News & Updates
Ashton Park team submit planning application
7th August 2009
The team behind Ashton Park, the proposed new city district to the south west of Bristol, has submitted an outline planning application for the scheme that is set to create more than 6,000 jobs for the area.
LandTrust Developments have been working closely with a number of industry specialists, including Bristol-based planning consultants Baker Associates, to put together the application, which includes plans for around 9,500 new homes, up to seven new schools, a leisure centre, health centres, a library, a renewable energy plant and a modern rapid transit system.
The application was delivered to the planning offices of North Somerset Council and Bristol City Council on Friday, August 7th and will now face a period of initial checking before being made available for public comment.
“These are exciting plans which offer a massive opportunity for the area,” said LandTrust’s Managing Director, Jonathan Chastney. “We have worked long and hard to ensure this outline planning application reflects our vision for a sustainable community that meets the needs of the expanding populations of Bristol and North Somerset.
“Wherever possible we have tried to incorporate the ideas, views and concerns that have been expressed by members of the public and other interested parties who visited our exhibition, logged onto our website or called the Ashton Park hotline.
“They are ambitious plans, but in these challenging economic times I believe they offer a significant investment in the area which offers real hope for the future and we will continue to listen to people with an interest in Ashton Park as these proposals develop.”
Ashton Park is one of a number of areas earmarked in the region to meet future demand by the South West Regional Spatial Strategy, which is set to be published this year.
Baker Associates’ Executive Director, John Baker, said: “This is a long-term development that should evolve and take shape over the next 20 years, helping to meet the increasing demand for housing in the region while offering great quality of life and employment opportunities for its residents.
“It will develop in phases, with homes being built alongside key facilities such as shops and transport links so that it will be a great place to be from day one for the people who come to live here.”
What will Ashton Park offer ?
• A new part of Bristol that has an equally close relationship to the city and the North Somerset countryside
• Approximately 9,500 new homes (including affordable housing)
• 6,000 new jobs (including a mix of office, research and light industry)
• Community facilities with up to seven schools (primary and secondary), nurseries, a library, a leisure centre and health centres
• A foodstore and local retail units together with pubs, cafes and restaurants
• A modern rapid transport system that connects the new district with the city centre and other important destinations such as the airport. New road links between the A370 and the A38 will also be created
• Over 60 hectares of publicly accessible open spaces and parks, linked by a network of footpaths and cycle ways for recreation and access to the city centre or open countryside
• Integrated wildlife features to bring nature into the city; these will include green roofs, new planting and managed green routes providing safe routes for wildlife to move through the development
• An environmentally-friendly energy-from-waste centre that will power and heat homes while recycling household waste
• Pedestrian-friendly streets that use shared-space principles
• Buildings, streets and spaces designed to make the most of the topography and the views.
The plans should be available for the public to view in the council planning offices and from relevant parish councils towards the end of the month.
A summary version will be placed on the Ashton Park website (www.ashton-park.co.uk) and more information will be available from the project hotline on 0117 376 3259 or e-mail ashtonpark@bakerassocs.com.
