Proposed changes to development proposals

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These are the changes that PG are proposing to the redevelopment of the Carriageworks.The changes will be discussed at the community meeting on Wed 28 November from 6pm to 8pm at the Salvation Army, Ashley Road.

The textual descriptions below are PG’s, not CAG’s.  We haven’t as yet seen any drawings of the proposed changes but for reference we have included extracts from the most recent drawings, submitted for planning permission in 2015, below.

  • Small non material changes to the front of Westmoreland House including infilling recessed balconies and amending windows (see diag 1 below for current design)
  • Some small alterations to the Carriageworks roof scape (Block C) to allow the core to extend to the top storey (see diag 2 below for current design)
  • Reconfiguration of internal accommodation for Block A, the new build residential block to improve efficiency, allowing an increase in the number of units in the building without changing the footprint of the block. This will include an increase in the height of the step back facing Ashley Road on floors 4&5 (see diags 3 & 4 below for current design)
  • Reconfiguration to increase the number of commercial units on the ground floor of Block A following removal of ground floor residential onto the main courtyard (see Plan 1 below for current design)
  • In early 2019, PG Group will look a new application for Block D to increase the affordable housing content with a single additional storey of four residential units for affordable housing. The two ground floor apartments will change to 2 additional commercial units. (see plan 1 below for location and ground floor units and diag 5 below for current design)
site plan with block names

Plan 1: Ground floor site plan showing names of each block

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Diag 1: Frontage of Westmorland House (from 2015 planning permission)

  • carriageworks-roofscape.jpg

    Diag 2: Roofscape of Carriageworks (from 2015 planning permission)

    BlockA1-AshleyRoadElevation.jpg

    Diag 3: Block A1, showing north elevation to Ashley Road (from 2015 planning permission)

    Diag 4: Site cross section showing west elevation of Blocks A1 and A2 (from 2015 planning permission)

    BlockD-CrossSection

    Diag 5: Cross section of Block D (next to red line in centre) (from 2015 planning permission)

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Westmorland House – the beginning of the end

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Yesterday morning the demolition of Westmorland House finally began.

Built in 1966 but abandoned in 1984, Westmorland House has been a blot on the landscape of St Pauls and Stokes Croft for too long. Its derelict hulk has loomed large over this part of the city, contributing to an air of abandonment and ‘anything goes’. Over the years it has attracted urban artists, fly-posters, graffiti, drug users, explorers, the homeless and tragically six people who lost their lives falling from the building’s unprotected heights. Local residents have been trying to get the site redeveloped since the 1990s and now that day has finally come.

PG Group bought the site in 2017 and yesterday their demolition contractors, Wring, sent in their biggest toys to start eating away at the concrete, steel and brick. Demolition is expected to take two months. It is anticipated that there may be pauses during the work to examine the structure and safety as the building is dismantled. Demolition works at the neighbouring Carriageworks (the frontage of which will be preserved) will also take place during the two month period.

A day to be celebrated, a day to be remembered. It’s the end of an era, and hopefully the beginning of something much much better.

More media coverage at:

Bristol Post and Bristol Post film

Bristol 24/7

Community Meeting: Wed 28 November

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There will be a Carriageworks community meeting with PG Group on Wednesday 28 November from 6pm to 8pm at the Salvation Army on Ashley Road.

PG Group bought the Carriageworks site in 2017 with planning permission in place. It was inevitable that as they got to understand the site better and worked up the detailed plans that they would want to adjust the scheme.  The meeting will hear what changes are being proposed and will be your chance to give your initial response.

When we get the details we’ll also put them on this website.

At this point in time we understand that the changes will be not be so significant that they will require a new planning permission; PG will hopefully clarify the situation at the meeting.

Westmorland House demolition starts Wednesday

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The demolition of Westmorland House will start tomorrow, Wednesday 20 November.

Westmorland House, 1960s architect's plan

The six storey concrete monolith of Westmorland House was built in 1966 as headquarters for Regional Pools Promotions. But its heyday was short-lived and by 1982 Regional Pools had moved away leaving the building empty.

Westmorland House, BristolLater in the 1980s the site was bought by Opec Prime, a property development company owned by the London based Comer brothers. Various planning applications were submitted over the years but these were either rejected as over-intensive or the schemes never came to fruition. In the meantime the site became a canvas for street artists, home to a group of travellers and, more tragically, the site of a number of fatalities.

The City Council recognised the blighting effect the building was having on St Pauls and Stokes Croft and undertook to use compulsory purchase powers to buy the site but attempts in the mid 2000s were sabotaged by the financial crisis. Efforts restarted in 2011 when CAG was formed and a community vision agreed. Opec Prime then brought in Fifth Capital to secure a new planning permission and in 2017 the site was sold to the Bristol based PG Group.

Carriageworks ground floor proposals

The redevelopment of the site will see the conservation and reuse of the neighbouring listed Carriageworks building and the demolition of Westmorland House ready for  replacement by new flats with commercial space on the ground floor and a public square.

Stuart Gaiger, Development Director at the PG Group, said “There has been a considerable amount of preliminary ground work to be done since we acquired this site in November to provide 112 homes and twelve business units but now our contractors are poised to begin the actual demolition. We want to deliver an enterprising development that respects and reflects the community ethos and the independent spirit that flourishes around the area”.

The Chair of CAG, Lori Streich, said the group had been working since 2011 to ensure the inspirational regeneration of the site in line with the community vision. “We are delighted that PG are now starting the demolition of Westmorland House which is a huge step in the history of the site,” she said.

The redevelopment is due to be completed by the autumn of 2021.

Links: History of Westmorland House | PG Group | Community Vision | Redevelopment Plans

Scaffolding goes up, building comes down (soon)

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As anyone who’s been in or around Stokes Croft in  the last week will know, the scaffolding has started going up on the Carriageworks and Westmorland House.

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The Carriage Works frontage onto Stokes Croft is having an array of stabilising blocks lowered into place to support the structure before demolition at the rear commences.

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Be ready for some traffic disruption and pedestrian redirection.

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It has taken 35 years to get thus far.

Demolition of Westmorland House was scheduled to start later this week but this has now been put back by a month or so. We’ll let you know once we have more information.

Site update from PG Group

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The following has been sent out by the PG Group. Once preparatory works are complete, demolition should start in early October and be completed by mid November:

  • Carriageworks: Wring’s are waiting for traffic and pedestrian management proposals to be approved by BCC and plan to start façade retention to carriage works w/c 20th August, the retention system should take 4-6 weeks to complete. Following the retention system being installed, the rear of the Carriageworks can be demolished, this should take 2 – 3 weeks to complete.
  • Westmorland House: The protection scaffold to Westmoreland will start going up w/c 20th August – this retention and scaffolding system should take approx. 4-6 weeks to erect. The removal of asbestos to Westmoreland House started on 6th August and should also take approx. 4 – 6 weeks to complete, so worst case scenario, barring any unforeseen issues, both will be completed by the end of September. Once the scaffold protection to Westmoreland is erected and asbestos is removed, the building can be demolished, subject to finalising the Party Wall Agreements with neighbours at 108. The demolition will use a mix of hand and machine techniques and is anticipated to take approx. 8-weeks, so should be completed by w/c 19th November.
  • Traffic management Stokes Croft: It is the scaffold and façade works that will require the temporary pedestrian and traffic management arrangement that we have mentioned previously. On this, there are three important and positive points to share:
    1. There will still be two way traffic on Stokes Croft as both lanes will be retained, although both lanes will be marginally narrowed.
    2. The pavement on the Carriageworks side of the road will be closed temporarily and a controlled signal crossing will be installed near the Post Office to let pedestrians cross safely. This will be in place for up to 4-6 weeks to allow the façade retention system to Carriageworks and protection to Westmoreland House to be erected.
    3. Once the façade and scaffolding systems are in place, the pavement will be re-opened and a 1.5m pedestrian footpath, lined with appropriate heavy duty traffic barriers for safety, will be installed along the front of the Carriageworks/Westmorland House. The businesses on the corner of Stokes Croft/Ashley Road – Café Kino, The Arts Café and the Here Gallery – will be fully accessible during these works. Click to  take a look at the detailed traffic management plans (pdf).
  • Traffic management Ashley Road: No road closures or pavement closures on Ashley Road during the demolition works.

Cultural Plan – sharing the findings to date – drop-in event

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The following has been sent out by Willis Newson who are preparing the Cultural Plan on behalf of PG Group:

PG Group and Willis Newson are inviting people living in St Pauls, Stokes Croft, Montpellier, Redland, Kingsdown, Broadmead and Cotham to find out about possible arts, heritage, cultural activities and enterprise opportunities there are for the ground floor of the redeveloped Carriageworks and Westmoreland House and to share your thoughts and ideas.

The buildings have been derelict since the 1980s and have been purchased for development by Bristol based developers PG Group. Work has started on the demolition already and will complete in Summer/Autumn 2020. Central to the exciting new development is the creation and implementation of a Cultural Plan and Public Art Strategy for the site that will support the new building to thrive and support the local social, cultural and economic ecologies of the area.

For the last 9 months, Willis Newson have been having discussions with Carriageworks Action Group and PG Group and running consultation sessions, community meetings and focus groups to develop a Cultural Plan and Public Arts Strategy for The Carriageworks and Westmoreland House on Bristol’s Stokes Croft.  They are keen to share the findings to date with the community in advance of the plan being finalised.

Ideas to date include a community-led process of co-commissioning and leading on a programme of activity, a market area for local artists and traders, heritage projects and a community hub space for cooking and events.

There will be a drop in at The Citadel (Salvation Arrmy), 6 Ashley Road from 2-6pm on Wednesday September 12th as well as a more facilitated presentation and discussion in the space from 6:30pm-8pm.  Everyone is welcome and hot drinks will be served.