Kingsdown Conservation Group

Go along and see the end result of all the noise and disruption on Marlborough Hill – a spanking new world-class Heart Institute. This Saturday, 25th April, 11 am to 3pm. More details here.

Thanks to Heather Frenkel for pointing out that the new Planning Application number is 09/00867/F, so you can enter this into the Bristol City Council Planning Applications search page to see full details and you can also comment on the application.

You can see the original information provided by Hugh Adams here

Kingsdown Conservation Group opposed the University’s proposal to build a £35 million Bio-Sciences building.  The Bio-Sciences building will be built on the site of the old children’s hospital at the top of St Michael’s Hill.  It will be six storeys high at the Tyndall Avenue corner.  It will damage the character of the upper part of the St Michael’s Hill conservation area, damage the skyline views of the University particularly, it will block the view of the Royal Fort Physics Tower from Kingsdown.

The community groups were united on the issue that the Bio-Sciences building is too big. Kingsdown Conservation Group, the Christmas Steps Arts Quarter, Redland and Cotham Amenity Society were supported by the Bristol Civic Society.  Some KCG members wrote to the City planners to support our opposition.

We were very disappointed to have to oppose the University.  KCG had divided loyalties. We did not want to oppose the University but the Bio-Sciences building is too big and will damage the St. Michael’s Hill Conservation Area.  We would have supported the University’s planning application if they had followed their original design of a four-storey building.  Between November 2007 and January 2009 the University revised the plans of the Bio-Sciences building three times, in response to criticism.  The University made further, final revisions in the month before the date for the Planning Committee’s decision.  The changes did not affect KCG’s main objection; the building is 45% bigger than the building shown in the University’s master plan.  The University holds more development land on the former Children Hospital site, on to which it could have spread its building

On Wednesday the 9th April the Central Planning Committee approved the University’s finally revised application.  The University’s vice-chancellor, Professor Eric Thomas, told councillors “This planning application is crucial to the University’s continued success and therefore important to our City.”

Councillor Jim White said “I would have hoped for something better, but the positives of this scheme outweigh the negatives”.  Other councillors expressed reservations about the size of the Bio-Sciences building but voted to pass the application.

The following were discussed:

Matters to raise at the forthcoming meeting with the hospital authorities.- including the ‘temporary’ Pharmacy Building, on which there has already been one successful complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman, and which the hospital now wants to leave in place when planning permission expires this summer , the general dilapidation around it on the east side of Marlborough Hill, progress on reinstating the Woodland Walk and Bedford Place steps.

The gardens of 26-27 Somerset Street. The Committee was pleased that the new owners had made contact to explain their hopes and plans for this site, but we were unable to support their proposals, despite several positive aspects. Planning law is such that, if permission were granted for residential use, it would be hard to prevent a much less sympathetic future owner erecting a completely unsuitable building (such as the block of flats previously applied for). We decided, therefore to continue our support of the position set out in the City’s conservation policy for Kingsdown – that the garden is a valuable asset and should not be built on.

A small but significant matter is the City Council’s failure to remove or re-site a satellite dish on a house they own in Kingsdown Parade. Their position appears to be that they will take action against ordinary householders but can’t force themselves to comply with the rules. This odd interpretation cannot be left unchallenged and will be pursued with them.

BT has announced that it will remove all unlisted red telephone boxes, which would leave in place the one in Fremantle Square but NOT the one in St Matthew’s Road.

The Committee discussed several other matters, including the City Council Green Space Strategy and the English Heritage Review of Conservation Areas.

The next meeting is to be held on 8.00 p.m. Tuesday 28th  May at 22 Somerset Street. If there are matters you think should be discussed, please contact the secretary, John Frenkel: secretary@kingsdown.org.uk or  23 Somerset Street.

I can’t recall what PACT means (Police And Community Together, perhaps?) but Mark Alderton from Cabot Neighbourhood Policing Team (Kingsdown and Cotham) has asked us to publicise the next meeting at St. Matthew’s Church, Clare Road, at 7.30pm, on Tuesday 14th April

You can contacf him on 0117 945 5055 or via

Mark.Alderton@avonandsomerset.police.uk

Montague Hill South – today and in the 60s

Many thanks to local flickr user iyers who looked at our website and then sent in the modern version of one of our old pictures. It’d be good to get a few more ‘before and after’ versions – if anyone has old pictures of the area, do let us know. We can scan them in and let you have them straight back.

See the view from the top, the great bell, the Oatley library and other rooms. Lift up to the bell level, then stairs.

Sat April 25th   11.30-1pm

£2.50

maximum 20 people.

Contact Andy King – 924 0570