Approval won for development of former campus

AMAJOR step forward in the regeneration of South Bristol has been approved by council chiefs.

During a cabinet meeting members approved plans for the council to acquire City of Bristol College’s land at the former Hartcliffe Campus.

It will be combined with land the council already owns off Hawkfield Road to create a single development plot for 350 new homes.

Plans for the site have been in the offing since at least 2010, when the council laid down the principle ‘for the development of the Hartcliffe Community Campus site to include a new educational campus on Hartcliffe School Playing Fields and up to 14 acres of residential land’.

Part of the area became the Bridge Campus.

Earlier this year Bristol City Council’s planning committee approved outline plans for the development which means final details on housing design, layout and the look of the scheme will be decided by a later application.

In line with council policy, 30 per cent of the homes would be affordable - a total of 105.

Cabinet member for housing, Paul Smith, said that of those affordable homes 80 would be social rent and 25 shared ownership. But he said the council was in talks with developer LiveWest to see whether the number of affordable homes could be increased by another 20 per cent to get it up to 175 home.

This would mean that 50 per cent of the homes would be affordable.

Cllr Smith said: “It has been very emotional for me, this was where I went to school and where I played as a kid. But with this decision to acquire the land I am so pleased to see additional housing, training and jobs coming to my old stomping ground.”

Cllr Smith said the authority was also working on a “deal to provide land to City of Bristol College at Hengrove Park to build a new construction training centre”.

He said this would provide training to people in South Bristol where there is going to be a lot of construction taking place.

The proposals were also supported by Hartcliffe and Withywood councillor Helen Holland.

She said: “There will be people who live in the tower blocks that overlook this site who are desperate for a family home are are thrilled at the news of this development.

“It is so fantastic that we have finally got to this point.”

A report to the council’s cabinet said the land transaction would allow the “discharge of a long standing debt with the College”.

It added: “The funding for the acquisition of the site will be met through the housing delivery capital programme.”