Campaigning for the sensitive & appropriate development of St. Christopher’s
Low rise. Low density. Low impact.
We are a voluntary community campaign group in Bristol.
We want the best possible development for our neighbourhood and our city.
Let’s work together to bring this site back to life for the community!
Latest news
**
Latest news **
Members of SCAN & WPCA visit the site during the bidding process
Site about to be sold
Residential developer likely to be the new owners
SCAN understands that a residential developer is likely to sign a deal to buy the five acre site next week. As soon as it’s all confirmed, we will let you know.
Rest assured, SCAN will make sure that the new owners are fully aware of the community’s hopes, priorities and concerns.
The site has been on sale for almost a year - with interest from multiple bidders. It was marketed by Savills with a guide price of £10 million. SCAN has been told a sale is near completion and more details will be released next week.
The site now has Asset of Community (ACV) status due to its history of special needs education. This offers a number of protections, not least within the planning process – and means any new scheme must provide a ‘social well being benefit’ for the community within its plans.
SCAN is still committed to ensuring the best possible outcome for our community and the city of Bristol with our values of making sure it’s both ‘sensitive and appropriate’ at the core of everything we do.
We sincerely hope their plans will be sympathetic to our environment and to our existing residents. Once again, we are calling for any scheme to be low rise, low density, & low impact and to bring genuine benefit to all our lives.
We all want to avoid repeating the disasters of the past, so SCAN looks forward to a fair and transparent consultation process, which can ensure that this beautiful site is developed in a way that reflects its history, conservation status and this very special neighbourhood.
Recent photos of the site indicate it’s not being cared for and is being allowed to become overgrown
What is an ACV and why does it matter?
The St Christopher’s School site has been awarded ‘Asset of Community Value’ (ACV) status by Bristol City Council.
The title means the community has much more say over the future of the site and any development. This official legal protection recognises the contribution the school made to the local community in Bristol and also recognises that the site could be a key part of any SEND provision or other community benefit in the future.
Any future development must show it will provide a ‘social wellbeing benefit’ to the community as part of any scheme - and a proposal could be refused in the planning process if it fails to fulfill this requirement.
So the importance of the ACV status will be taken into consideration with any future planning application. It is what is called a ‘material consideration’. Bristol City Council has confirmed to SCAN that this means the status will be relevant if and when an application to develop the site is submitted.
Need more information or help?
Just email us! On: stchristophersactionnetwork@gmail.com
We’re here to help you have your voice heard.
**Let's work together to bring this site back to serve the community**
**Let's work together to bring this site back to serve the community**
An aerial view of the St Christopher’s site with the listed Grade 2 listed Grace House in the foreground
What is SCAN?
SCAN was created as a community group in September 2021 with the sole aim of ensuring the site of the former St Christopher’s School is developed with the community in mind and is both sensitive to the history and heritage of the site as well as appropriate for our community and everyone who lives and works here.
We have a core group of volunteer members who meet regularly - and we are constantly working behind the scenes to press for St Christopher’s to be developed in a way that benefits the community and Bristol as a whole.
We have established excellent relationships with all our local councillors, other campaign & community groups like the long-established Westbury Park Community Association. We are working as transparently, collaboratively and inclusively as possible.
