News / St Mary-le-Port
Green light given for development of St Mary le Port site
Plans to regenerate an area at the heart of Bristol have been given the green light as the government have decided not to call in the major scheme.
The development of St Mary le Port on one corner of Castle Park has proved controversial, with opponents of the scheme attempting to persuade the plans approved by councillors to be quashed in Westminster.
Three empty buildings around the tower of the former St Mary le Port church will be replaced by shops, cafes, restaurants and bars on the ground floor and 340,000 sq ft of offices across three separate buildings.
The development of St Mary le Port, on the corner of Castle Park, is set to create thousands of jobs in the area – photo: MEPC
MEPC, the commercial property development and asset management arm of Federated Hermes, gained consent for the proposals from Bristol City council’s planning committee in 2021.
The plans split opinions – with some people happy that disused buildings in the area would be turned into something of use.
Others expressed their concerns with the height of the new buildings and the excessive office space during a housing crisis.
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Read more: St Mary le Port development plans split opinion
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As part of the development, St Mary le Port and the ruins which are on Historic England’s ‘Heritage at Risk’ register, will be repaired and will open to the public for the first time in decades.
Biodiversity has also been considered as part of the plans. According to MEPC, the site will generate a biodiversity uplift of more than 85 per cent – but Bristol Tree Forum dispute these figures.
The tower of the former St Mary le Port is currently marooned behind three buildings – photo: Martin Booth
Chris Kimber-Nickelson, development director of MEPC, said in a statement: “We are delighted that our plans for this important but long neglected site, can start to move forward.
“We don’t have an exact start date but will be working to get on site as quickly as we can.”
Federated Hermes CEO of real estate, Chris Taylor, said: “This scheme seeks to provide a new heart to the city with a single managed estate. This unites great public realm alongside sensitive preservation of the rich heritage buildings in what will be a community engaged mixed use scheme.”
Taylor added: “We look forward to creating a new attractive city centre destination which we believe will attract and retain talent and provide the impetus for inward investment.”
Read next:
- ‘There is a democratic deficit in Bristol, particularly with concerns about developments’
- New office blocks to surround historic church
- Future of St Mary le Port site to be decided in Bristol not Westminster
- How a man who wants a bright future for Castle Park has been targeted by trolls
Photos: MEPC
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