Kingsdown Conservation Group

It was very satisfying to see that our AGM in April at St James’ Priory was very well attended. The audience might have been drawn down the hill by our local speaker but they then heard that we had had a busy year in and around Kingsdown. Our chairman, David Winter summed-up for us the myriad of building applications we have commented upon. Amongst these have been several applications by both the Hospital and the University which impact greatly upon Kingsdown.

There followed a discussion about the state of the defunct launderette on the Cotham Road South / Portland Street and the application by the owner to turn it into flats. His application has been turned down twice and lost in appeal.  It’s such a pity this important corner site on our local run of shops looks so derelict. New ideas are needed on how to get it back into use.

Also discussed was the possibility of losing the ‘Hare on the Hill’ if it were ever to be changed into accommodation  It was suggested that there was a case for it being listed as an ‘Asset of Community Value’.

And St Michael’s Church has a new owner with possible new plans for making it into ’events space’. 

It was with huge sadness that in March we lost one of our long standing residents, Ben Hamilton Baillie. Once a chair of the KCG, a leading figure at Sustrans and an influential promoter for ‘Shared Space, he will be sorely missed.

Then we had an excellent talk on ‘Bristol and the Civil War’ by Ronald Hutton, Professor of History at University of Bristol. We will never look at Fremantle Square again without thinking of the 300 soldiers ( slaughtered in the attack by Cromwell on Prior’s Hill Fort)  buried beneath the Square.

An outline planning application has been lodged to block up Eugene Street, to demolish all 36 of the purpose-built flats on Eugene Street and to demolish the present serviceable c.150 place multi-storey car park, in order to build an 8-storey, 820 place multi-storey car park on the cleared area of ground between Eugene Street and Montague Hill South.

Members are advised to look at the application number 18/04977/P on the city’s website or by following the link below.

The Conservation Group believes the proposed gigantic structure would assault the topography of Kingsdown and is the most challenging application to confront the Kingsdown Conservation Area since its designation in 1973.

The Group will be submitting a letter of objection shortly.

https://planningonline.bristol.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=PFCEQKDN06900

Matters discussed at the August meeting

42 Tyndall’s Park Road – The Group has lodged an objection to an application to remove the boundary wall to the street and devote the front garden to hardstanding for three motor cars, in conflict with local and national planning policy.

LED Advertising. In common with other local and national amenity societies, we continue to try to resist the advance of illuminated advertisements in conservation areas and in the setting of listed buildings. This month we have objected to proposals to introduce LED advertising panels to bus stops on Triangle West and at eight further locations.

19 Ninetree Hill – We have lodged comment on a current application to extend one of a pair of what may be the earliest remaining, free-standing, semi-detached houses in Kingsdown.

12E Alfred Place – An appeal (Ref: APP/Z0116/W/18/3207120) has been lodged against the refusal of the retrospective application 17/01805/H (which can be seen at www.bristol.gov.uk/planningonline ) to build the roof extension, which can be seen from Montague Place.

Individuals can submit their views on-line, check the information and progress using the Planning Casework Service at https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/CaseSearch.aspx. One should use the last seven characters of the Appeal Ref above to search for this case. Further guidance to taking part in planning appeals is available on the Planning Portal website at www.planningportal.gov.uk/planning/appeals/planningappeals.

The Group and many individuals strongly objected to the application.

Hospital car park. We fear UBHT intend to purse their misguided ambition to demolish all 36 of the purpose-built flats on Eugene Street and also to demolish their existing 250 place multi-storey car park opposite in order to build an 850 place eight-storey car park. A recent ‘drop-in’ event was well attended by Kingsdown residents. The enormous scale of the proposed construction was not clearly shown in the presentation. The Group oppose this shocking scheme.

Old Hospital. Both individuals and the Group had lodged comment in support of the welcome initiative of the Planning Department to extend The St James’s Parade Conservation Area to include the site bounded by Marlborough Street, Whitson Street and Lower Maudlin Street, on which the BRI Old Building, its (recently listed) chapel stand, together with the listed buildings of The Eye Hospital on Lower Maudlin Street

The Old Building c.1780 ( Upper Mauldin Street ) is the 4th oldest hospital in the UK and Bristol’s largest Georgian building by far.  In November its chapel was listed by Historic England, and in the disappointing absence of the BRI Old Building itself being nationally listed, Bristol City Council is now hoping to protect it by extending the boundary of the adjacent St. James’s Parade Conservation Area to include the BRI Old Building, its newly listed Chapel and the two splendid listed Georgian buildings at 16 & 17 Lower Maudlin Street, which are occupied by the Eye Hospital.

It is vital that all supporters of this proposal (both groups and individuals) respond to the consultation before the 9th August deadline, but sooner if possible.

Please click on the link just below and then the secondary links to study the proposal, and then submit your support if you wish.  Even a short word will do, as every individual response counts as one more towards a successful decision.

https://bristol.citizenspace.com/growth-regeneration/extension-of-st-james-parade-conservation-area/