Is this what we want to see on Horfield Road?
The former garden would be just right for a modest new terrace to join up the old and the new ones on either side. Instead, this is what the hospital authorities want to build there:
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Their Planning Application claims that the building ‘presents a unified facade to the road without being monolithic‘. It talks of ‘a bold, dramatic gesture at roof level‘ and ‘an eye-catching attractive element in the roofscape‘ They say that this new block of flats ‘echoes the wall opposite, creating an area of visual compression – a gateway…‘ and ‘will reinstate the street frontage and residential fabric‘. They also claim that ‘members of the local community have been involved with the design from the outset’ and ‘the site is not within the Conservation Area’. Both claims are wrong.
Kingsdown Conservation Group were emphatically not involved with the design from the outset, but we were shown the plans once they had been prepared. We said:
The building is much too big and its large blank walls right on the pavement would make Horfield Road even more of an unfriendly canyon
This is an important route into town used daily by hundreds in cars and on foot. The design should contribute to the appearance and safety of this route, not turn its back on it.
The building could be set further back on the site (for example, as a courtyard with a garden in front), and should not project so much above the two-storey houses on either side.
We question the provision of off-street parking here, the resultant loss of amenity space and the safety of car access onto this busy road with its fast traffic.
Further points made by local residents included:
ignores context and wrong scale. A 3-storey stepped form might be acceptable. The new pink and blue houses next door provide a good precedent in terms of scale and form. The large blank street elevation is extraordinarily insensitive.
The road facade is totally unacceptable.
Particularly agree with the KCG comments.
This garden is very pleasant. They are taking away a rather restful spot. The thought of 3 cars reversing into the fast-moving traffic is not good.
I welcome development of this ‘garden’
New houses next door have no off-street parking. This sets a good example.
What you can do: email north.planning@bristol.gov.uk before May 28th and tell them what you think of this scheme: ref: 08/01713/F 78-84 Horfield Rd, BS2 8EQ.
May 7th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
As far as I am aware the site on Horfield Road under discussion is not within the Kingsdown Conservation Area ( see chapter 6 of the Bristol Local Plan, page 25 for map). Therefore the statement within the UBHT planning application is not ‘wrong’. If my information is incorrect please could you refer me to your sources; if correct please amend your article.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
We have emailed the following reply to you:
Our source is Hannah Smith, Planning Officer who co-ordinated the review of the Conservation Area Character Appraisal. We checked the current status of the extra triangle directly with her, and she confirmed that it is now included in the Conservation Area, following the consultation on the Draft Appraisal.
I have copied this to her, to give you her email address, and if you find out that we have been misinformed pleae let me know and I will, of course, change the item.
With regard to the second statement that we consider wrong, my impression is that both you, and UBHT as your clients, genuinely believe that you have ‘done the right thing’ just by showing us the draft plans, though you will also be aware that simply ignoring our concerns and saying they are best dealt with through the planning system, is hardly ‘involvement’ in the normal sense of the word. However, this approach falls far short of what Bristol, in line with many other councils, is now expecting from developers, but we are still optimistic that, with proper involvement, we can save everyone’s time (and some money) by helping to develop schemes that we can then simply support.