A 22-storey student accommodation tower in Bristol has been approved unanimously by councillors. The Albert Road giant will serve as a residence for 531 students, next to the University of Bristol’s emerging new campus and near Temple Meads station.
Despite some members of the Bristol City Council development control committee harbouring reservations about the design and the scarcity of local GP provisions, the developer Cubex won praise. The ambitious tower becomes the loftiest structure greenlighted in the Temple Quarter regeneration project to date.
Cubex has committed to financing flood defences, developing a new boulevard and creating a thoroughfare for pedestrians and cyclists that leads to the riverside promenade and St Philips footbridge connecting to Temple Island. The project had encountered negligible opposition, receiving only one complaint, Wednesday's planning meeting heard.
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Committee chairman Cllr Rob Bryher (Green, St George West) didn't hide his disappointment over the lack of a council-produced design masterplan, which would dictate building heights within the area. He voiced his concern: "One of my primary concerns about this whole area is the height of the buildings. There isn't something we can point to and say this is how high a building should be."
Nevertheless, he found the development worthy of support, deeming it exemplary, reports .
Cllr Guy Poultney (Green, Cotham) remarked: "This is a quarter of a hectare to provide the equivalent of 212 houses without the loss of any green space.
"The local councillors are in favour. If this isn't good, I don't know what good looks like."
Cllr Richard Eddy (Conservative, Bishopsworth) gave a thumbs up to the proposed development, saying: "It meets local student housing need, provides low-cost employment use, increases the public realm in an imaginative way, increases tree planting, improves transport and includes flood prevention."
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However, Cllr Katja Hornchen (Labour, Brislington East) said: "I have strong reservations around the medical facilities. The idea that we didn't have any complaints about this – nobody lives around there so we're not going to get any complaints."
Planning officers shared some concerns about the design, which needs finalisation before construction commences.
Cllr Serena Ralston (Green, Clifton Down) said: "This is the first of one of these buildings in this area but there is nothing wrong with us demanding the very best.
"There are lots of merits to the scheme but we always have to ask this question – what would future Bristolians standing on that site in 100 years have to say?
"Would they be proud of the decisions we make today or would they scratch their heads and say 'what were they thinking? '. So I'm very reassured that there is a condition demanding more on the design. I am worried about the height."
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