Jigsaw in vision to make Lockleaze a ‘leafy village of Bristol’ gets new developer

Controversial plans for ‘extra care housing’ with up to 60 one and two-bedroom flats in Lockleaze have been passed from Bristol City Council to its own housebuilding company - which is also due to start work shortly on another major housing project nearby.

Both projects form part of the Lockleaze Voice Neighbourhood Development Plan, which has a vision to turn the area into ‘a spacious and leafy village of Bristol’ with new homes, community services and transport links.

An outline planning application for the homes on the demolished site of the Lockleaze Day Centre and the Blake Day Centre, at one corner of Gainsborough Square, was approved last year.

It was despite an objection from the Lockleaze Residents’ Planning Group, which said the design for the buildings, it said were four-storey, were out of character for the area, and would create a ‘dark street environment’ on Rosetti Way.

Members also said the homes would add to fears over road safety with the development entrance on to Brangwyn Grove.

But, approving the planning application, council officers said the plans had been brought down in height to three-storey and that there was also access from Romney Avenue. Now, six months on, the development has been passed onto the council’s own housing company Goram Homes.

It will add to the company’s ‘pipeline’ of 12 housing projects across the city which include a project due to start in ‘early 2022’ for a 268-home estate in Romney Avenue.

The estate along with the plans for the day centre are both part of the Lockleaze Voice Neighbourhood Development Plan aimed at making Lockleaze a ‘spacious and leafy village in Bristol’.

Not part of the neighbourhood’s development plan, but on Goram Home’s pipeline are proposals for 140 homes at the nearby Dovercourt Depot.

In an update to Bristol City Council’s cabinet meeting last month, a report confirming the transfer of the former day centre plans to Goram Homes said: “The Blake Centre is a new site for Goram Homes which will allow us to build an Extra Care Home (ECH) made up of 100% affordable one and two bedroom flats plus commercial space.

“This will be sold to a specialist provider of extra care housing. Planning for the Blake Centre was approved in 2021.”

The proposal is part of regeneration plans for Lockleaze, which also include 188 homes for Bonnington Walk, 32 homes at the former Brunel Ford dealership on Muller Road and 47 homes for Branwhite Close - the site of the former Gainsborough pub.

As for Goram Homes, the home building company has also taken on the council’s project for more than 1,400 homes at Hengrove Park.

Its projects also include 170 new homes for the former school site at New Fosseway Road, Hengrove, and 70 homes for Novers Hill in Knowle West.

Plans for around 50 new homes at Knowle West Health Park were dropped earlier this year due to local opposition.