News / Second World War
World War Two bomb experts to help with hotel demolition
Second World War bomb experts will be brought in to oversee the demolition of the Premier Inn near the Bearpit amid fears of unexploded devices.
Ordnance specialists say there is an “elevated medium risk” of German bombs and Allied anti-aircraft projectiles being unearthed.
A risk assessment report submitted to Bristol City Council’s planning department on behalf of developers who want to build Bristol’s tallest building on the site as part of the St James Square development says the repercussions of a detonation during excavation works are “potentially profound, both in terms of human and financial cost”.
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The Premier Inn tower – formerly offices for Avon County Council – will be demolished and two blocks will replace it – photo: Martin Booth
The report says: “A serious risk to life and limb, damage to plant and total site shutdown during follow-up investigations are potential outcomes.
“However, if appropriate risk mitigation measures are put in place, the chances of initiating an item of UXO (unexploded ordnance) during groundworks is comparatively low.”
The hotel building, built in the 1970s, is being demolished and replaced with a block of student flats which will be 28 storeys high, two storeys higher than the current tallest building in the city, Castle Park View. There will also be an 18-storey co-living high-rise.
The highest building will have 442 beds and the other 132 larger co-living units, although the developers are asking for permission to increase this to 150 by changing the internal layout.
Plans for St James Square on the site of the current Premier Inn include a 28-storey purpose-built student accommodation tower – image: Olympian Homes
The council’s development control committee granted planning consent for the original scheme by Olympian Homes in March.
That came with a raft of conditions, including carrying out an unexploded ordnance risk assessment, which has now been submitted to the local authority.
The 74-page report by experts 1st Line Defence says “there is an overall Medium Risk from German and anti-aircraft unexploded ordnance within the north, north-west and western sections of the site”.
“There is an assessed Low Risk from German and anti-aircraft unexploded ordnance within the remainder of the site.
“There is also an assessed Negligible Risk from Allied unexploded ordnance across the site.
“Available evidence suggests structures within and immediately bordering the site to the north, north-west and west may have sustained damage as a result of bombing.”
It says that “of concern” is a phenomenon called the J-curve effect where an unexploded bomb lands among damaged structures, moves in a different direction and then curves towards the surface, ending with its nose cone pointing up.
The report says: “As a result, these sections of the site are considered to be at an elevated Medium Risk of UXO contamination and proactive risk mitigation measures are proposed within these areas.”
Demolition has started on what was previously the Beefeater restaurant on The Haymarket – photo: Martin Booth
From June 1940 to April 1941, a total of 548 German bombing raids were recorded in Bristol, resulting in 1,229 people being killed and 3,205 injured.
Where the Premier Inn now stands is “within close proximity” of a number of Luftwaffe targets including the Floating Harbour, Bristol Gasworks, and Albion and Wapping docks.
The report says: “The site location may also have been targeted as part of the general Luftwaffe bombing campaign on the civilian population.”
The report estimates that ten per cent of high explosive bombs dropped by German aircraft failed to explode.
Part of the application to vary planning conditions includes a change of wording to follow 1st Line Defence’s risk mitigation plan.
The report says this included having UXO specialists on site to support open excavations in the medium risk areas.
They will monitor the works and provide an “immediate response to reports of suspicious objects or suspected items of ordnance that have been recovered by the ground workers on site”.
The experts will also give briefings to staff on the basics of identifying unexploded bombs and what to do if they encounter one.
Haymarket Walk will also be demolished as part of the St James Square development – photo: Martin Booth
Main photo: Martin Booth
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