Revised plans for comprehensive redevelopment of St Catherine's Place Bedminster recommended for approval by planning officers
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Proposals involve significant scaling back of height and mass of main buildings An “East Street First” approach taken to retail regeneration Larger, improved public space offered with more green landscaping, a new pocket park and a children’s play area Increased shared social space for residents Nearly £1.25 million of community contributions A landscaped open-air pedestrian route, Mill Lane Greenway, providing a direct link between Bedminster Green and East Street
• • The revised scheme will offer larger areas of public open space including a new pocket park on Mill Lane, providing accessible green space to rest, play and socialise. There will be increased private amenity space for the new homes including a new children's play area. An ‘East Street First' approach has been taken to regenerating the retail spaces, with existing shops on the East Street side of the development being replaced with new, modern shops and the historic façade refurbished or rebuilt. This will breathe new life into the area and mark the start of the area's retail revival, particularly given the increased footfall to and from the new development.
"Our proposals for 180 much-needed and carefully-designed new homes, along with newly refurbished retail units and a new shopping centre entrance, will give East Street a much-needed boost, making it a thriving area for shopping, leisure and hospitality once again, as we have seen on nearby North Street.
"We have significantly scaled back the larger buildings, both in terms of height and massing and have moved the tallest building further back from the road. We've listened to local concerns and added lots more public green space including a pocket park and children's play area. We're particularly excited about the newly revived Mill Lane Greenway which will create an attractive, landscaped traffic-free Francis Firmstone, director of Firmstone, said: route through the development connecting East Street with the wider Bedminster Green "We are very pleased that Council officers area and further increasing footfall." have recommended our revised proposals for approval, recognising the benefits that our Outline planning permission is also being plans will bring to this part of Bedminster, and sought to potentially convert the redundant are hopeful that the Committee will agree. St vacant retail units in the centre of the site for Catherine's Place is an important gateway to alternative uses including residential in the the wider Bedminster Green area, which has longer term, should retail demand continue to long been earmarked for regeneration and decline. This will ensure any additional homes development and is desperately in need of are effectively integrated in the wider design new homes and investment, particularly now and regeneration. we are facing such challenging economic times. 12
