New plans revealed for site opposite Temple Meads after public consultation

Plans to regenerate an area of Temple Quarter have been changed following a community consultation.

Developers, Dandara Living, originally submitted a planning application in May 2022 to develop the site opposite Temple Meads, previously occupied by the Robins and Day Peugeot car dealership and neighbouring Victoria House.

The original plans for the site proposed a 20-storey building, new shops and commercial units.

However after holding a public consultation in early summer 2022, which received a total of 241 responses, and considering feedback from council officers, Dandara has now revised its initial draft proposals.

The changes focus primarily on community use, with a key issue concerning the public use of the ground floor space.

The development would replace the site previously occupied by the Robins and Day Peugeot car dealership and neighbouring Victoria House – photo: Dandara

Significant changes have now been made, including the decision to lower the height of the proposed 432 homes on the site by five storeys and include 830 square metres of community and commercial floorspace.

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Read more: Twenty storey development proposed for site opposite Temple Meads

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The new plans also see a ‘pocket park’ proposal in the centre of the development. The space will be accessible to the public as well as the new residents, and will include “additional trees, sensory planting and natural play features.”

Other changes include the reduction in car parking spaces to 23 accessible blue badge spaces, and the inclusion of more than 800 cycle parking spaces, to be used by residents, employees and visitors to the site.

The proposals would also see the widening of the pavement on Temple Gate to make way for street tree planting and a segregated cycle lane which would link the Whitchurch Way cycling route by connecting it from the south side of Clarence Road to opposite Temple Meads on the west side of Temple Gate.

Dandara Living’s amended Clarence Road proposal would see pavements widened for more trees. Image shows the Temple Gate elevation – photo: Dandara Living

The new planning application has now been submitted to the council. Dandara said it would hope to begin construction during 2024 with the aim of the development being completed and opened in 2027.

The site forms part of the Temple Quarter regeneration area, which aims to create a ‘flourishing new urban quarter for Bristol.’ The council hopes to build up to 10,000 new homes in the area under the plans – 2,500 of them to be located next to Temple Meads station.

A spokesperson for Dandara said: “Our proposal would create a highly sustainable development, targeting two of the highest sustainability standards – BREEAM Communities Excellent and 4 Star Home Quality Mark. Our approach seeks to minimise carbon, using recycled materials, connecting to the Bristol heat network, and harnessing renewable energy with rooftop solar panels.

“We feel our scheme would create a carefully-considered and highly-sustainable mixed-use community in the heart of the city, bringing much-needed homes, green spaces, improved cycle and pedestrian connections, and community facilities to this important brownfield, gateway site.”

Main photo: Dandara Living

Read next:

• Bristol Temple Quarter gets £95m of government funds to level up
• Work begins on multi-million pound hotel and retail development
• Plans to transform Bristol parkway into ‘living station’ approved

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