So the developers for the for the vicarage site came to the last BS10 Community Forum. You can access their full proposal via the link below.
Essentially this is pre-planning - there is no formal application yet - BUT there will be.
They are proposing 37 serviced apartments in two blocks up to a height of three storeys (with accommodation in the roof - so call it 3 and a half). Essentially its like a glorified Air BnB. It is for those people that need more than a hotel but not a house for short stays - think businessmen on secondment or families of vacation.
The proposal protects most of the trees, has a manned reception, shared workspace, committee rooms, access off of Avonmouth Way etc.
However it is fair to say that I have concerns. Three big ones.
- There is not enough parking. The developers want more, the Council wants less. So I will heavily be pushing for more.
- What is the benefit to the community - there is no affordable housing for example?
- There is also a concern that actually this is a cover for another form of accommodation than that described. For example what if the economy doesn't support what they want? Will in two years time they pull the plug and sell it all as flats and avoid the need for affordable housing (I will be asking the Council how we control and avoid this).
This is a tricky situation. The site is a ‘brownfield site’ so will be developed. The question is whether the community can live with this. From my perspective I think it is too high on the Avonmouth Way side, it needs more parking, I want to know what the benefit for the community is, and I want assurances that this won’t evolve into another use.
However this isn’t just about my views. They want to know yours as well. So please review the document and email them with your thoughts (their address is on the last page).
