Huge tower block part of homes plan for City Motors site in Brislington

Residents are being urged to have their say on plans for a ‘flagship’ housing development - including an 20-storey apartment block - at the site of a major car dealership in Brislington.

A consultation into the proposals, which if greenlit would see up to 370 homes built at Castle Court off the St Philips Causeway, launches on Tuesday (July 19) with a number of events running until the end of August.

The site, which is currently occupied by City Motors, was acquired by Sovereign Housing Association in May 2020.

The Bristol-based firm wants to demolish existing buildings at the site before building a mixture of one, two and three bedroomed homes there, 50% of which would be affordable.

City Motors owner Robert Cook previously told BristolWorldthat he intended to stay at the Castle Court site despite Sovereign’s plans.

How tall would the new buildings be?

Tall buildings are a point of contention in Bristol at the moment, with plans for more apartment blocks springing up all over the city as it grapples with an ever-growing housing crisis.

The tallest buildings within the Castle Court development would up to 20 storeys high, positioned alongside the River Avon.

The other buildings would range in height from three to eight storeys high, positioned close to existing housing off Bath Road, beside the Sparke Evans footbridge and alongside the Causeway.

Developers said the scheme layout responded to the surrounding neighbourhood, with the tallest buildings located at the northern edge of the site to ‘minimise shading of other buildings and spaces’.

‘We’re not driven by profit, but by social purpose,’ claim developers

Sovereign’s plans also include around 500 sq.m of non-residential spaces which could accommodate a café and community uses.

Other features include a mobility hub with car club spaces, electric scooter parking and cycle parking along with a Changing Places facility.

James Gibson, of Sovereign, said: “Our vision is to create a flagship residential led development which sets out our commitment to build and maintain well-designed, high-quality homes in great places to live now and the future.

“Unlike most housebuilders we at Sovereign are driven not by profit but by social purpose. We invest for the long-term, in places and people, and we care about the homes we build long after they are built.”

List of consultation events

From Tuesday (July 19), details of the emerging proposals will be available to viewed by clicking here and there will be an opportunity to give feedback via an online survey.

Public drop-in style consultation sessions will be held at Arnos Manor Hotel on Bath Road on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 July from 4pm until 7pm.

The first round of public consultation will run until August 2 before a second round of consultation takes place in the autumn.

Sovereign hope to submit an outline planning application by the end of the year.