Plans for 47 homes on Broadbury Road revised following resident feedback

Curo to submit plans to the council in December

Plans for the development of 47 affordable homes on Broadbury Road are being submitted to Bristol City Council this December – after changes were made following resident feedback.

Housing Association Curo held a consultation in the summer of 2019 – with local people encouraged to have their say on the planned 25 houses and 22 flats and maisonettes – next to and behind Broad Plain House Social Club.

Of these, 31 homes would be available to purchase via the Shared Ownership scheme, offered on a part-buy/part-rent basis for local people who qualify.

Eleven homes would be let at social rent and another five would be let at affordable rent through Bristol City Council’s choice-based lettings system. 

But some residents at the consultation were concerned about the loss of valuable green space and effect on wildlife from the proposed development.

They also asked Curo to consider introducing a children’s play area and to provide additional parking as they were worried about the pressure on nearby roads. They also wanted more amenity space for the flats and maisonettes.

Changes to plans

As a result the housing association has altered the plans to include:

• A ‘natural play area’ providing over 200sqm of play space to accommodate around 20 children.

It will feature installations made of ‘natural sustainable materials’ such as wood logs to climb on and balancing bridges. The area will also include a cycle rack and green areas with benches.

• Parking has now been increased to two spaces per home and an additional disabled parking bay with three accessible spaces. Electric vehicle charging points have also been introduced to the development.

• Gardens have also been introduced for the maisonettes and the apartment buildings have now been set back from Broadbury Road – with the green space at the front increased. The flats will also have access to a communal green space with built in benches.

• Following advice from Bristol City Council’s Urban Design team, the green space in the south-west corner of the site will now become “an ecological mitigation zone” for slow worms to benefit local wildlife.

• Curo has also promised to plant a lot of trees in this space and hopes these changes to the site will prevent anti-social behaviour in this area.

Broad Plain House will remain as a community space to continue to be enjoyed by local residents.

Curo’s Head of Affordable Housing Development, Francesca Topazio said: “Over the past twelve months we worked to further improve the proposals for this scheme and to incorporate the feedback we received from the local community and Bristol City Council.

“Two top priorities emerged following the public consultation last year: concerns around parking and the lack of a children’s play area. We’re pleased we were able to address both these matters by increasing the parking provision on the development to two spaces per home and incorporating a sustainable natural play area…

“If granted planning permission by Bristol City Council, this site will deliver 47 much-needed new affordable homes for local people, available through the part buy/part rent shared ownership scheme and to let at social and affordable rents via BCC’s choice-based lettings scheme.

“We’re looking forward to submit a planning application next month so we can progress the scheme.”

Once the planning application is submitted in December, residents will still have the chance to comment on the Bristol City Council site.

If the scheme is passed by the council by May 2021 – work on the site is expected to start in September next year.

If anyone has any questions about the development they can be emailed to  enquiries@curo-group.co.uk and mention ‘Broadbury Road scheme’ in the subject line.

For more info visit www.curo-group.co.uk/broadbury-road