'Desperate' to see redevelopment

By The Post | Thursday, October 27, 2011, 07:00

A DERELICT building at Bristol's Harbourside will be redeveloped into flats despite concerns about a loss of affordable housing.

The old Purifier House site in Gas Ferry Road

The Grade II-listed East Purifier House, in Gas Ferry Road, is one of the last parts of the Harbourside to be regenerated.

Developer Citistay submitted plans to convert the site into 38 homes, with restaurants and shops.

But it also wanted to avoid having to provide 15 affordable homes and more than £69,000 of contributions towards recreation in the area.

Like many developers in Bristol, Citistay said it could not afford to provide this so-called section 106 funding because it would make the scheme financially unviable.

City councillors discussed the application at a meeting yesterday.

Councillor Alex Pearce (Con, St George East) said: "I'm perfectly happy to be reasonable when it comes to section 106 but I find it a little hard to swallow that something that will be a lot more profitable than the previous scheme comes before us with a pathetic amount of affordable housing."

The developer had told councillors it had been able to provide three affordable homes as part of the scheme.

The committee was disappointed but felt it was more important to see something done with a site that has been derelict for decades.

Councillor Colin Smith (Lab, Bedminster) said: "Thirty years ago I was parking outside this derelict building in Gas Ferry Road. This treatment is acceptable. This site needs developing. I think it will fulfil the need in terms of diverse housing types in that area."

Councillor Alf Havvock (Lib Dem, Windmill Hill) agreed.

He said: "I remember the site in the late 40s and early 50s when it was a disgusting mess.

"I've become impressed over the years. This one is very different so it will stand out. I'm voting for it."

The committee approved the scheme by six votes to one against.

Speaking for the applicants, David Freed said: "The site has been derelict for a number of years. We're desperate to get on with it and bring this site back into use."

Re-post Write a story

Ads by Google

Comments

"Yes it is true that I represent you but I also represent another 441,299 people and I doubt whether you or I know what outcome they would have preferred."

The difference being that as a Councillor should it not be your business to know?

If you dont know what outcome they prefer I can only assume that you object personally to this development?

Which as a representative of the community isnt really the way to go..

By The_Jester at 07:47 on 29/10/11
Report
TheDiceman: Interesting, quick search on Google gives the company as
http://tinyurl.com/5unjden
with all their projects. It still doesn't explain why Bristol is stuffed with run-down schemes from 40 years ago

By J12345678 at 17:26 on 28/10/11
Report
J12345678 - seeing neglected sites deteriorate is awful; the level of irresponsibility at some sites should be considered criminal. perhaps if the council fined the culprits they could put the money into useful schemes and wouldn't need to "bargain" with developers. the developers would have a freer hand and an incentive to hurry up.

By nogbutt at 13:01 on 28/10/11
Report
The last paragraph gives you answer.

If you are still in the dark David Freed is a sharp shooting developer on the Bristol scene and he and his wife Lesley are behind this scheme. It was going to be serviced apartments at one point but they have now revised those ideas to a resi led scheme.

He had a similar result on Nelson Street recently reducing his planning obligations by circa £750,000 to make the new Travelodge and Student Accommodation scheme viable which in essence means that a 20-25% developer's profit margin on the overall value of the scheme can be maintained after all costs are paid. No point doing it otherwise unless you get rewarded for your efforts in co-ordinating everyone which essentially is the role of a developer seeing the whole process through and keeping all the professional teams involved focused on the end result.

He is also behind St Mary le Port mentioned in one of the comments above and has done many schemes in the city centre hence he knows what he is doing and is more than capable of working the system in any economic setting. Well done him I say and good to see schemes moving forward.

By TheDiceman at 12:29 on 28/10/11
Report
Only in Bristol could such space (and places like Westmoreland House and the Temple Meads eyesore) be left derelict for decades! That's generations of residents, councillors and developers. Scandalous what neglect there is in this city while supposedly having the highest disposable income outside London. All I can say is the money is spent outside Bristol as soon as it's earned.

By J12345678 at 23:40 on 27/10/11
Report