Car park conversion Plan offers ‘health and wellbeing benefits’
AMULTI-STOREY car park will be demolished and replaced with a 20-storey building with 565 student beds under new plans submitted to Bristol City Council. The proposed redevelopment of the Nelson Street NCP in the city centre, including commercial units on the ground floor and improvements to the street scene, have been revealed in planning documents.
New owner Downing, a real estate company that bought the building in November, is asking the council whether it thinks the plans would have a significant effect on the environment.
The firm's agents, town planners Stride Treglown, argue it would not and so they should not have to compile a report assessing the impact of the revamp, which would be required if officers disagree.
Although it is not yet a formal planning application, the documents show the scale of what the developers have in mind to replace the 10-level
car park between Broadmead and the Old City. In a letter to the council, Stride Treglown said: “The site offers a unique opportunity to promote a highly sustainable redevelopment in a key part of the city centre.”
It said commercial units and student facilities would be created at street level, with up to 565 student beds above them
in a building as high as 20 storeys. Adjacent blocks range from four to 15 floors, while the recently completed Castle Park View is 24 storeys.
The letter said council officers concluded an environmental statement was not required for a 19-storey residential tower in Redcliffe before they granted planning permission in 2022. It said: “Given the city centre location of the site, it is concluded that there will not be any significant adverse effects caused by the proposed development.
“The scheme will be a predominantly car-free development. As part of their tenancy agreement, students will be required to agree not to bring vehicles into the area during their occupancy period
“Biodiversity net gains of 10 per cent will be delivered onsite through new planting and other measures.” It said the new building's design would include solar panels and airsource heat pumps, while Downing was in talks with the local authority's City Leap district heating provider Vattenfall to connect it to the network.
Stride Treglown said: “The removal of the existing car park, with its poor-quality public realm, and its replacement with a new building and associated hard and soft landscaping works would undeniably bring with it health and wellbeing benefits to this part of the city centre and the wider central area, including Broadmead.”