Bristol Live readers are unhappy to hear that new proposals for a student accommodation block in an industrial area of Bristol have been submitted to the city council. The previous plans to transform Premier Business Park, located opposite The Dings in St Philips, were rejected last June.
The initial proposal was to house 705 students, but this has now been reduced to 549 beds in a building ranging from three to nine storeys high.
The scheme was previously turned down due to concerns about students residing on an industrial estate and the potential loss of too much commercial land. Local businesses were against the project, and Bristol City Council received objections from all over the globe as it would have resulted in the departure of the globally-renowned Invisible Circus.
The new development, named New Henry Yard, involves demolishing the existing buildings and establishing a new community hub at the junction of Kingsland Road and Sussex Street. Over half of the student beds will be in cluster units, with the remainder in townhouses and studio flats. Additional features include a community garden, cafe, cinema room and gym.
Dominus, a family-owned developer, shared its plans on their consultation website: “We are proposing to transform Premier Business Park, an underused industrial site on Kingsland Road, opposite the Dings, into a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood.”
Commenter big rich asks: “Why is everything for students when we’ve got people on the streets and in hotels? “
Freewheeler thinks: “There is some hope in this plan but only a little. Work shops being created is a positive, progressive move towards getting this city and this country onto its feet again. Construct here rather than import. All this could be helped along by funding from central government.”
Prims points out: “It’s pure greed on the part of the developers. They pay no Business Tax and contribute zero to the city of Bristol. They just make multi millions of pounds from their businesses. They evicted the Invisible Circus before re-submitting the revised building application but allowed the other businesses to remain. The so-called ‘Community Hub’ may or may not be incorporated into the proposed application. In reality there may be a community hub for the public to book and rent. The question is who could afford it?”
Shakspear says: “It’s families who need accommodation, if universities need accommodation for the students, let them build them and pick up the tab, not the residents of Bristol. It’s so unfair that the government sold the council houses off cheaply and told us it was because of their maintenance, it turns out that now we have hardly any council houses and private companies stepped up to take over! NUTS!”
Inner replies: “The private sector is picking up the tab for the building work not the residents of Bristol.”
Theboiledstocking points out: “All that’s going to happen here is the industrial units and companies therein will relocate to somewhere like Avonmouth or even further away. As we all know, students don’t pay Council Tax and only appear to create waste which we residents pay for.”
Realistically 123 agrees: “We need proper housing NOT student accommodation which is built to a vastly different inferior criteria. Students don’t pay council tax, Bristol city council needs tax income not more liabilities.”
Itsmehiimtheproblemitsme thinks: “Get it done, it’s desperately desperately needed.”
How do you feel about more student accommodation being built? Will it benefit Bristol? Have your say in our comments section.