#Update 21
Report is out: Officers recommend REFUSAL
We can confirm that planning officers are recommending to REFUSE the St Christopher’s application on three main grounds
Overdevelopment/harm to heritage & conservation area- as we have said all along, it's way too big, too dense and too high.
Unacceptable tree & habitat loss - too many mature and valuable trees would be chopped down - and there simply isn't the space to plant replacements.
Unsustainable design - The buildings are so badly designed they don’t reach required standards to be either climate change future proof and would be detrimental to the quality of life for future residents. An embarrassing result for the developers whose main selling point was their purported sustainable eco credentials.
There are also concerns raised about parking and road safety - with officers accepting that the developers are not providing nearly enough parking spaces on site meaning there will be overspill on surrounding streets and that poses safety risks. This is not listed as a main reason for refusal and we are trying to understand why.
We are also concerned to see that developers are being allowed to offer a cash alternative in lieu of replacing any SEND provision onsite. This is a dangerous precedent regarding SEND funding and the planning process and we are looking into it.
Regarding affordable housing, after a legal review into planning class use, the council confirmed that under their current planning policy there is no obligation to provide affordable housing. SCAN still maintains that affordable housing should ideally be part of this scheme particularly against the backdrop of Bristol’s housing crisis.
You can read all the documents for yourself by going to this link:
https://democracy.bristol.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=138&MId=10665
and there'll be more on our website.
So - we support the officers recommendation to refuse this application and we now place our trust in our elected councillors to agree with the findings and throw these plans out once and for all. Then we can start to think about a kinder, better and wiser use of the site that brings genuine community benefit.
What happens now?
The recommendation is just that - a recommendation from experienced planning officers. It's up to the 9 councillors - representing all the main parties on the planning committee to finally decide. They’ll be reading through the report over the next week to help them make an informed decision.
How does the meeting work?
The meeting will start with a Public Forum - this is a 30 minute slot where members of the public can make a one minute statement on the plans being discussed.
Councillors will debate the applications and ask questions if they have any. Planning officers will be present to answer or clarify. Then councillors then vote on the application which can be passed with a majority or unanimously.
The St Christopher’s application is in with two other large and controversial applications so the time will be divided up accordingly.
The meeting starts at 2pm, the public forum is likely to start around 2.15pm and the St Christopher's application is debated last - maybe around 4/4.30pm.
What is SCAN doing?
SCAN is preparing a small number of statements to cover all the main points raised by you. The Westbury Park Community Association will also be making a statement along with other interested campaign groups. These will go directly to councillors before the meeting.
We are also permitted to speak in the meeting but speakers only get one minute each, and as the public forum is time pressured, we think it wise to only make one or two speeches. However, anyone is of course free to do as they wish.
What can I do?
You can submit a statement if you feel strongly - it's a great way to make sure councillors directly hear your concerns. Here’s how:
Each statement should be no longer than one A4 side of paper.
The statement should be e-mailed to the Democratic Services on democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk referencing the planning application you are commenting on: St Christopher’s School, Westbury Park, Bristol BS6 7JE (Planning Application 22/01221/F)
If you’d like to speak, you must indicate in the email that you'd like to do so. You will only get 60 seconds in the meeting to make a summary of your point.
The deadline for statements is Tuesday May 30th at midday.
2. You can watch the meeting broadcast live here:
3. You can follow us on social media for all updates
If you have any questions - please get in touch with us.
We will update you again to let you know the outcome of the meeting and we expect it to be covered by the local press too so keep an eye out.
We keep our fingers crossed that our elected councillors will follow the recommendation of their officers and reject this application outright.
Thank you for your patience and support.