Developers wanting to demolish a city centre car park and build accommodation for more than 577 people in huge tower blocks have submitted a planning application to Bristol City Council.
A firm called Greystar want to knock down the NCP car park in Rupert Street, and build what they are describing as a ‘new mixed community’ in its place, as well as a new car park with 400 spaces.
The development will mix student accommodation - for 328 students - with 249 ‘co-living’ rooms, a new type of housing that developers say will provide ‘affordable, flexible and convenient rental homes’.
Read next: Campaign to save a multi storey car park by asking for it to be Listed - dubbing it a 'classic'
The plans were first unveiled a week before Christmas, and sparked something of a counter-campaign to save the NCP car park, which is one of the earliest surviving examples of a multi-storey car park using a sloped spiral ramp. Earlier this year, the 20th Century Society started a campaign to get the car park, built in 1960, preserved as a listed building.
Greystar’s plan would see it demolished and in its place a series of tower blocks up to 21-storeys high that could accommodate 577 people.
As well as the Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) for 328 students, the 249 ‘co-living’ rooms would see people who aren’t students live in accommodation that is similar to those PBSAs, with en suite rooms and shared communal facilities. The developers described ‘co-living’ as a ‘unique hosing offering’ which ‘presents a much needed living solution for those seeking sustainable, meaningful community-based living.
“Co-living combines private rooms with amazing shared spaces, it is for everyone and is an alternative to traditional house shares, taking components of multiple house-shares and combining them across one building – hugely improving the range, size and quality of shared spaces and living standards,” the developers said.
“Student Roost’s ethos, which includes a busy events programme, provides a platform for residents to build a community and develop a sense of ownership to help combat loneliness and alleviate mental health issues that have become prevalent in large cities like Bristol.
“Our proposals for 249 co-living rooms will give residents the opportunity to live alone, whilst also enjoying the sense of community that this type of communal living can bring,” they added.
The developers are hoping the planning application will be given approval later this year, although that could be optimistic, given the backlog of major applications at City Hall’s under-resourced planning department.
The senior director at Greystar, Neil Howells, said they have changed their plans after getting feedback from December’s initial launch, so that the ground floor space can become a ‘new discounted home where community organisations and charities can prosper’. The plans would include 20 per cent of the 249 'co-living' rooms allocated as 'affordable' - through the city council's Home Choice housing waiting list - but the developers add that the single rooms would be 'more generally affordable' anyway.
“These proposals will regenerate this run-down building, maintaining but improving public parking to serve the hospitals, Broadmead and the City Centre in a highly accessible location on the Inner Ring Road,” he said.
“Our carefully designed plans ensure the building fits with the city’s architecture, whilst taking advantage of this sustainable location, ideal for young professionals, key workers and students to live in.
“In response to feedback from local residents, we have changed our plans so that the ground floor space not only brings life to this neglected part of town but provides a new, discounted home where community organisations and charities can prosper.
“This is an opportunity to make better use of the existing NCP Car Park, creating sustainable homes for people in the centre of the city and providing high quality green space for the residents. We want to turn the existing car park into a place the local community can be proud of,” he added.
Read next:
- Work on new Bristol University campus at Temple Meads finally set to start
- Developer asks to build 432 more student flats in south Bristol
- Temple Quarter campus: How Bristol will cope with thousands more students
- University to 'open its doors to Bristol' with new Temple Meads campus
- South Bristol's GPs and schools won't cope with 12,000 new homes claims MP
Get the best stories about the things you love most curated by us and delivered to your inbox every day. Choose what you love here.
