Update #5

Monday, 17th January 2022

Last-minute public online events finally confirmed by developers -with promises of more images & information

After pressure from the WPCA, SCAN and the community, the developers are holding two additional public consultation sessions - online - this Thursday 20th January.

We understand the webinar will provide:

• Images of what the new multi storey blocks of flats look like

• Information about heights and distances from nearby properties

• Cross sections and visuals from surrounding roads.

• Opportunity to ask further questions

Register here:

Webinar #1 9:30 – 11am, Thursday 20 January 2022

Webinar #2 6 – 7:30pm, Thursday 20 January 2022

3 ways to ask questions:

• When you register you can pre-submit questions (write in the 'Questions & Comments' box on the booking form)

• You can email them to this email address or phone them on 0800 148 8911 (freephone).

• You can ask questions during the webinar using the chat box function.

You can now see the presentation BEFORE the session so you can get your head round it and ask fully informed questions. Click here.

Please note end of consultation period is now Jan 26th

You can submit further feedback after the webinars and based on what you have seen.

Reminder of the main areas of concern as you have told us in all your emails and messages over the past few months:

• Traffic and parking - too many people being squeezed onto the site and not enough parking spaces provided, will lead to overspill parking and road traffic safety issues

• Concern about scheme being 'out of character' with surrounding historic buildings and a conservation area

• Access worries - both proposed pedestrian access on The Glen and proposed vehicle/pedestrian access on Bayswater Avenue next to a nursery

• Loss of nature, trees and wildlife

• Heights of the four multi-storey blocks of flats - which tower over nearby homes

• Proximity of blocks to school playground and to neighbouring properties

• Density of development - excessive number of units for the plot and area which will have a negative impact

• Concern about effects on school children in playground particularly with regard to pollution/dust/noise during construction phase

• Concern that area already ‘saturated’ with housing provision for elderly

• Concern about reality of community access and whether we need another cafe/hub

Update #4

Thursday, 13 January 2022

• We challenge some of the latest claims made by developers

• Call to action: please keep writing to developers - consultation closes Jan 19th

• Reminder of what we know about the plans so far

Happy New Year!

A special thank you to you, the many local residents who have sent us emails and messages letting us have your opinions on the proposals presented by the developers in December. This is much appreciated. The views you have expressed are overwhelmingly negative!

The messages you have sent to us enable us to state, with complete confidence, that the residents of Westbury Park overwhelmingly believe that the present proposals amount to a wholly unacceptable over-development of the St Christopher’s school site.

We are working closely with the Westbury Park Community Association (WPCA) in an effort to help the developers rethink these entirely misguided proposals. But it is difficult when they persist in making misleading statements. Here are three:

1.The developers say:

“If we were to sell this on to a homebuilder, they would put double the number of units there.”

Henleaze and Westbury Voice Dec 2021

We say:

There is no evidence at all to support this entirely false claim.

We ask:

Is this scare mongering? Where is the evidence that Bristol City Council would allow double the number of units? If this scheme of 121 new homes is rejected, why would the Council allow 242?

2. The developers say:

“When it’s an extra-care facility, the vehicle movements from that site tend to be much lower than when it’s a residential site.”

Henleaze and Westbury Voice Dec 2021

We say:

While residents of extra-care communities may be less likely to drive, it is also the case that they will require extensive, potentially 24 hour, support from nurses, carers and support staff, many of whom will need cars to access the site.

We ask:

Can the developers provide their projected total number of cars requiring parking during peak hours and if this more than the 65 spaces planned, explain how and where the excess will be accommodated without impacting surrounding streets?

3.The developers say:

We are “creating space for nature with a commitment to a biodiversity net gain of 10%”.

St Christopher's Bristol, Website Jan 2022

We say:

The proposals would decimate the natural environment on this site and the developers do not provide any credible evidence to support this entirely unsubstantiated claim relating to biodiversity.

We ask:

Why only 10%? That’s the bare minimum set out in law. If this is truly a far-sighted “eco project” shouldn't the developers be far more ambitious with their biodiversity targets?

Don’t forget to write in!

Please continue to write in and tell the developers what you think about their plans on this email address - and let us know as well by copying us into our email address. The consultation period is open until January 19th so there's still time to have your say, make suggestions and ask questions.

Here’s a handy reminder of the main points of the development and you can see the plans and read more about it on the developer's website.

• There will be 121 2-bed units - 26 in the converted lodges, 11 new 2-storey ‘cottages’ or houses, and 84 in four new blocks of flats.

• Height & density of buildings - the large one at the end of The Glen is 4-storeys, the one between this and the Lodges (behind Belvedere Road) is 5-storeys, the central one is 6-storeys. There is also a 4-storey block close to the back of houses in Royal Albert Road.

• Only 65 parking spaces on site - this will almost certainly be insufficient for about 200 residents, plus staff and visitors, leading to over-spill on to surrounding roads.

• Pedestrian access from St Christophers to The Glen - will encourage over-spill parking on The Glen and Belvedere Road, as well as increased traffic looking for places to park (NB the pedestrian access may be restricted by key fob to users of St Christophers, ie would not necessarily be able to be used by other Westbury Park residents, although this is not yet fully clear).

• Vehicle and pedestrian access from Bayswater Avenue/Etloe Road - developers say this site entrance is for four car parking spaces that belong to the nearest houses and no delivery vehicles. However the entrance is next to a nursery and on the walk to school route for both Westbury Park Primary school and the many pre-schools in the area.

• There will be about five 2-storey houses in the "pan-handle" area directly behind 16 - 18 Belvedere Road. Other houses will back onto the back of Bayswater Avenue houses.

Update #3

Thursday 16 December 2021

Keep telling the developers your views - plus look out for another public drop in session in January with (hopefully) more details and drawings....

A quick update from us before Christmas.

Thanks to those of you who managed to attend the public drop-in sessions. Thanks, too, for all your emails & comments about the plans for the St Christopher’s site.

So far, the messages we’ve received about the proposals have been overwhelmingly negative.

Although SCAN welcomes the fact that some of the plans have been modified, it seems there are still major concerns. Here's what you've told us you're worried about:

• Density: Although the developers have changed some of their plans, they are only reducing the overall number of housing units by FIVE units - from 126 to 121.

• The impact of extra traffic and site access points: Despite assurances from the developers, many residents remain deeply concerned about the adverse impact on road safety and parking.

• Ecology: The loss of trees, wildlife and the impact of building work and extra pollution - particularly on young children in the adjacent primary school and nursery.

• Too high and too close: Many of you have told us that the proposed multi-storey apartment blocks and new-build houses will dominate neighbouring streets and would be out-of-character in the Downs Conservation Area.

• The nature of the consultation: Many of you were critical of the lack of information and detailed drawings at the public drop-in sessions - particularly with regards to the heights and proximity of the proposed new buildings. A lot of you also criticised the written questionnaire and the online survey with comments about the type of questions. We have already fed back your comments to the developers and asked for changes in future sessions. We continue to monitor the consultation process and along with the Westbury Park Community Association (WPCA) press for more information and detail on the designs so you are able to fully understand the plans.

• Community Access: Lack of clarity about community use of the communal spaces.

Remember the public consultation period remains open until Jan 19th so there is still a chance to influence the development. We understand there will be a third public drop-in session in mid January - hopefully with a lot more information and updated drawings. We will tell you as soon as we know more!

The plans are still available to see online - here. It's really important you continue to offer the developers your feedback on this email address. Please feel free to keep sending us copies of your messages via our email address. It’s really helpful for us to assess how our community is feeling.

SCAN believes there are still a lot of unanswered questions on all of the above issues that you've raised. We continue to work alongside the WPCA, who have extensive experience and planning knowledge and are pushing the developers for detailed responses. Together we hope to achieve a sensitive and appropriate outcome for the site, in line with our six community planning principles.

Please continue to tell the developers what you think and ask questions. This is our neighbourhood and we can influence what is built on the site.

Merry Christmas to you all -

from everyone in SCAN.

We will be back in the New Year.

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Update #2

Thursday 25 November 2021

We’ve seen the new plans – and so can you.

Earlier this week the developers invited five members of the St Christopher’s Action Network (plus the WPCA) to view the latest version of their plans.

These include a reduction in the overall number of apartment blocks and an increase in the number of lower-rise cottages.

The developers assure us that they are listening to community concerns - which is something we welcome.

But:

• The overwhelming majority of the accommodation would still be in large apartment blocks - one as high as 6 storeys.

• The number of units would only be cut from 126 to 121.

• There would only be around 65 parking spaces.

• The developers still want a vehicle entrance next to the Daisychain nursery on Bayswater Avenue/Etloe.

• They now want to add a pedestrian access on The Glen.

Are these latest plans acceptable to our community?

• Does this still amount to "over-development"?

• What would be the impact of so many new residents (plus staff, carers, visitors and delivery vehicles)?

• Can we be sure that the developers' shuttle bus and car-share scheme would prevent any “overspill” in terms of traffic, road safety and parking?

• How can this be an eco-project when so many mature trees would still be lost?

• Are we certain that the project would really deliver genuine community benefit?

Next week the developers will hold two drop-in sessions – Wednesday 1 December, 3pm - 7pm AND Saturday 4 December, 9.30am - 1pm. We know it’s not an ideal time of year (and, along with the WPCA, have pointed this out) but it would be great if you can go along, see the plans and offer feedback. The public consultation period runs until 19th January.

The investors certainly have a very professional marketing operation. There will be glossy design plans available and data from their other ventures. We are not entirely sure how clear or comprehensive the imagery will be. Please ask questions and voice any concerns.

As well as giving feedback to the developers, we would also like to know your thoughts. We need to understand the mood of the community as we approach the next stage in the planning process.

Please get in touch with us here.

SCAN would like to thank the Westbury Park Community Association for their continued support and valued expertise. They have a broader remit than us and we are working side by side to achieve the best outcome for the sensitive and appropriate development of the site.

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First Update

Sunday 21 November 2021

It’s a really big week.

The developer’s charm offensive has well and truly started – they dropped 4000 leaflets to homes around our neighbourhood this weekend.

On Tuesday 23rd November, SCAN coordinators and members of the Westbury Park Community Association will meet the developers to get a first glimpse of their updated plans for the St Christopher’s site. They have promised to reveal their latest designs, supposedly based on the community feedback they received earlier in the autumn. These designs will go on public display on December 1st.

So, let's see what they’ve come up with... Have the developers listened to our objections? Have they really understood the concerns of local people about the impact of their plans on road safety, traffic, parking and biodiversity? Have they taken on board the six planning principles we have sent to them? Do they intend to have a genuine and transparent public consultation process? So far, we have been disappointed by the poor communication over the past few months. Hopefully we are entering a more positive phase.

Remember we are asking for SENSITIVE and APPROPRIATE development of the site. Fingers crossed, we will have some good news to report later in the week and the new plans will be a significant improvement on the huge multi-storey apartment blocks the consortium was planning to build back in September.

We will let you know as soon as we do!

For updates, subscribe for our email and/or follow us on social media on our Get Involved page.

Front entrance of the former school

Aerial view of the St Christopher’s site