Global Awards News

LONDON: A plan to incorporate seniors and disability housing within a new cinema complex has been promulgated.

South Bristol’s biggest shopping centres could be demolished to make way for 880 new flats, a two-screen cinema, library and new streets full of shops. Developers have offered up these plans as their first submission to council planners, as their vision to transform the Broadwalk Shopping Centre at the heart of Knowle into ‘Redcatch Quarter’.

It’s set to be in the same mould as Bristol’s Wapping Wharf, with 12-storey blocks of flats either side of a new pedestrianised street lined with shops, restaurants and bars.

In response, local residents have voiced both their support and their concerns of the proposal, reminiscing amenities in the area that have come and gone before and looking ahead to what the future may hold for such a development and its local community. Issues raised included just how environmentally friendly the development will be, whether there will be parking, whether the cinema or library will actually be used and how elderly or disabled individuals, or in fact families, will be able to access flats in skyrise properties.

One person commented: “What a brilliant idea! At a time when there is a shortage of housing for families and low-rise accessible housing for the elderly and disabled, propose to build yet more birdbox apartments that will tower over nearby houses whilst neglecting to include minor inconveniences like extra doctors surgeries and green space.

“It would seem based on this and other recent proposals and indeed ongoing building in some places that the mayoral vision for the city is build ’em tall and cram ’em in high-rises full of young, single people, where residents zip about on e-scooters or cycles and where families, the disabled and the elderly are no longer welcome nor provided for.”

A second described the area as being “already overpopulated” saying that flats are “not needed here” and instead suggesting that “a good spruce up” and some more suitable shops were all that’s needed. Similarly, other locals requested that more houses with gardens, green spaces and even a doctor’s surgery were to be placed here instead.

Someone else referenced the city’s mission to be ‘greener’, writing: “One minute, we have to think of the environment. The next, we need to overpopulate the city.

“Humans use up the resources. Not hard to figure that one out.”

While on the other side of the debate, one individual penned: “What a fantastic development, the area could really do with it. It’s beggars belief some people are against it, more homes to help with the housing crisis, better shops instead of the countless pound and pawn or betting shops, and an influx of 800 plus people to spend their money in the local area.

“What’s there not to like? As they say you cant stand in the way of progress and I’ll certainly be adding to my portfolio.”

To which one person replied: “No facilities means there is nowhere to spend money locally. Adding to your portfolio means you are a landlord. We want houses with gardens for children, not flats with expensive service charges.”