Major 706 student bed development near centre of Bristol a step closer to beginning

A massive student accommodation project near the city centre of Bristol is a step closer to commencing development as a key planning document has finally been approved by Bristol City Council at the fourth time of asking. The project, on Silverthorne Lane near Temple Meads Station, will see 706 student bed spaces created on brownfield land.

The student accommodation project forms part of the Temple Quarter regeneration scheme, with the development of the 706 student beds having been granted planning permission by the council on August 30, 2023. Previous planning permission was granted, but had to be amended due to a change in plans and re-granted.

There were a total of 36 conditions attached with the planning permission, of which 12 affect the pre-commencement of development, meaning any delays or rejections in conditions being approved or discharged would result in the overall project taking longer than planned. The second condition, which related to the construction management plan, was the most recent condition to be approved last week.

The submitted document, which HG Construction called the Construction Logistics Plan (CLP), was approved following seven months of the document being rejected by the council. The previous three times the document was submitted ended in the document being rejected in May, July and September respectively.

The CLP is one of the most crucial documents in a development as it details how the project will be carried out. It includes details on reducing the impact of construction, lowering emissions, enhancing safety and reducing congestion.

The CLP was submitted on October 14 and revealed that the whole project will take 140 calendar weeks to complete, meaning an expected completion date is June 2026, as minor works began on site in November 2023. The CLP gave details on delivery timings, the timings of any construction work on site and how deliveries will take place.

Why did it take so long to approve the CLP?

The CLP had been rejected three times, firstly in May when “contradictory statements” were submitted and the council refused the plan. The decision said: “The submitted construction management plan is unacceptable as it includes contradictory information, and references irrelevant policy documents. Therefore the condition is not discharged.”

In July, “inadequate information” was submitted, causing the plan to be refused for the second time. The same reason was given for the CLP to be refused in September.

The September decision said: “Inadequate information has been submitted in respect of traffic management during construction, and the submission does not appear to account for road closures in the area. Therefore, the condition cannot be discharged at this stage.”

The approval of the CLP at the fourth time of asking means that the development is one step closer to beginning. It, however, can not start yet as there are four conditions affecting pre-commencement that have not been approved or discharged as of yet.

What other conditions are left?

Conditions four, five, seven and nine are remaining, however depending on when the development commences, condition 12 may also be triggered. Condition four related to further design details on a variety of factors, including roof space, pedestrian entrances, windows and environmental furniture, such as trees, planters and seating.

Condition five requires samples to be submitted of panels and structural work which will be used during construction and condition nine refers to the flood emergency plan. All three of these conditions are subject to an application to approve the conditions, submitted in September.

Whilst a decision has not been released yet, a comment from a civil protection manager said that the flood emergency plan is “suitable and fit for purpose”, suggesting the condition will be approved.

Condition seven is for a public art plan which will need to be submitted within six months of the date of commencement. In July, a split decision meant the condition was not discharged as a result of a delivery timetable needing to be submitted. A new application has not been submitted at the time of writing.

However, if the commencement of development at Silverthorne Lane does not begin by March 1, 2025, then condition 12 will also need to be discharged. The condition, for an ecology report lifespan, says that an updated ecological survey will need to be carried out and approved by the council as 18 months would have passed since planning permission was granted.

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