Bristol soapworks £175m redevelopment approved

The secretary of state will now assess plans for the site including the proposed 20-storey tower block

A £175m scheme to redevelop one of Bristol's Grade-II listed landmarks has been approved by the city council.

The soapworks in the city centre dates from 1882 and was home to Gardiner Haskins store.

Plans for mixed-use development of the site with 243 homes was deferred by councillors in March due to concerns about a proposed apartment-style hotel.

A related application for listed building consent will now be referred to the secretary of state for review.

The secretary of state must give their consent before development can proceed.

This is due to an objection from Historic England regarding the removal of some industrial structures on the site.

Historic England's principal inspector Simon Hickman said the "substantial demolition" of some of the historic buildings would cause "considerable harm".

The Victorian soapworks building is a landmark in Bristol city centre

In March, planners deferred making a decision and said they would not support one of two proposed uses of the tower for serviced apartment-hotel style rooms, as that would provide fewer flats and affordable homes.

Developer First Base removed the apart-hotel option prior to Wednesday's deferred meeting, but reaction to the plans remained mixed, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Residents of the neighbouring three-storey Kingsley House said a 20-storey tower on the site would dwarf their building casting a shadow over their homes.

Resident Elliot Davidson said it would create a "dark and depressing environment" and the loss of light would be "devastating".

Councillor Marg Hickman said Kingsley House housed many council tenants who felt they were victims of a "pincer movement" from all the nearby building work in recent years.

But she added the developers had promised her they would work with the block's community group to mitigate some of the impact.

Councillors concluded the public benefits outweighed the harm to heritage assets and the impact on residents, and voted 8-1 to approve the amended plans.

The building is vacant following Gardiner Haskins' departure in 2018