Locals are not happy about some aspects of the plan
Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporter
11:55, 25 Jun 2025
Plot 5 of Bedminster Green(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
A long-stalled housing development in Bedminster has been taken over by a new developer owned by Bristol City Council.
For several years a row over building flats dragged on with locals complaining of the tall heights of the buildings, loss of trees and lack of affordable housing.
Late last year the council terminated its deal with Dandara Living to build homes on Plot 5 of the Bedminster Green regeneration project.
Now Goram Homes has added the plot, in between Malago Road and the Windmill Hill railway bridge, to its pipeline of upcoming developments.
This year Goram will look at options for the site and carry out initial design work. Changes to Goram’s pipeline were approved by councillors on the strategy and resources policy committee. It’s unclear how many homes or how tall the future buildings will be.
A map of the site(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
Louise Davidson, head of housing delivery at the council, said: “The current work at the moment is to close the arrangements we’ve got with the existing developer who was looking at the site, and then over the next year working with Goram to look at the art of the possible.”
The deal between Dandara and the council was signed back in 2017 to develop the site, but no decision on granting planning permission was ever made. Dandara had planned to build 330 flats there, reaching up to 12 storeys tall. The apartments would have been “build to rent”.
Plot 5 includes a car park, buildings and industrial units, surrounding a green area with several large trees. Many of the trees could have been chopped down to make way for the hundreds of apartments, something which angered locals and environmental campaigners.
The Bedminster site(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
When the council reneged on the deal last December, Green Councillor Tony Dyer, leader of the council, promised to “take on board the feedback” and look at alternatives for the site that are more appropriate. Much of the rest of the area has seen huge new apartment blocks shoot up, with hundreds of students moving into a neighbouring building last September.
The area is home to a surprising diversity of wildlife, with otters found living on the River Malago and beavers on the River Avon. Goram Homes was founded by the council back in 2018, and is working on a number of projects across the city, including in Hengrove and Lockleaze.