Housing block to replace Bristol health centre

The derelict site in Bedminster will become a housing development containing 36 flats

A new housing development is set to replace a former health centre and betting shop in the south of Bristol.

The city council unanimously approved the plans for 36 flats in Bedminster.

It will replace The St John's Lane Health Centre which has been empty since 2018 and a betting store which closed in 2019.

Councillors agreed it was a good use of the derelict site but expressed regret it would provide no social homes.

The development for a v-shaped block of flats which range in size from one to six bedrooms, was submitted by housing association United Communities.

Only 11 of the flats have been secured "in perpetuity" as affordable housing, which drew some criticism from Green councillor Tony Dyer.

There will be room for 14 cars to park at the rear of the v-shaped building and there will be 59 bicycle spaces

"Normally if I see a development that has 100% affordable housing, I'm slightly overjoyed. However, it does seem as if we're missing some social rent housing here.

"That is a shame. Sometimes we do seem to be getting affordable housing which isn't necessarily affordable for a large proportion of our population," he said.

Six members of the public commented on the proposals, with five of them objecting, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Their main concerns were related to the size of the development, its impact on local parking and traffic, and the amount of parking provided.

Labour councillor Fabian Breckels said: "Expanding the scheme to clear a derelict site is an improvement. We get more parking and I rather like the modern design."