Details of landmark housing scheme unveiled
A scheme which will see 1,400 homes built on a former airfield has been hailed as a landmark development.
The development at Hengrove Park is being described as the largest in Bristol this century.
Half of the new homes will be council-owned, helping to meet a strong demand for social rented housing in this part of the city, and providing affordable homes for sale under schemes such as shared ownership.
There are currently around 6,500 households on the housing register in South Bristol.
The development will transform part of the existing site into a 22-hectare public park, the size of around 30 football pitches. This will include play areas, a sports pavilion, and a new community space.
A deal has been agreed with Countryside which is a part of the Vistry Group and Goram Homes. Goram Homes is a housing developer owned by Bristol City Council.
The partnership with Countryside is a 50/50 joint venture agreement. Goram Homes’ share of the profit, once homes are sold, will be invested back into the city via Bristol City Council.
A new energy centre containing air source heat pumps will also be developed, connecting the new homes and surrounding businesses to low carbon heating and hot water through a district heating network, operated by Bristol City Leap.
Tom Renhard, Bristol’s cabinet member for housing, said: “This is development done right. Hengrove Park will create hundreds of council-owned homes, helping to meet a huge demand in this part of the city. And the on-site energy centre connected to highly insulated homes will limit carbon emissions and could help to lower energy bills for residents too.”
Stephen Baker, managing director of Goram Homes, said: “We’re driven by delivering homes Bristol can be proud of, with high design and sustainability credentials, and Countryside’s proposals will do just that. With its large public park, new community facilities, and homes looking out over beautifully landscaped green spaces, Hengrove Park will be a thriving community for generations to come.”
Stephen Teagle, chief executive of Countryside Partnerships, said: “We are delighted to be working again with Goram Homes to jointly deliver Hengrove Park, a once-in-a-generation development opportunity for Bristol. It is a fantastic example of the strengths and capabilities of our business – by working in partnership with Goram Homes, we can now provide mixed-tenure homes at scale and transform this brownfield site into a thriving new neighbourhood that promotes our ethos of ‘Places People Love’.”
The first stage of construction at Hengrove Park is already underway. Goram Homes and the Hill Group are developing 53 homes for council housing, alongside commercial space, on two pieces of land adjacent to Hengrove Boulevard known as the Bookends.
Countryside Partnerships and Goram Homes aim to start the next phase of development in 2024.
