Flats on stilts over Bristol car parks could house ex-prisoners

Bristol's deputy mayor Asher Craig wants to build on the success of the Zed Pods

Housing for ex-prisoners could be created in the air space above car parks within a year. 

Bristol deputy mayor Asher Craig wants to build on the success of the Zed Pods, where 11 flats were created on raised steel decks in the city.

She said homes could be provided as so-called "meanwhile uses" on sites before they were developed or in buildings the council no longer needs. 

"Bristol is a progressive city. We're there to showcase what can be done."

Meanwhile uses involves temporary housing being placed on vacant land to meet the public need.

The process is more common on mainland Europe and can involve "pop up" housing being built in as little as a day.

A 2020 report by the Greater London Authority said the process had "been able to successfully find and occupy vacant sites across the capital".

The Zed Pod flats sit over parking bays in the car park

It comes after police and crime commissioner Mark Shelford called on council leaders across Avon and Somerset to find land for prefabricated properties that could be built by and for former prisoners to help reduce reoffending. 

Ms Craig told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Some of the young people at Hope Rise [the Zed Pod project] have turned their lives around, they've secured permanent jobs and one has been promoted within about six months.

"Let's take the same idea and adapt it for people coming out of the criminal justice system."

She said the "fears" people had when Hope Rise was developed have "completely dissipated", adding "everyone's loving it".

Real positive

"People were worried the young people would be antisocial or their house prices would go down," she said.

"That's the gut reaction to anything in planning but it's been a real positive. 

"I'd like to take what we've done and use it across the city for a whole range of different needs to help us address the housing shortage."

Ms Craig said the Hope Rise project had been a "real positive"

The council is teaming up with the Salvation Army to build eight modular homes in a car park off Church Road to provide supported move-on accommodation for people facing homelessness, while elsewhere in the city shipping containers have been converted for housing for rough sleepers. 

Ms Craig added: "In light of Covid we're also reviewing many of our buildings that are basically going to be empty.

"We've identified a number of buildings we want to give up. We're looking at what we can sell, what we can hand to the community and what can be regenerated for housing."

Backing Ms Craig's idea, Mr Shelford said building homes can teach prisoners valuable skills and give them somewhere to live.