The council admit it has been a ‘serious health and safety risk’ for almost two years

Work to demolish a sports centre that never reopened after the Covid pandemic and was then badly damaged by an arson attack nearly two years ago has finally got underway in South Bristol.

The work to take down the disused former Whitchurch Sports Centre will take 12 weeks and will mean part of the road past the large building to be closed off for several months, local residents have been warned.

The sports centre, which is on council-owned land, will eventually form part of the wider Hengrove Park development, and the building has now been handed over to the council’s own housing development company, Goram Homes.

Goram Homes have plans to build 1,435 new homes, along with new sports and community facilities on the site of the former Whitchurch Airfield – now Hengrove Park – which is nearby, and say they will use the site in the short term to ‘help facilitate’ the Hengrove Park development.

The sports centre was most recently run by Action Indoor Sports, but was left empty and disused when it closed for the Covid pandemic in 2020 and never reopened. In the spring and summer of 2023, local residents and police regularly complained to Bristol City Council that young people were getting into the building and running amok – and filming videos for their own social media accounts while they were in there.

But Bristol City Council failed to secure the building despite those warnings, and then on August 9, a fire was lit inside which severely damaged the building. The blaze also saw people living near the site evacuated from their homes, a major police and fire service operation and fears that the thick, acrid smoke released by the fire contained harmful asbestos.

Now, the task of demolishing the building lies with the council-owned Goram Homes and its demolition contractor Lawson Group.

Goram said the building will be taken down ‘carefully and methodically over a 12-week period’, from now, with council chief Barry Parsons, admitting that it has become a ‘serious health and safety risk’.

READ MORE: Police warned council about fires at empty sports centre two weeks before huge blazeREAD MORE: Police ‘chasing kids out’ of fire-hit sports centre for weeks before blaze

“Demolishing this building will remove what has become a serious health and safety risk in the area,” said Cllr Parsons (Green, Easton ), who is chair of the council’s housing committee. “It will also support Goram Homes’ work on the first phase of the Hengrove Park development, which will start later this year.

“Hengrove Park is a long-term project that will create a thriving new neighbourhood of homes to buy, homes for social rent and homes for shared ownership. New sports pitches, play facilities, running loop, and social spaces will also be created here, and benefit the whole community,” he added.

Elaine Olphert, Goram Homes’ technical director, said the site is now ‘fully secured, with perimeter fencing and locked gates to prevent access’, and security will be present outside of working hours.

(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)

“An expert demolition team will take down the building carefully over a 12-week period to ensure least disruption possible to surrounding residents and businesses,” she said. “We thank local people for their patience during this work.”

A single lane road closure will be in place on Bamfield Road, closest to Whitchurch Sports Centre, for approximately seven weeks during April and May, starting on April 21. This will enable Lawsons to safely demolish the structure nearest the roadway. Traffic lights and pedestrian crossings will be put in place during this period, Goram Homes said.

The demolition marks another step forward towards the transformation of the area around the edge of Hengrove Park. Goram’s plans include building 125 new homes on the Bristol Cycling Centre and the Whitchurch Running Track, next door to the former sports centre.

A petition calling for the athletic track to be regenerated and refurbished instead of building new homes on it, set up by a local resident John Pearce, has now gained more than 6,100 signatures. His campaign has got the backing of leading sports figures in the city.

READ MORE: South Bristol ‘losing another facility’ as running track and cycle centre will be relocatedREAD MORE: Calls to save South Bristol running track earmarked for 125 new homes

Goram Homes said the Family Cycling Centre remains open and it will be the last part of the Hengrove Park development to happen.

“The Cycling Centre will remain open until later phases of the 1,345-home Hengrove Park development, which will be built over an eight-year period,” a spokesperson said. “Goram Homes is working closely with Bristol City Council, which runs the facility, to help them keep the centre open for as long as possible.

“The Hengrove Park site has outline planning consent for 1,435 homes, half of which will be affordable housing for social rent and shared ownership. At the heart of the development is a park the size of around 30 football pitches. This will provide space for the sports and community facilities, including sports pitches and sports pavilion, a multi-use games area, and a walking / running loop around the perimeter.

“We will be consulting with the local community on the next phase on Hengrove Park later this year,” she added.

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