How the community has shaped our revised proposals
There are a number of ways in which we have sought to understand and – as far as we can – accommodate the community’s wishes for this site. This includes responding to the community briefs, as well as the feedback from our first round of consultation.
Illustration of Grace House courtyard
Community briefs
Two community development ‘briefs’ were published in 2021: one by Westbury Park Community Association (WPCA) and the other by St Christopher’s Action Network (SCAN). We have sought to comply, as far as possible, with both briefs. Here is our summary of some of the ways in which we are aligned.
| Key priorities | What the planning briefs asked for | How our proposals respond |
|---|---|---|
| Retaining & protecting setting of Grace House | There is strong support for retaining Grace House and the five Victorian Lodges and protecting their character and setting. New development to remain sensitive and subservient to Grace House to protect its green setting. | Grace House is retained within a verdant setting and converted to apartments, with the five Lodges refurbished to celebrate their frontage onto the Downs. |
| Respecting neighbouring homes and privacy | Particular concerns include overlooking, daylight, building heights, changes in ground level and distances between new and existing homes. | The design has carefully considered building separation, window positions and back to back (and side) distances to reduce overlooking. We have made changes to further reduce any impact. |
| Keeping development away from sensitive boundaries and avoiding overdevelopment | Both briefs seek lower-scale development around the site’s edges and appropriate separation from neighbouring properties. | The proposed new buildings are predominantly 2-3 storey. We have increased distances between existing and new properties, removed properties adjacent to new homes, and lowered heights and windows where they are closer to existing homes. We have also reduced the number of new build homes from 40 to 34. |
| Retaining significant trees and green space to create a more biodiverse site | Protecting the site’s mature trees, veteran tree, green character and biodiversity is a major community priority. The briefs call for biodiversity enhancement and a response to Bristol’s climate and ecological emergencies. | All TPO trees are proposed to be retained along with substantial areas of green space around Grace House. Hardstanding to be reduced across site, especially around the veteran oak. We are also proposing planting a significant number of new trees. We are targeting a 10% biodiversity net gain. |
| Responding to climate change | Development should meet Bristol’s climate policies, reduce energy demand and support sustainable living. | The new homes will be low-carbon and climate-resilient. Some of the key principles include maximising daylight and passive solar gain whilst avoiding overheating; fabric-first approach to energy efficiency; low carbon energy systems; renewable energy generation, notably solar photovoltaics; onsite electric vehicle charging; water saving measures. |
| Managing traffic, access and road safety. Maximising parking provision on site | Both groups raise concerns about additional traffic, parking and road safety. There is concern that insufficient parking could create additional pressure on surrounding streets. | Vehicle movement studies demonstrate the local road network can comfortably and safely accommodate the very limited additional traffic. The internal roads have been designed to prioritise pedestrians. The scheme is designed to encourage walking with new pedestrian routes through the site. We are seeking the maximum parking level while still complying with the council’s policies. |
| Delivering a genuine mix of homes | The briefs seek a development appropriate to its surroundings and, where required by policy, affordable housing. | The housing mix now provides a range of 1 bed apartments, more 2-3 bed downsizer houses and a smaller proportion of 4-5 bed family homes. We continue to explore options to deliver an element of affordable housing on site, subject to viability assessment. |
Community feedback from our first event
We had more than 100 responses to our first community consultation in May. Our report summarising the feedback can be seen here.
The main areas of concern were:
- Traffic, congestion and road safety
- Parking pressure and overspill
- Opposition to access via The Glen
- Differing views on pedestrian access into and through the site
- Building heights, massing and proximity to existing homes
- Trees, green space and biodiversity
- Conservation area character and heritage
- Impact on Westbury Park School
These points are partly addressed in the table above. To see the specific changes we have made as a direct result of this feedback, please see the:
Get in touch
If you have any questions, you can:
- Submit them via the feedback form
- [email protected]
- Call 0800 193 9403