The developer bypassed Bristol City Council and applied to government
Chasefield House in Fishponds Road, Bristol (Image: Google Maps)
Neighbours and nature campaigners are fighting plans to convert a former care home in Fishponds into two huge shared houses with 19 bedsits.
Locals have objected to the redevelopment of Chasefield House, Fishponds Road, with concerns about pedestrian safety as the road is very busy and articulated lorries regularly park up and unload directly outside the proposed entrances to the homes.
Bristol Tree Forum, which has also objected to the pair of houses in multiple occupation – one with nine bedrooms and one with 10 – disputes the applicants’ claims that they are exempt from planning laws that require a 10 per cent ‘biodiversity net gain’ because the natural habitat on site is smaller than the minimum thresholds.
The tree forum said the rules set these at five metres long for a hedgerow but that the one in front of the property, a Victorian villa, was 13 metres, while a tree growing on site was also likely to exceed the 25sqm area minimum for nature replacement under the regulations.
In its objection, the tenant of an adjacent factory said she was ‘alarmed’ that the plans did not include improvements to the site’s access to make it safe despite planning officers agreeing they were needed.
She said: “Immediate concern is for the occupier of the first house, there is no room for pavement in front of the dwelling and the front door will be opening into the roadway/alleyway between us and the house, there is frequent traffic passing through that area, cars, vans and forklift trucks and they will not be able to see someone opening their front door, never mind kids/prams being involved.
“It is going to be extremely hazardous for anyone living there.”
One resident wrote that the proposals would increase danger to schoolchildren and older people using a nearby public footpath.
Another said there were already enough HMOs in Fishponds.
But in planning documents, agents for the applicants Creative Independent Living, which runs several housing projects for vulnerable people on behalf of Bristol City Council ’s social services and could use Chasefield House for this purpose too, said the plans would result in 11 HMOs within 100 metres, equal to 7.8 per cent of homes, below the 10 per cent limit.
They said: “The site has not been in use for approximately five years and the proposal would allow this large building to be brought back into active use, while also improving its visual appearance and subsequently its contribution to the character and appearance of the conservation area.
“The proposal for two large HMOs is deemed appropriate for the application site and mixed-use context in view of its highly sustainable location on a main road and opposite the defined town centre.
“The applicant has advised that even with an unrestricted budget, it would not be possible to refurbish and modernise the buildings to meet current regulations and consequently it is highly unlikely that the existing villa (or the combined site including the rear buildings) could ever be reused as a care home.”
The developers have bypassed the council’s planning department, which is in special measures, and applied directly to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which aims to make a decision by September 23.
Any representations must be made by Thursday, September 4, by emailing section62anonmajor@planninginspectorate.gov.uk and including the application reference number S62A/2025/0113 and site address.
The plans are here.