One of Bristol's oldest charities has revealed revised plans to turn the Vassall Centre in Fishponds into a mixed-use neighbourhood including more than 80 homes.
Bristol Charities, a provider of sheltered, retirement and extra care housing in the city and South Wales, purchased the facility, which offers work and conference space to not-for-profit organisations, last year.
The group, whose history stretches back more than 600 years, is looking to build affordable social housing on the site, as well as upgrade the centre for its current - and potentially new - tenants, as well as a cafe and nursery for the wider community.
Bristol Charities said the site’s current buildings are nearing the end of their practical lifespan and have “very poor” environmental performance.
Freshly released proposals detail an almshouse, operated by the charity and built around a central courtyard garden, which could provide 40 one-bed and two-bed flats at affordable rents for older people.
Bristol Charities said the flats could include a communal lounge and a south-facing roof terrace, to encourage residents to meet and help combat loneliness. The housing could also connect to a nursery building via a garden room to encourage social interaction between different generations.
Also put forward in the revised plans is the creation of an additional 41 affordable homes. These properties would comprise a mix of two to three-bed houses with gardens and one to two-bed apartments with balconies, all offered for rent or low-cost shared ownership.
If built, these homes could be operated by another Bristol-based charitable housing association - Brighter Places.
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Designs for the development have been altered following initial feedback from stakeholders and the wider community, with the scheme now organised around a landscaped outdoor recreational space to encourage interaction.
Buildings for the housing for older people along Vassall Road and Gill Avenue have been pulled back to allow for a wider landscaped area onto the street. The apartment building for affordable homes has also been reduced in size.
Local people and Vassall Centre users are now being invited to have their say on the revised proposals as part of a new three-week consultation.
Julian Mines, chief executive officer at Bristol Charities, said: "We have listened carefully and our revised approach responds to the views and concerns of tenants and the local community, providing much more detail about what the proposed development will look like and how the different elements will work together.
"The redevelopment of the Vassall Centre provides an important opportunity to retain and improve on the existing services, whilst making more effective use of the site for tenants, people with disabilities, older people and families in need of affordable housing, and local residents."
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