New neighbourhood with more than 500 homes planned on Bristol border

The developers behind plans to build up to 555 new homes on the edge of Bristol will aim to submit detailed plans this summer. Bellway wants to create a new "environmentally sensitive community of up to 555 homes" on a site next to the Brislington Park and Ride in Bristol.

The fields are between the Brislington Park and Ride and the former Wyevale Garden Centre on the A4 Bath Road in Brislington, right up against the city boundary with Bath and North East Somerset. The housebuilder is proposing a new neighbourhood, off the A4 Bath Road, which would bring sustainable transport links, investment in the local infrastructure and provide around 190 affordable homes, as well as the opportunity for community-led and self-build homes.

The 38-acre site is allocated for housing in the new Bristol Local Plan, which the city council has recently submitted to the Secretary of State for examination. A spokesman for Bellway said subject to outline planning approval, Bellway hopes to submit detailed plans regarding the project to Bristol City Council in the summer of 2024 and begin the construction programme in 2025 or 2026.

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Bellway Strategic Land, which oversees early-stage, long-term developments for Bellway, has also launched a public consultation process on Friday (May 17) and will finish on June 14. Fergus Thomas, Strategic Land Director (Central) for Bellway, said: “Our plans would see us take a site that was historically used for quarrying and coal mining, and following the remediation of the land, transform it into a brand-new community which will bring a host of benefits to the area.

“We want to know what people think about the plans. Feedback will be used to influence the design of this new community. Bristol needs new homes. We are also conscious of the environmental, climate change and ecological issues facing the city.”

Bellway Strategic Land has established some key principles for the project which are to:

• Benefit both residents and the natural environment through a landscape-led approach including planting new trees, creating meadows and wetlands

• Prioritise walking, cycling and public transport use, supporting wider improvements to the A4 Bath Road

• Work with local organisations to deliver tangible benefits, including a new community hub

• Build sustainably, using energy-efficient design and new technologies

People can find out more about the plans on the dedicated project website, where they can also share their views and comment on an interactive map of the area. Comments and questions are also invited via email, phone or post.

Bellway is staging a community drop-in event at Hungerford Community Centre and Social Club, on Hungerford Road, between 3pm and 7pm on Wednesday, June 5. People will be able to meet the team, find out more and ask any questions.

Fergus said: “The need for new housing in Bristol is an urgent one, with 19,000 people currently on the city council’s housing waiting list. Due to this heightened demand for housing, the council says that Bristol is the most expensive city to rent in, outside London.

“Delivering this site earmarked by the council for housing would see us deliver much-needed homes for the private market and provide a significant number of affordable properties. This would allow local people, who cannot afford to buy their own home, to secure a new place to live in the area.

“The new development would be a walkable neighbourhood, with a new community hub and access to the adjoining park-and-ride facility, as well as a network of footpaths and cycleways to help provide routes for pedestrians and cyclists into the city centre.

“There’s a wealth of existing amenities within walking distance, including St Brendan’s Sixth Form College and the Oasis Academy, and high street stores and a gym at nearby Brislington Retail Park, just half a mile away.”

To find out more about the plans at Brislington and have your say, visit this link.