News / planning
‘Unlawful’ plans for 62 homes on zoo car park quashed
Plans to build homes on the site of a former zoo car park have been blocked as they are ‘unlawful’, according to a judicial review.
Bristol Zoological Society sought to build 62 dwellings on College Road in Clifton and plans were approved by Bristol City Council in September.
But Clifton and Hotwells Improvement Society (CHIS) campaigned to quash the application, as they believed the site was “too precious” to be replaced with housing.
is needed now More than ever
The local conservation charity feared the development on the 160-space west car park would be a “major scar on the landscape”.
Now CHIS have won a legal challenge to stop the plans going ahead.
Bristol Zoo announced last year it would sell the land and move the zoo into the Wild Place Project in South Gloucestershire.- photo: Flossie Palmer
A judicial review over the council’s decision to grant planning permission for the homes said the plans were “unlawful” because it did not take on board Historic England’s advice.
The court order said the application’s officer’s report failed to properly consider the level of heritage harm and weigh up harm and public benefit.
Bristol Zoo Gardens is moving its operations to the Wild Place Project in South Gloucestershire, closing its Clifton site later this year.
To help fund the new Bristol Zoo, the charity which runs it wants to sell the historic site for housing.
“As well as providing 62 much-needed, high-quality new homes, the sale of the west car park site will provide a vital contribution to the funds required to make the new Bristol Zoo a reality,” said chief executive of the Bristol Zoological Society, Justin Morris, when the planning application was granted in September.
The application included 20 per cent affordable housing.
Bristol Zoological Society recently applied for 200 “high-quality” homes to be built on the gardens – photo: Bristol Zoological Society
A CHIS spokesperson said: “We have fought and won our battle against Bristol City Council’s decision to grant planning permission for 62 homes on the site of the Bristol Zoo car park. The council accepted that they acted unlawfully in the way they made the decision.”
A spokesperson for the council added: “Now that the planning permission has been quashed we will work with all parties to re-consult on the application and carry out more detailed assessments before reporting again to the development control committee later this year.”
The plans will return to the council’s planning committee on September 22.
Main photo: Bristol Zoological Society
Read more: Plans for 200 homes on Bristol Zoo site submitted
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