April 14th 2023
Monumental Bristol car park to be demolished for new tower block apartments
Announced yesterday, developers have revealed plans to axe a ‘run down’ city centre car park to make way for a new apartment block.
An application has been submitted to Bristol City Council detailing plans to build a new apartment block that will house over 500 people in the city centre.
In order to build the new homes, a real estate and property organisation, known as Greystar, want to knock down the NCP car park. However, if plans are approved, the organisation also aim to build a new car park with 400 spaces.
The development, which was originally unveiled in December last year, will mix student accommodation – 328 rooms will be available for people at the University of Bristol – and have 249 ‘co-living’ rooms, which is a new type of housing that developers say will provide ‘affordable, flexible and convenient rental homes.’
Developers said: ‘Co-living combines private rooms with amazing shared spaces, it is for everyone and is an alternative to traditional house shares, taking components of multiple house-shares and combining them across one building – hugely improving the range, size and quality of shared spaces and living standards.’
However, after the developers revealed they wanted to demolish the NCP car park, a counter-campaign was launched in an attempt to save the site. The NCP is one of the earliest surviving examples of a multi-storey care park using a sloped spiral ramp. Earlier this year, the 20th Century Society started a campaign to get the car park, built in 1960, preserved as a listed building.
Neil Howells, Senior Director at Greystar, said the organisation have changed their plans after getting feedback from December’s initial launch, so that the ground floor space can become a ‘new discounted home where community organisations and charities can prosper.’
Neil said: ‘These proposals will regenerate this run-down building, maintaining but improving public parking to serve the hospitals, Broadmead and the City Centre in a highly accessible location on the Inner Ring Road.
‘Our carefully designed plans ensure the building fits with the city’s architecture, whilst taking advantage of this sustainable location, ideal for young professionals, key workers and students to live in.
‘In response to feedback from local residents, we have changed our plans so that the ground floor space not only brings life to this neglected part of town but provides new, discounted homes where community organisations and charities can prosper.’
Image: William Chang