[TOC]
2021 Placeshaping Vision for Western Harbour.
invitation to consultants to apply for the contract to carry out the consultation and drafting of the Vision read here
River Avon Heritage Assessment
September 2018 read here
CBSG Terms of reference
October 2019 read here
Update on Programme of works for bridges repair Feb 2021
CBSG Statement and and request re Plimsoll Bridge
and Cumberland Basin road scheme (2021) read here
CBSG statement Jan 2021
re WH/CB development presented at the Growth and Regeneration Scrutiny Commission meeting Jan 21 here
Brunel Way Bearing Inspection Report by Ekspan (2012)
Inspection report 2013 read here
Bristol and Beyond: A Mayor on a World Stage. November 2020
In Marvin Rees’ online talk, he presented his view of the community response to development in Western Harbour as NIMBYism: see the section on Western Harbour https://youtu.be/ShJn4fXHLiw at about 33 minutes in. This is certainly felt by a number of people to be a misrepresentation and has been challenged by some of those who had been involved.
Cabinet meeting 5 November 2019
” The Commission BCC commissioned Arup, Alec French and JLL to produce “a feasibility study to look at detailed options for realigning traffic movement across the basin, while also freeing up land for potential development”. The purpose of this study is to formally assess the feasibility of the opportunity from a multidisciplinary perspective, with a particular focus on transport.”
papers for the consideration of the Arup feasibility report here see Item 9.
Western Harbour Feasibility Study
Download the Arup report here
State of the City address 2019
see Marvin Rees’ address here.
Western Harbour Road Network ‘consultation’ Aug 2019.
Engagement on 3 of the road options starts on August 19th and runs for 4 weeks to September 15th 2019. Local residents are being leafleted. survey here. This is explicitly not a consultation and does not comply with BCC consultation standards.
WHSG and HCCA response.
see the response from the Western Harbour Stakeholder Group and Hotwells and Cliftonwood Association here
Bristol Civic Society response.
response to the August ‘consultation’ here.
B24/7 ‘The way the council has handled the Cumberland Basin project is insulting’
Petition for release of the full report.
“There is considerable public confusion and concern over the three options proposed for the Cumberland Basin road network in Bristol.
In the current Bristol City Council consultation it is stated: “In 2018, Bristol City Council commissioned Arup, Alec French and JLL to undertake an initial feasibility study to consider approaches for reconfiguring traffic movements across the Western Harbour. A number of approaches were considered against their ability to provide transformative growth and regeneration opportunities, whilst also considering the impact on the local environment and on traffic flow. From this initial assessment, three road network approaches have been looked at in more detail.”
The three chosen options all list considerable weaknesses including: environmental harm to the river and riverbank, community severance (areas being ‘cut off’ from each other by busy roads), harm to historic assets, harm to iconic views of the Clifton Suspension Bridge, changing the cycle route from a rural to a heavily-trafficked area, increased heavy traffic alongside the Nova Scotia and Pump House pubs, and increased air pollution. Local residents and businesses are also fearful about the future of their homes and premises.
Given the importance of this for the future of the city, we urge Bristol’s Mayor and Council to publish the full feasibility report. ” Link to petition.
Freedom of Information Act request
for release of the Arup report here
this was refused and has been taken up with the Information Commissioner.
CBSG Local Plan response
Cumberland Basin Stakeholder group response to Local Plan Review May 2019
Bristol 24/7 article Jan 2019
https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/features/the-future-of-the-cumberland-basin/
State of the City Address October 2018.
Video clip on youtube showing development across Bristol- then Mayor’s address.
Masterplan for Cumberland Basin (unauthorised)
A company called “Place Dynamix” has published online their “masterplan”
vision for the Cumberland Basin. They claim that their client is “City
of Bristol”. Note that this is a bit of deception – their client is *not*
Bristol City Council. Cllr Mark Wright wrote to the Director of the Planning Department,
who responded with:
* “None of us recognise placedynamix and I can confirm BCC has
not commissioned this work and I have established it appeared as a
speculative piece of work some time back. Allegedly someone trying to
return to Bristol having worked abroad and trying to make a mark. It
says client City of Bristol, which is subtly different to BCC. Either
way it has no backing from BCC and no status.”
You can see the Place Dynamix “vision” here:
https://www.placedynamix.com/projects/048-cumberland-basin
Letter from the Mayors office to the Cumberland Basin Stakeholder Group June 2018
read response received following the steering group meeting in June 2018
Bristol Investment Brochure
Extract from Investment Brochure read brochure here
Investment Opportunity: Western Harbour
Introduction:
Regeneration and infrastructure works are revitalising key parts of Bristol’s historic harbour, creating new riverside housing development opportunities at the same time as providing vital climate resilience through flood defence renewal.
Background:
The Western Harbour is a key element of Bristol’s floating harbour. It is the cultural heart for leisure and entertainment and is increasingly recognised as a highly desirable location for residential development.
With views of Brunel’s world famous Suspension Bridge, the stunning Bristol Gorge, Bristol Harbour, the city centre and the open green expanses of Ashton Court, the Western Harbour is one of the most desirable development locations in the UK.
The Western Harbour road system built in the 1960’s covers large parts of this area and prevents development in this prime, historic location. Removal of the heavy road infrastructure and replacement with less high impact options will release 15-20 hectares of developable land. The opportunity exists to combine this with works to support the delivery of a tidal flood risk management strategy for central Bristol, to improve access to the historic harbour running through the heart of the city whilst providing essential flood defences resilient to climate change.
- Key features
• Developable land 15-20ha
• The area has the potential to provide 3,500 homes, plus commercial and leisure space
• The residential elements alone have a gross development value estimated at over £1 billion
• Land ownership – 75% Bristol City Council with intention to purchase remaining land
• Sustainable development – seven minutes segregated cycle ride to city centre, 25 minutes walk
• New Metrobus Rapid Transit route link to city centre and Bristol Temple Meads national railway station launching in 2018
• Good links to strategic road network
Bristol Local Plan Review:
“The present local plan identifies Cumberland Basin as a city centre gateway for improvement and the Bristol Central Area Plan identified development potential in this area. Within the plan period, ambitious proposed improvements to the Cumberland Basin will be produced for extending the western harbour as a residential area and bringing more affordable housing to the western harbour.”
Proposal DS4: Delivery of an enhanced gateway and a new city quarter at the Western Harbour.
link to the Local Plan Review document. Go to policy DS4 page 24
Current Planning Policy for the area
Development will be expected to enhance Harbourside’s role as an informal leisure destination and a focus for maritime industries, creative industries and water-based recreation, preserving and enhancing the setting of the neighbourhood’s major attractions including the Floating Harbour itself.
Development adjacent to the Floating Harbour will be expected to be of a scale and design appropriate to its setting, reflecting the special interest and visual prominence of quayside areas and character and setting of the surviving historic buildings and fabric and preserving and enhancing views to and from the Floating Harbour. Development adjacent to the Floating Harbour will be expected to retain, restore and integrate existing dockside furniture and fittings and make provision where possible for additional vessel moorings.
Through development, opportunities will be sought to provide new or enhanced public open spaces in the Cumberland Basin regeneration area and to rationalise the existing highway infrastructure to release more development land. Development should preserve and enhance the setting of surviving heritage assets within and adjoining the regeneration area and improve the quality of public open space in the area.
Development in the Hotwells area will be expected to maintain a range of shops and services to meet local needs through the renewal or replacement rather than the loss, of existing retail units, public houses and other active ground floor uses. Through development, opportunities will be sought to reduce the impact of traffic on the area and improve provision for pedestrians and cyclists, particularly in the vicinity of the Dowry Parade/Merchant’s Road gyratory system.
See “Bristol Centre Area Plan”
- page 71 Policy BCAP41: The Approach to Harbourside ,
- page 96 SA101 Site Allocation for the Harbourside
- page 100 SA105 Land and buildings south of Brunel Lock Road, including A-Bond Warehouse
See also interactive mapping page at http://maps.bristol.gov.uk/policies/
Bristol brownfield register spreadsheet shows SA105 100 dwellings in 2017 as does Bristol Residential Development Survey Report 2017 Schedules (100 is net capacity)
2050 High in Hope:
book by John Savage, The initiative, Business West.
Avon Gorge and Cumberland Basin:
A building of a barrage across the Avon can provide three important benefits:
- It creates a linear water park through the Gorge and through the Bristol urban area as far as Netham.
- It protects central Bristol from anticipated major flooding.
- It provides a second local crossing, relieving the Avonmouth Bridge and providing a direct link for rapid transport vehicles from Portishead and Clevedon into the city centre or across to the North and East of the city.
City Leap prospectus
A soft market testing exercise for potential partners in a city-scale low carbon, smart energy infrastructure programme.
“Western Harbour Bristol’s waterside has played a part in the city’s economic growth for centuries and now the council is presenting a significant opportunity at Western Harbour, forming an extension of the established and fashionable Harbourside.
Mayor Rees has announced his intention to realise this potential by replacing the dominant road system on the Cumberland Basin – which limits current development – with lower impact options, releasing 15-20ha of prime land. The area has the potential to provide 3,500 homes, with a gross development value estimated at over £1 billion, as well as commercial and leisure space. With views of Brunel’s world famous suspension bridge, the Avon Gorge, Bristol Harbour, and the open, green expanses of Ashton Court estate, the Western Harbour could be one of the most desirable development locations in the UK. The area is within 25 minute walk of the city centre, or a seven minute cycle ride on dedicated lanes, and the launch of a new Metrobus Rapid Transit route to the city centre and Temple Meads will make access even easier.
The opportunity also exists to combine better access to the historic harbour running through the city, while also providing essential flood defences that are resilient to climate change. The council owns 75% of the land.”
HCCA Traffic Strategy 2010
adopted for reference by BCC: https://www.hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk/hotwells_cliftonwood_community_traffic_strategy
City Docks Conservation Area Character Appraisal
December 2011 read here
Links to news stories
Bristol Post September 2018 Flood and Road Tunnel under Avon
Bristol Post September 2018 Mayor hints at building tunnel
Cumberland Basin to have 3,500 homes worth £1 billion
Podcast- Never mind the Ballots- interview of Cllr Paul Smith and former mayor George Ferguson; a general discussion of housing/ high buildings and metrobus
https://www.acast.com/nevermindtheballots/georgefergusonandpaulsmith