Broadwalk Shopping Centre site faces legal challenge

Developers are planning to build 850 homes as part of a mixed-use scheme, which includes a dentist surgery, cinema and a theatre community space

Campaigners against plans to demolish a Bristol shopping centre to build a new development have launched a legal case against it.

The approved redevelopment of the Broadwalk Shopping Centre site off Wells Road in Knowle is for 850 homes, a cinema and dental practice.

Local resident Laura Chapman has launched a legal challenge with the help of a local crowdfunding campaign.

Bristol City Council said it cannot comment as this is a legal matter.

Under the plans, some buildings on the development could reach 12 storeys tall

Planning permission for the Redcatch Quarter was initially refused in May by Bristol City Council's development control A committee.

Then in July, the same councillors changed their minds and gave planning approval.

'Aghast'

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), campaigners want a judge to inspect how the decision was made.

Campaigner Laura Chapman said: "We went into this thinking 'this stinks'. So many of the councillors who sit on the committee were tweeting about it, and it was on party lines. We spoke to lawyers who specialise in planning and they were all aghast at what happened."

A barrister representing the campaign group has sent a "blistering email" to Bristol City Council bosses, setting out key issues with the decision to approve the new development.

Laura Chapman said: "Our barristers are going to fight on 10 key reasons. Normally you would only find one or two, so the fact that we have 10 says volumes about how many procedural errors there have been."

More than 2,000 people have signed a petition saying they have "lost confidence in Bristol's planning system".

Bristol City Council was approached for comment.

A spokesperson said as this was a legal matter, the council would not be commenting.

A judicial review has not been launched. According to LDRS, this cannot happen until the council formally issues a planning notice that permission is granted. The decision could also be "called in" by the Department for Levelling Up for extra scrutiny.

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