'Stalinist' flats plan for St Pauls in Bristol withdrawn

An artist's impression of the Lower Ashley Road flat block, 40% of which was set to be affordable housing

Plans have been withdrawn for a block of 28 flats in Bristol described as "Stalinist" and "grim".

Clayewater Homes said it had spent "a lot of time, money and wasted energy" on the proposals for Lower Ashley Road, St Pauls.

"We are a social housing developer and if they don't want them, we will move on," boss Brian Webber said.

Councillors had already said they were minded to refuse permission, against officers' advice.

Councillor Olly Mead, a member of the development control committee, had used the Stalinist description.

He said: "It is almost as though 'this will do for a poor area' and for people who rent," he said.

"I want more social housing in Bristol but I want it to be good quality and I want people to live well."

Two maple trees at the site were felled in June 2019

The site is next to a busy junction of the M32 and currently has a partially demolished office building on it.

The committee said the air quality was so bad families should not live there and the flat block scheme, which involved felling a row of mature maple trees, would make it even worse.

Two of the trees were felled last year.

Bristol City Council's air quality team also objected to the proposals, along with Montpelier Conservation Group, Bristol Civic Society and the Bristol Tree Forum.

The community group working to save the maple trees says the council's own maps show the authority owns the land the trees are on

Howard Ogden from Save the M32 Maples group cautiously welcomed the news.

"It's a victory for the health of people in this ward and for the trees," he said.

But he added: "This isn't over yet because our concerns over contamination from the adjoining site (a former BP petrol station) have not been addressed so another application could still go ahead.

"The risk is that the ground is contaminated and there's polluted groundwater so it's just not viable for housing," he said.