Former pub building to become block of UWE student flats

The block will be used for student accommodation

A former pub will be replaced with a block of student flats.

The empty Concorde Brewers Fayre pub in Filton, on the outskirts of Bristol, will be torn down for 99 University of the West of England (UWE) student beds.

The plans also include two ground-floor units - to be used as shops or restaurants.

South Gloucestershire Council's development management committee unanimously approved the bid on Thursday.

Concerns were raised over some harm being caused to the setting of the nearby Grade II art deco Pegasus House, the former headquarters of the Bristol Aeroplane Company.

But council officers said the scheme was acceptable and would ease pressure on local housing, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

'Unfair pressure'

Councillors also raised concerns over the logistics of a tenancy agreement which would mean students could not park within two miles (3.2km) of the block.

Councillor Adam Monk, who represents the Filton ward, said: "I'm really concerned about how that would be monitored.

"To leave that down to the residents to complain means the resident needs to identify the vehicle with the DVLA, then identify it's a student, then identify who they need to contact."

"It will be putting unfair pressure on local residents.

"There will be 100 students in this accommodation and to believe they won't leave their cars is naive," he added.

Council officers said the university already had a policy banning students' cars within two miles of its campus, which it enforced through a liaison officer.

The plans, by developers Eagle One Retail, include solar panels and 100 cycle spaces.