Bristol City Council approves £1.5m for police station redevelopment

Planning designs show how the redevelopment of Trinity Road police station will look

A £1.5m bailout to salvage plans to bulldoze a former police station and build 104 affordable homes in a city centre has been approved.

Bristol City Council gave Guinness Partnership housing association permission to redevelop Trinity Road police station in Old Market in 2022.

However, plans stalled when costs spiralled and property prices fell.

The council has agreed to make the payment using a pot of money called the Community Infrastructure Levy.

A report to councillors said Guinness' board had committed to the redevelopment if the local authority gave the money, and the housing association would continue to find ways to reduce the remaining £2.6m funding gap for the project.

Guinness Partnership housing association was given permission to redevelop the site in 2022

Cabinet member for housing, councillor Tom Renhard, said the project would contribute significantly to a target to deliver 1,000 affordable homes a year, but that the redevelopment could not go ahead without the extra cash.

The site, which is a former police station, is currently owned by the police and crime commissioner who made the decision to sell it because it "doesn't meet the force's operational requirements".

Guinness' contract requires it to construct a new neighbourhood police facility, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The cabinet report stated that if the council did not award funding, there was "a strong possibility that [Guinness] will not be able to deliver the scheme".

It added: "The inclusion of a new neighbourhood police facility is essential to the delivery of the overall development including the 104 affordable homes.

"The land purchase deal will not go ahead if a new facility is not provided.

"It will also benefit the wider community as the police facility will serve Bristol East."