Property Affordable housing deal struck as flats scheme approved

A DEAL has finally been reached between developers and councillors as a few more social housing flats will get built near Temple Meads. Last month councillors refused plans for developers to cut the number of affordable homes from 66 down to 25, saying this was too few.

- Alex SEABROOK Local democracy reporter [e-mail]

Donard Homes said construction costs have gone up so much since they were first given planning permission in 2023 that they now cannot afford to build 66 affordable homes, as part of the 221-home development on the corner of York Road and St Luke’s Road in Bedminster. They applied to Bristol City Council to change their planning permission, slashing how many would be affordable. But councillors only granted them permission in the first place due to the promise of so many affordable homes, given concerns about a lack of daylight in some flats.

However, in a legal loophole, the original permission meant councillors would have struggled to refuse permission this time around, without Donard successfully appealing to the government's Planning Inspectorate. After negotiating, now 31 of the flats will be rented as social housing.