News / planning
Civic Society says Bristol needs ‘planning reset’
A voluntary organisation that aims to improve Bristol’s built environment and celebrate its heritage has recently been criticised for a perception that it is a NIMBY organisation that attempts to block major developments.
Bristol Civic Society admit they are “worried about tall buildings” but say they have “a positive vision for Bristol” and back good proposals including the recent redevelopemt of the Mickleburgh shop on Stokes Croft, saying they “give praise where it’s due but are critical when necessary”.
As Bristol’s new councillors are sworn in, the Civic Society has published an open letter calling for a “planning reset” and for more respect for the city’s Local Plan which sets out how Bristol will develop over the next few decades.
is needed now More than ever
A 28-storey tower could be built as part of the proposed redevelopment of the Galleries shopping centre – image: Deeley Freed
“We need an honest, open, debate about what sort of city we want and to reflect this in the city’s Local Plan,” the Civic Society tell new councillors.
“In the meantime, we need a moratorium on the ever-taller tower blocks that are changing the look and feel of Bristol.
“The outgoing mayor’s fixation with going for height rested on the presumption Bristol’s skyline needed to grow to communicate ‘ambition and energy’, and the only way to tackle the housing crisis was to ‘stack em high’.
“We reject this approach, because it has too little regard for people’s wellbeing, the imperative to cut carbon or the city’s townscape and what makes Bristol special.
“It ignores the widely-accepted medium-rise alternatives for delivering higher densities chosen by successful cities such as Vienna, Amsterdam and Copenhagen.
“Like anybody who cares about Bristol, we want to see more affordable homes, and in numbers that make a difference. But we don’t support cutting corners: in liveability, tackling the climate emergency or in delivering good design.
“This is why we challenge poorly-designed speculative developments and the explosion of student accommodation which isn’t meeting local needs.
“We want a well-planned city, with the right policies to deliver the sustainable, healthy and affordable homes which are desperately needed.
“Bristol needs a sensible strategy for tall buildings drawn up with local people, not deals with developers behind closed doors. This is why we need to reset planning in Bristol.”
The recently approved Barr’s Street scheme on the site of Debenhams features a 28-storey tower described as “a new northern gateway into Broadmead” – image: AWW
A spokesperson for Bristol Civic Society told Bristol24/7 that their opposition to unplanned or speculative developments “is not NIMBYism”.
They said: “Setting up false choices – you’re either for or against development – or using disparaging caricatures does a disservice to serious consideration.
“We campaign to deliver a well-planned city and the sustainable, healthy and affordable homes which are desperately needed.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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