Plan to demolish shopping centre is approved

Revised plans to build more than 550 homes on the site of a shopping centre in south Bristol have been given the green light.

Developer Broadside Holdings had originally wanted to demolish the Broadwalk Shopping Centre in Knowle and build 850 new homes on the site.

But following a legal challenge launched by campaigners over the height of the planned buildingsand the density of the development, the number was reduced by 300 and height restrictions were introduced.

The revised plans, which were recommended for approval, were unanimously voted through by Bristol City Council's planning committee on Wednesday.

The developer will be allowed to build up to 12 storeys on the eastern section of the site and three to four storeys high on the western side, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service,

Sian Ellis-Thomas, chair of the volunteer community group Friends of Redcatch Park, said they "fully support the proposed variation" to the Broadwalk development.

"This has been a long and challenging journey with real concerns from residents about scale, density and the impact on our park," she said.

"The revised proposal is a clear and welcome improvement."

Nick Spencer, representing the developer, said following the "public outcry" over the original plans they had worked with the local community and had found a "compromise".

While Green councillor Serena Ralston said, other developers could "really learn a lesson from this".

"The community has been a powerhouse, and councillors and developers," she said.

"For me, this is how it should be done."

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