Background to the development proposals
In October 2014, planning permission for a 16-storey residential block at St Catherine’s Place (Plot 2) was controversially granted to developer Urbis against the advice of Bristol City Council planning officers – they described the block as ‘monolithic’. Urbis claimed the tower would be a ‘landmark building’ – but that the multi-million pound budget was not enough to include any affordable housing.
In March 2015, Urbis signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Bristol City Council to draw up a £135 million plan regeneration masterplan for a wider area around St Catherine’s Place (see photo above). This is the area now known as ‘Bedminster Green’.
The masterplan was never completed and, since then, many new developers have been involved in Bedminster Green. WHaM was originally formed as a result of concern in the community about the development.
WHaM has expressed concern about a lack of affordable or social housing; the height and density of the proposed housing; a lack of co-ordination between the stakeholders involved and a lack of associated infrastructure, such as school and health provision.
WHaM has carried out its own consultations with the community and produced a Community Planning Brief (PDF) for the area.