Developers refused permission for 700 student beds in industrial Bristol

Developers have been refused planning permission for 705 student beds on an industrial estate in Bristol, despite support from the local community. The plans would have included building a new community center and a supermarket, both facilities that Dings currently lacks.

Dominus, a family-owned property developer, has applied to Bristol City Council for permission to build the eight-storey block of student flats on Sussex Street in St Philips. The site currently houses industrial facilities, including one used by the Invisible Circus, which is expected to move.

Councilors on development control committee B voted on Wednesday, June 26, to refuse permission for the new homes. They said the area should be protected for industrial uses and expressed concern about poor living conditions for students living in the apartments.

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Speaking to the committee, Nola Hersey, Chair of Dings Community Association, said: “The proposed scheme incorporates a community space, a safer way to cross Kingsland Road and, importantly for many of our residents, access to an accessible supermarket. An industrial facility on this site will not provide any obvious benefit to the community, but instead brings the risk of traffic pollution, noise and congestion.”

Preet Ahluwalia, senior director at Dominus, added: “My father arrived in the UK as a refugee and has always appreciated the sanctuary that the UK offered him. So when he started our family business, he was always looking to give back. That’s why we started development by asking the community what they needed most and incorporating that into our business plan.”

Dominus would include workshops in its plans, at a peppercorn rent, to allow the creative industries to continue working on the site. But planning officers said there would be an overall reduction in employment, in a part of the city where jobs should be protected. And the circus based on the site has warned that building student flats risks the town’s reputation as a circus.

Kathryn Chiswell-Jones, from the charity Artspace Lifespace, said: “The Invisible Circus is a key cultural institution in Bristol. We are concerned that more student accommodation at the expense of creative space risks eroding Bristol’s creative core. Losing Unit 15 means losing the ability to develop specialist air shows, risking Bristol’s reputation as a circus town.”

Concerns also included road safety, as the area is not considered safe for hundreds of students to walk or cycle, given its industrial nature. And some future residents would be warned not to open their windows on Saturday nights because of a neighboring nightclub. Dare to Club would be protected from noise complaints made by future residents.

Labor councilor Fabian Breckels said: “I am concerned about the lack of natural light and the issue of rooms being too hot or too cold. If you have to keep the windows closed at night because of the noise outside, it’s either not sleeping because you’re too hot or not sleeping because it’s too noisy outside.”

The committee voted seven to two in favor of denying the building permit. Voting to reject the Green plans were Paula O’Rourke, Mohamed Makawi and Lisa Stone; Labour’s Fabian Breckels, Lisa Durston and Don Alexander; and Liberal Democrat Caroline Gooch.

Voting against the refusal were Green councilor Guy Poultney and Tory councilor Richard Eddy, who argued in favor of delaying a decision to allow time for the plans to be improved. Developers could now decide to revise their plans and try to apply for permission a second time, taking into account criticism from councilors and planning officers.