Images unveiled for planned neighbourhood at Vassall Centre in Fishponds

Plans have gone on public display for a new neighbourhood centre along with more than 80 homes at the site of The Vassall Centre in Fishponds.

A year after purchasing the existing wartime buildings, Bristol Charities wants to create a new two and three-storey development which will include a replacement centre with an outdoor recreational space at its heart.

The new centre will be designed to accommodate existing charity tenants that wish to remain at the centre. There will also be 41 one and two-bed flats managed by the charity for older people.

In addition, 41 affordable homes will be created - a mix of two and three-bed houses and one and two-bed apartments which will be offered for rent or low-cost shared ownerships in partnership with housing association Brighter Places.

The plans have been revised from an earlier consultation, with the larger hub building repositioned towards the centre of the site while buildings for older housing along Vassall Road and Gill Avenue have been pulled back to allow for a wider landscaped area onto the street.

The apartment building for affordable homes has also been reduced in size.

The plans are now on display as part of a new consultation running until June 6. They can be viewed here.

Julian Mines, chief executive officer at Bristol Charities said: “We have listened carefully and our revised approach responds to the views and concerns of tenants and the local community, providing much more detail about what the proposed development will look like and how the different elements will work together.

“The redevelopment of the Vassall Centre provides an important opportunity to retain and improve on the existing services, whilst making more effective use of the site for tenants, people with disabilities, older people and families in need of affordable housing, and local residents.”

Bristol Charities say the current centre is at the end of its ‘practical life-span’.

The development will be delivered in two phases, enabling existing tenants to remain at the centre while new spaces are created, with the affordable homes following in the second phase.