Bristol Invisible Circus gets reprieve as student flats rejected

Developers were refused permission to build an eight-storey block of flats for students.

Dominus has applied to Bristol City Council for permission to build student flats with more than 700 beds on Sussex Street in the St Philips area.

They said the area should be protected for industrial uses and expressed concern about poor living conditions for students living in the apartments.

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 provide no 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.”

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 Invisible Circle has warned that building student flats risks the city’s reputation for fostering creativity.

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.

“The loss of Unit 15 means the loss of the ability to develop specialist aerial acts, risking Bristol’s reputation as a circus town.”

The committee voted seven to two in favor of denying the building permit.