News / KNowle West
First look at proposed new youth centre in Bristol
Images have been released of what a new multi-million pound youth centre at the edge of Knowle West could look like.
The £8.4m South Bristol Youth Zone has been proposed on an area of green space between the Inns Court housing estate and Hartcliffe Way dual carriageway.
The “world-class” facility will be delivered and funded by Bristol City Council in partnership with national youth charity OnSide.
is needed now More than ever
Set to open in late 2024, it will be run by Knowle West organisation Youth Moves at a cost of £1.3m per year.
The proposed site of the South Bristol Youth Zone is a section of green space between a residential area and main road. Photo courtesy of OnSide
Proposals by OnSide show the Youth Zone will provide a range of facilities for young people.
This includes a sports hall, fitness suite, music and performance rooms, art workshops and cafe. There will also be an outdoor recreation area and kick-pitch.
The building will be covered in green cladding so that it sits “sympathetically” within the surrounding landscape.
Existing woodland around the site will be retained and new trees will also be planted.
The only parking will be a couple of disabled spaces but there will be a drop-off area on a proposed road connecting Inns Court to Hartcliffe Way.
The council says the green space between Knowle West and Hartcliffe is the “most feasible” option to position the Youth Zone. Photo by Charlie Watts
Only a fraction of the green space around Inns Court will be lost to the development. The entire area is allocated for 430 new homes in the Local Plan.
But the council says it has no plans to build housing on the site and that the Youth Zone is not connected to a wider project of home building.
In a letter to Inns Court residents, Bristol mayor Marvin Rees says the proposed location of the facility is “neutral, accessible, and welcoming” for all surrounding communities.
“The aim is to help young people grow in confidence, support their aspirations, and foster a sense of community belonging,” he said.
“We want this to be a space to build community relationships and to bring children and young people together who may not usually meet.”
Only a section of the green space around Inns Court – the part opposite the entrance to Imperial Retail Park – will be lost to the development. Photo courtesy of OnSide
The Youth Zone will see young people in the south of the city able to access more than 20 activities every night.
These range from sports such as football, boxing and climbing, to creative arts, music, drama and employability training.
There are two consultations on the proposed development: one by OnSide, which closes on December 12; and another by the council, which ends on January 2.
OnSide is set to submit a planning application early next year, with the mayor and cabinet due to make a final decision on the Youth Zone in the spring.
Charlie Watts is reporting on Knowle West as part of Bristol24/7’s community reporter scheme, a pilot project which aims to tell stories from areas of Bristol traditionally under-served by the mainstream media
Main photo courtesy of OnSide
Read more: Green space under threat from youth centre plans
Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
