200 homes approved in south Bristol despite fears about GP waiting times and too few details

Plans for up to 200 homes in south Bristol have been approved despite concerns it will make the council a “hostage to fortune” by agreeing them before knowing the details.

Some residents objected to the proposals by the city council’s housing company, Goram Homes, amid fears about adding to traffic problems and GP waiting times with so many new properties, including as many as 130 houses and 70 extra-care flats for elderly people.

But the development control committee granted outline planning permission unanimously on Wednesday, December 7, for the new estate on the former site of New Fosseway School, off Wells Road in Hengrove, which was demolished a decade ago. All the assisted living apartments and 30 per cent of the houses will be classed as affordable.

Green Cllr Guy Poultney told the meeting there was a lot to like and the extra-care housing met an unmet need but that because the application did not yet have any details other than road access, councillors were being asked to accept the principle without knowing enough.

He said: “The affordable housing looks very high quality in an area that can stand high density. All my concerns relate to reserved matters. I find these split applications very challenging – you feel like you’re making the council a hostage to fortune to some extent. We are agreeing to the overall principle of it without seeing the details, which in my experience is where all the problems come from.”

Committee chair Green Cllr Ani Stafford-Townsend said: “It somewhat defeats the object of a planning committee to split an application this way, which can be a frustration.”

Officers, who recommended giving the go-ahead, said the details would follow in subsequent applications.

Head of development control Gary Collins said Bristol City Council would have to work in partnership with the NHS and other organisations to ensure there was enough GP provision and community facilities. Members heard the land was classed as brownfield, even though a large part was a green field, because of previous uses and was allocated for homes in the local plan.

Labour Cllr Chris Jackson said: “I’m more than happy to support this as it is. I like the layout. I would like to see more assisted homes there because every time we put someone in one of them, we free up a family home somewhere else.”

Goram managing director Stephen Baker said afterwards: “We want to create places that people love to live in, which is why this site is such an exciting opportunity.

As well as bringing together different generations, we can create an attractive, environmentally friendly neighbourhood in the heart of Hengrove. I’m looking forward to developing our plans with the community over the next few months.”

A new pedestrian, cycling and emergency access would be created off Petherton Road to the north of the site, along with new open space and a play area. New Fosseway School moved to a new building at the Bridge Learning Campus in Hartcliffe in 2009.