Plans for 12-storey block of student flats set for key decision

Hundreds of new student flats are planned to replace a large Chinese food wholesaler behind Temple Meads train station, with a decision due this week.

The development would see 471 flats built in a 12-storey building on the current site of Chanson Foods on Avon Street. Bristol City Council’s development control committee is set to vote on granting planning permission for the huge scheme on Wednesday, July 20.

The wider Temple Quarter area east of the train station is earmarked for a major redevelopment, with hundreds more student flats planned. Bristol University is also planning to build a new campus there, and a new entrance to Temple Meads is on the cards as well.

Developers said the new student flats would not be visible from Station Approach, the road which leads to the main entrance of Temple Meads station. They added a new public courtyard and walkway would be created along the Floating Harbour, an area which currently is closed off.

The application was put forward by Victoria Hall Management Limited, which uses the brand name Host. One issue with the application is likely to be noise pollution. The building is located directly next to Bristol’s main train station, and very close to Motion, a large nightclub. Another issue will likely be flooding risks, as the building sits next to the canal.

Earlier this year planning permission was granted, after repeated delays, for a new secondary school nearby on Silverthorne Lane, as well as 367 new homes. The school will have up to 1,600 places to meet rising demand in the local area and a lack of places.

Bristol University is also planning to build its Temple Campus on Temple Island, the empty plot of land where the arena was originally going to be built. The campus was supposed to open in September this year but has faced delays. These several redevelopments mean the relatively empty industrial area east of the station could look totally different in a few years.