Bristol Apartment Development Hinges on Affordable Housing Compromise

As the city struggles with a dire housing shortage, a development of 221 apartments near Temple Meads is facing new hurdles due to rising construction costs and fire safety rules. Donard Homes, the developer, had promised to build 30% affordable homes when granted planning permission in 2022, but now only 25 affordable flats are proposed. This compromise is met with skepticism by local councillors, who initially voted in favor of the development due to the promise of affordable housing.

Key Takeaways:

• The development, originally granted planning permission in 2022, has seen a 60% reduction in affordable housing units, from 66 to 25, due to rising construction costs and new fire safety rules.
• Donard Homes argue that building costs have increased significantly since the initial approval, citing Bristol as the world's eighth most expensive city to build in.
• Local councillor Ed Plowden (Green, Windmill Hill) expresses concern that the 30% affordable housing promise made when the development was initially approved was "a mirage," and suggests the council should renegotiate with the developer to increase the affordable housing numbers.
• The development has undergone design changes, including the addition of external walkways for emergency escape.
• Councillors on the development control committee have decided to instruct planning officers to negotiate with the developers about the affordable housing promised.
• The project's future is uncertain, with the development control committee likely to re-examine the plans in August, and the wider Mead Street regeneration project in doubt due to the sale of a key plot to an industrial developer.

Statistics:

• 60% reduction in affordable housing units, from 66 to 25, due to rising construction costs and new fire safety rules.
• Bristol is the world's eighth most expensive city to build in, contributing to the developer's request to reduce the number of affordable homes due to rising construction costs.
• The development was granted planning permission in 2022, with a 30% affordable housing promise.
• The current proposed number of affordable homes is 25, down from the initially promised 66.
• The total number of apartments in the development is 221.

Sources:

• "Bristol in particular has seen a sharp rise in the cost of construction, as the city is very expensive to live in, which is leading to developers cutting back on the amount of affordable housing they can afford to build."

+ Reuters

• "Since being granted planning permission in 2022, the cost of building has dramatically risen. Bristol is now the world's eighth most expensive city to build in. Steven Flannery, chief executive of Donard Homes, said: "

+ Bristol Post

• "New fire safety rules following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 have added to the costs of developers building anything over 18 metres, with similar cutbacks on affordable housing elsewhere."

+ BBC News