Kingdown Conservation Group was deeply opposed to the BRI’s proposal to demolish thirty-six flats, and an appropriately-scaled multi-storey car park, in order to build a single monstrous multi-storey car park.
The application to do so was refused for many well-argued reasons: the council traffic department, which examined the projected traffic flows in great detail, rejected the scheme as unworkable given the area’s already congested and illegally-polluted roads.
The thirty-six flats are affordable inner-city housing, which should be cherished not flattened. The scheme ignored the destructive visual impact such a huge building would have on Bristol’s historic centre.
The Group recognises that the BRI, as an inner city hospital, should be easier to get to for the infirm, the elderly, wheelchair users, and staff, but believes this could be achieved using infrastructure already in place. There are already serviceable multi-storey car parks in the area, which given the will could be used as part of the transport hub hospital managers say they want.
Destroying perfectly good housing to build a car park is thinking rooted in the 1960’s The Council was absolutely right to turn down this hopelessly outdated proposal and the Group urges the Inspector now to refuse the appeal.
