Update #4
Thursday, 13 January 2022
We challenge some of the latest claims made by developers
Call to action: please keep writing to developers - consultation closes Jan 19th
Reminder of what we know about the plans so far
Happy New Year!
A special thank you to you, the many local residents who have sent us emails and messages letting us have your opinions on the proposals presented by the developers in December. This is much appreciated. The views you have expressed are overwhelmingly negative!
The messages you have sent to us enable us to state, with complete confidence, that the residents of Westbury Park overwhelmingly believe that the present proposals amount to a wholly unacceptable over-development of the St Christopher’s school site.
We are working closely with the Westbury Park Community Association (WPCA) in an effort to help the developers rethink these entirely misguided proposals. But it is difficult when they persist in making misleading statements. Here are three:
1.The developers say:
“If we were to sell this on to a homebuilder, they would put double the number of units there.”
Henleaze and Westbury Voice Dec 2021
We say:
There is no evidence at all to support this entirely false claim.
We ask:
Is this scare mongering? Where is the evidence that Bristol City Council would allow double the number of units? If this scheme of 121 new homes is rejected, why would the Council allow 242?
2. The developers say:
“When it’s an extra-care facility, the vehicle movements from that site tend to be much lower than when it’s a residential site.”
Henleaze and Westbury Voice Dec 2021
We say:
While residents of extra-care communities may be less likely to drive, it is also the case that they will require extensive, potentially 24 hour, support from nurses, carers and support staff, many of whom will need cars to access the site.
We ask:
Can the developers provide their projected total number of cars requiring parking during peak hours and if this more than the 65 spaces planned, explain how and where the excess will be accommodated without impacting surrounding streets?
3.The developers say:
We are “creating space for nature with a commitment to a biodiversity net gain of 10%”.
St Christopher's Bristol, Website Jan 2022
We say:
The proposals would decimate the natural environment on this site and the developers do not provide any credible evidence to support this entirely unsubstantiated claim relating to biodiversity.
We ask:
Why only 10%? That’s the bare minimum set out in law. If this is truly a far-sighted “eco project” shouldn't the developers be far more ambitious with their biodiversity targets?
Don’t forget to write in!
Please continue to write in and tell the developers what you think about their plans on this email address - and let us know as well by copying us into our email address. The consultation period is open until January 19th so there's still time to have your say, make suggestions and ask questions.
Here’s a handy reminder of the main points of the development and you can see the plans and read more about it on the developer's website.
There will be 121 2-bed units - 26 in the converted lodges, 11 new 2-storey ‘cottages’ or houses, and 84 in four new blocks of flats.
Height & density of buildings - the large one at the end of The Glen is 4-storeys, the one between this and the Lodges (behind Belvedere Road) is 5-storeys, the central one is 6-storeys. There is also a 4-storey block close to the back of houses in Royal Albert Road.
Only 65 parking spaces on site - this will almost certainly be insufficient for about 200 residents, plus staff and visitors, leading to over-spill on to surrounding roads.
Pedestrian access from St Christophers to The Glen - will encourage over-spill parking on The Glen and Belvedere Road, as well as increased traffic looking for places to park (NB the pedestrian access may be restricted by key fob to users of St Christophers, ie would not necessarily be able to be used by other Westbury Park residents, although this is not yet fully clear).
Vehicle and pedestrian access from Bayswater Avenue/Etloe Road - developers say this site entrance is for four car parking spaces that belong to the nearest houses and no delivery vehicles. However the entrance is next to a nursery and on the walk to school route for both Westbury Park Primary school and the many pre-schools in the area.
There will be about five 2-storey houses in the "pan-handle" area directly behind 16 - 18 Belvedere Road. Other houses will back onto the back of Bayswater Avenue houses.