Central Fishponds Limited is bringing forward proposals for a new community at Filwood House and Verona House. We want to know what you think.
This site forms part of a wider area being considered for development.
A consultation on the masterplan for the whole area recently concluded. You can learn more by visiting atlasplacefishpondsfuture.com
We are now consulting on the plans for Filwood House and Verona House. These proposals offer the chance to regenerate the site and deliver an exceptional new community.
Thank you for your feedback
We would like to thank everyone that has taken part in the consultation and attended the community drop-in event on Friday 31st March.
The consultation closed on 19th April, however we do still value feedback from the local community. You can get in touch with the project team via the contact details on this website.
Email: info@filwoodverona.co.uk
Phone: 0800 148 8911
Write: Freepost MEETING PLACE CONSULTATION
The site
Bristol City Council’s emerging Local Plan (2019) identified this area of Central Fishponds as being suitable for new homes (as shown in plan one).
Within this emerging growth and regeneration area sits three sites, known collectively as Atlas Place (outlined in red below).
The sites in Atlas Place are predominantly used for various industrial, commercial and storage purposes and are all being considered for redevelopment by the respective owners. Public consultation took place in February/March for a joint masterplan across Atlas Place, with all three landowners working together to create a cohesive strategy for redevelopment.
Our site, Filwood and Verona House, sits at the north east corner of Atlas Place and is bordered by the Bristol and Bath Railway Path to the north, Filwood Road to the west and Forest Road to the east.
The proposals
Around 120 houses and 780 apartments
A mix of homes, from one-bed apartments to traditional family homes
10,000 sq ft of new flexible business space
A nature-led development with ecological enhancements
Excellent connectivity for cycling and walking
Facilitate connections to the Bristol and Bath Railway Path
New public space
A new woodland edge
Extensive cycle parking provision
Buildings ranging from two to 13 storeys in height, with taller buildings away from existing homes
Site plans
Filwood House currently occupies part of the site and ranges from five to seven storeys in height. This is located near to existing residential areas. Central Fishponds Ltd has made a concerted effort to design the proposals to ensure that taller buildings are relocated away from nearby homes and towards the Bristol and Bath Railway Path.
The ground level of the site drops substantially from Forest Road to the Bristol to Bath Railway Path, at its greatest point by almost six metres. This is the equivalent of two storeys in height. The plans have been designed with this in mind, locating the tallest buildings at the lowest point of the site to minimise the visual impact of the proposals. This also has the added benefit of providing greater security to the Railway Path by providing more overlooking.
Apartments
Phase 2 – detailed design to come forward in future
Homes
Commercial
- Houses
2 Storeys
3 Storeys- Apartments
6 Storeys
7 Storeys
8 Storeys
9 Storeys
10 Storeys
11 Storeys
13 Storeys
Social impact
One of the key pillars of our approach is social impact. Some people call this social value or community benefit, but it all means the same thing, namely delivering tangible benefits for the local community.
Our ambition is that the new community not only delivers homes, but that it also creates a place that supports the people and businesses of Fishponds.
We have identified five key areas of priority that will help us to achieve this goal. These are:
- Tackling housing shortages and homelessness
- Boosting the economy
- Improving education and skills
- Meeting the need for quality green space
- Supporting culture and leisure, reducing crime and improving community cohesion
We want to hear from you about what you think the priorities are locally. Let us know by completing our feedback form.
Transport
How people come and go from this new community needs to be thought through carefully. Dedicated transport planners are working closely with the team to ensure our plans have minimal impact on local roads.
Walking and cycling
We are keen to encourage residents to walk and cycle where possible instead of relying on a car. As a result, we are looking to open up the site to make new connections, including with the Bristol and Bath Railway Path. We are also providing substantial cycle parking on the site, with one space per one-bedroom apartment and multiple spaces for every two- and three-bedroom property.
Public transport
The site is located in close proximity to the 48, 48a, 49, and 6 bus routes. This will help to encourage residents to use sustainable modes of transport instead of relying on the car.
Parking
We recognise that parking is a sensitivity locally. As such we are working hard to ensure that this scheme does not negatively impact parking in the local area. We are exploring how many car park spaces we will need and investigating car clubs and EV charging.
Traffic calming
We know that the local road network could serve the community better. As a result, our team is looking at ways to calm traffic in and around the site. This includes looking at the design of the junction between Goodneston Road and Filwood Road, which will include a new crossing for pedestrians and cyclists.
Local road usage
We have conducted detailed transport assessments to consider the impact of the development on local roads. At peak times, we are predicting approximately 250 vehicle movements per hour. For context, this is very similar to the level of vehicle movements generated by the site at present, many of which are made by HGVs.
Flexible business space
To create a mixed community our plans include over 10,000 sq ft of flexible business and creative workspace. This space could become offices, cafes, healthcare facilities, nurseries and gyms, among other things, creating opportunities for a range of type of jobs. We are keen to ensure that this space does not compete with the local high street and are looking at how the proposals can enhance existing services.
We are also looking at ways to connect this to the new areas of public open space, thereby providing people with places where they can relax, meet up with friends, and enjoy the new business and community space. We are open to hearing your ideas on exactly how this space could look. Let us know by completing our feedback form.
Public open space
One of our guiding principles has been to ensure that all of the public open space we are delivering is accessible for both new and existing residents. As such, we are exploring how we can deliver new connections with the wider Fishponds community, providing a range of new opportunities for walking and cycling around the local area.
Given our proximity to the Bristol and Bath Railway Path we are also considering whether there is an opportunity to link this open space to the Railway Path. We are engaging with Sustrans on this matter.
We want to make sure that this space works for you, so as part of our consultation we are asking residents what they would like to see the open space provide.
Are there community initiatives or activities that you would like to see supported on the public open space? Is there something that you feel like the local community would benefit from? Let us know by completing our feedback form.
Ecology and wildlife
Delivering a new sustainable community is one of our top priorities. We are creating new green space, using sustainable building materials and enhancing the site for local wildlife.
A nature-led community
We’re facing an ecological crisis as well as a climate crisis. The plans will regenerate a brownfield industrial site, replacing large areas of hardstanding with new trees and plants, providing habitats for local wildlife and a pleasant environment for new and existing residents. We’re also exploring creating space for growing food.
Wildlife
The site as it is now offers little environmental value. Our plans will change this. Areas of public open space, new native tree planting, wildlife habitats will make it better for nature and people.
Sustainable design
We are also looking at how we can incorporate sustainable and renewable technology into the new homes. This will include solar panels and air source heat pumps. This will be a high-quality development that benefits the character of the wider area.
Sourcing of materials
Part of delivering a sustainable development comes in the sourcing of materials. We are looking at materials that will be in keeping with the surrounding area, using a mixture of brick, metal cladding and render. These will be durable, long lasting and require low maintenance. There may also be an opportunity to reclaim some of the existing materials on site.
Reducing the carbon footprint
We are planning to heat the new homes sustainably with the use of air source heat pumps. All buildings will also be designed to minimise energy requirements, thereby reducing energy bills for future occupants. This will include high levels of wall, roof and floor insulation, installation of windows and doors which retain heat, good levels of natural daylighting, and modelling to minimise summertime overheating. We are also looking to provide EV charging, solar panels, and more to help to reduce the site’s carbon footprint.
We want to hear what sustainable initiatives you would like to see the new community deliver.
Let us know by completing our feedback form.
FAQs
We know that local residents are likely to have a number of questions about the proposals. We have collated a set of FAQs below to respond to this, but if you do have any additional questions please do not hesitate to get in touch using the contact details at the bottom of this page.
Does Bristol really need more homes?
In short, yes. Bristol hasn’t built enough new homes in recent years and the City Council has acknowledged the need to address the critical shortage of housing in the city.
The Council is aiming to deliver at least 33,500 new homes by 2036, with the majority of those homes to be provided on brownfield sites like ours. This in turn helps to protect green spaces and community facilities, support local services and promote active travel.
The lack of sufficient new homes is in part responsible for homes becoming more expensive (the average house price in Bristol is more than £385,000 and rents are increasing), which pushes more people onto the Housing Register.
It is therefore clear that there is a critical need for new homes and that those homes are best provided for on previously developed sites, in sustainable urban locations.
What are your proposals?
Central Fishponds Limited is looking to deliver a residential-led scheme on the site. 900 much-needed new homes will be created in a range of sizes to help meet this need. These homes will be delivered as part of a sustainable and cohesive new community that delivers social, economic and environmental value for the Fishponds area and wider city of Bristol.
The new homes will be delivered in a range of sizes to meet diverse local need. The proposals also provide the potential to deliver new areas of public open space, links to the Bristol to Bath Cycle Path, and flexible commercial space. This will all help to open up what is currently an industrial site largely inaccessible to the local community.
Why do some of these buildings need to be tall?
The redevelopment of this site provides the opportunity to repurpose an underutilised, previously developed, ‘brownfield’ industrial site, thereby alleviating pressure on green spaces in Bristol and beyond whilst making a significant contribution to housing supply within the city. We must make the most of these sites and so considered height alongside the Bristol and Bath Railway Path is an important element of the plans.
Can local roads and other infrastructure accommodate the additional housing that this development will deliver?
As a brownfield near the Fishponds high street, the site is already well located in terms of existing infrastructure, be that schools, supermarkets, and other local shops. Many of these are within walking distance of the site, thereby limiting the need for future residents to rely on cars for travel. We are also discussing with the Council how we can mitigate any additional impact on local services such as schools, roads, and healthcare. The new homes will also help to support the primary schools in the local area, which generally have surplus capacity
The site borders the Bristol and Bath Railway Path, which provides easy opportunities for cycling into either city centre, and will deliver new opportunities for access onto the cycle path that new and existing residents can utilise. The site is also well connected when it comes to public transport networks and we will be testing impacts by undertaking detailed transport surveys. Our development provides the opportunity to provide improvements to pedestrian, cycle and bus infrastructure that helps to reduce the reliance on the private car.
How will you make the site better for wildlife?
The site as it is now offers little environmental value. Our plans will change this. Large areas of public open space, new native tree planting, wildlife habitats will make it better for nature and people.
What will you be doing to incorporate sustainability into the proposals?
Central Fishponds Limited takes a keen interest in the issue of sustainability, with ecological enhancements and sustainable design forming some of the key principles that govern their scheme design. The proposals will deliver a net gain in biodiversity on the site and include quality outdoor amenity space above and beyond what is required by Bristol City Council.
The homes on the site will also be designed to take account of the climate crisis. EV charging facilities will be included in the proposals, and car clubs. Central Fishponds Limited also has a strong track record in delivering such enhancements.
What opportunities do residents have to influence the proposals?
Central Fishponds Limited is committed to involving the local community in the formulation of the plans prior to submitting a planning application. We want to hear from local people about what they want the site to deliver and how aspects of the proposals can be shaped in order to meet local needs. People can provide their thoughts and feedback on the scheme through a variety of methods. This includes attending our consultation events, visiting our website, or contacting us via email, post, or our dedicated Freephone line.
What are the timescales for the proposals
Central Fishponds Limited is in the process of formulating the plans for the site in collaboration with key stakeholders and the local community. Once this consultation period has concluded we will look to incorporate the feedback received, prior to the submission of a planning application in the summer of 2023.
We are anticipating that Bristol City Council will make a decision on the application in spring 2024. If we are successful in securing planning permission then we anticipate that work will start on the site in 2026.
Who is Central Fishponds Limited?
Central Fishponds Limited Property was established in 2014 with a focus on delivering high quality and sustainable residential accommodation. At present Central Fishponds Limited is focusing its attention on delivering the redevelopment of several underutilised brownfield sites, including this site in Fishponds. Their developments place a strong focus on ecology and sustainability, whilst also looking to involve the community in shaping the plans to ensure they meet the needs of the local area.
Have your say
We need to hear from the local community
We are confident that this site can deliver an exemplary scheme. There are a number of opportunities for residents to provide input into the plans and help to shape them before we submit an application to Bristol City Council.
We want to hear your thoughts on the proposals.
This includes feedback on potential opportunities for flexible commercial space, playground, public open space, and landscaping.
Other ways to provide feedback
If you have any further questions regarding the planning application, please do not hesitate to get
in touch.
- You can call us on our dedicated Freephone number:
0800 148 8911 - You can email us at:
info@filwoodverona.co.uk