News / Spike island
166 new flats to be built at Baltic Wharf despite flood risks
“Much-needed, high quality housing” will be built on a council-owned site overlooking the Floating Harbour which is currently used as a caravan park.
The 166 new flats at Baltic Wharf close to the Cottage pub will be up to six storeys high, with the development also including two commercial units at ground level next to the docks, as well as new public spaces created.
The planning application was granted unanimously by councillors despite a number of issues being raised including the risk of flooding, with the Environment Agency initially against the scheme but later removing their objections.
is needed now More than ever
A Bristol City Council officer told councillors that basement levels of the development will be “allowed to flood”.
Despite the “regretable” loss of 82 trees on the site, more than 200 trees are due to be planted around the site and elsewhere across the city.
Because the land on Spike Island was previously a timber yard, the caravan park is considered to be a brownfield site.
The current Baltic Wharf caravan site is one of the brownfield sites due to be developed by Goram Homes – photo: Bristol Tree Forum
People speaking from the public gallery said that there was a “risk of death” from the development due to the flood risks, with “widespread consequences jeopardising the safety and wellbeing of Bristolians for generations to come”.
Another member of the public called the application the “legacy ambitions of a dying administration”.
But a representative from Goram Homes, the council-owned housing company behind the scheme, said that the development would be providing “desperately needed homes”, with 40 per cent of these due to be affordable.
A bird’s eye view looking through the Baltic Wharf site from Cumberland Road – image: Goram Homes
“If the Environment Agency maintained their objection, I believe that would sink this scheme,” said Conservative councillor Richard Eddy, the committee chair.
“For me, the positives greatly outweigh the negatives,” said Labour councillor Chris Jackson.
Lib Dem councillor, Andrew Varney, added: “We are providing much-needed homes for Bristolians.”
Main image: Hills
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