30th April 2019
Plan which will shape future development in Bristol open for consultation
Bristol City Council is inviting consultations on its Local Plan Review which will shape future development in Bristol over the next 15 years.
Once adopted, the Local Plan Review (Draft Policies and Development Allocations) will sit beneath the Joint Spatial Plan (JSP) which is being progressed with South Gloucestershire Council, Bath and North East Somerset Council and North Somerset Council.
A principal theme within the draft plan is the provision of new housing. Policy H1 sets out how Bristol City Council will exceed the JSP requirement by providing 33,500 new and affordable homes within the plan period. This is a 27% uplift on the current adopted development strategy.
To achieve this growth, the draft plan identifies several site allocations and major sites for mixed-use redevelopment including Bristol Temple Quarter, St Philips Marsh, Western Harbour and Frome Gateway. Other policies intended to boost housing delivery include encouraging self-building and controlling the proliferation of HMOs.
In line with the Urban Living Supplementary Planning Documents adopted in 2018, the plan expects new development to use land effectively and build at higher densities where appropriate.
The draft plan also sets out a need for an additional 6,400 student bed spaces to the year to 2028. Policy H7 establishes a number of locations where purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) should be located and sets bed space thresholds that should not be exceeded in each. All student accommodation in these locations should also contribute a proportion of affordable student housing (rental cost to be no more than 50% of the maximum Government Maintenance Loan that a new full time student living away from home could receive). In other locations, PBSA should form part of mixed use developments and, if providing self-contained accommodation (Use Class C3), should contribute towards general purpose affordable housing.
The draft plan also includes policies designed to boost the economy, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and adapt to climate change.
Commenting on the draft, principal planner Jack Appleton says:
“We are encouraged by the positive approach Bristol City Council is taking, particularly in relation to the delivery of much needed housing. However, this new housing requirement is significant, and its delivery must not be at the expense of other forms of development including employment uses, or the urban fabric of the city.”
The current consultation is ongoing and comments need to be submitted to Bristol City Council by 24 May 2019. Click here to be taken through to the draft plan.
Should you wish to discuss the emerging plan, please contact Jack Appleton or another member of the Alder King planning team.