part of our engagement with city stakeholders on the project, and we look forward to working with the local community on our plans to build high-quality new homes in the centre of our city," she added.
Read next:
- Castle Park View tenants need to earn nearly £40,000 per year to rent a one-bed apartment
- New Bristol development near M32 proposes just 20 per cent affordable homes
- The nine oldest buildings in Bristol that date from before 1500
- Another landmark tall tower block planned for Bristol city centre
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