A new vision of plans to transform Lawrence Hill into a ‘thriving high street with new shops and cafes’ has been revealed. The project is aiming for 40 per cent affordable housing, improved shopping areas, a new square, green spaces and an employment hub.

In Bristol City Council’s draft Local Plan for the area it was reported in August that an estimated 1,500 new homes could be built as part of development. Among the housing plans there are proposals to build a high-rise development above the existing Lidl and create new ‘community-led housing’.

Alongside the new homes, the project proposes ‘to create the all-important outdoor café culture all successful 21st century highstreets and towns rely upon.’ Berkeley Court adjacent to the Bristol & Bath Railway Path could become a plaza surrounded by new shops, cafe and an area to host weekly markets and community events.

The plans have been informed from community consultations held in May attended by 30 local residents who said they were ‘not happy with their local centre in terms of choice, appearance, or ability to walk around the area easily’. In the long-term the policy document states that residents expressed a desire for the existing University of Bristol campus to be extended.

There are plans to ‘design out’ crime from Gaunts Ham Park, which has been described by residents attendeding previous consultation meetings as ‘scary’ or a place to ‘avoid’. There was further feedback from residents was that lighting and security should be improved in the park.

The regeneration document suggests making the existing playground and greenspace smaller and then reinvesting the money in other parts of Lawrence Hill such as the ‘new centre’ at Berkeley Court.

It states that with a train station, buses and an existing cycling route in the area, connections could ‘barely be improved’. Instead of creating additional public transport options, the current idea is to create more green spaces and car-free zones to ‘promote a sense of community’ and to improve the reliability and efficiency of the existing public transport.

A number of potential sites have been identified for development. These include the Lidl and car park, Lawrence Hill Industrial Park, Berkeley Court Business Park, sections of Russell Town Avenue and The Church Road car sales and Coop FuneralCare buildings.

Further community meetings are planned for next week which include a presentation on the current proposals. There will be a five open community meetings, which will all take place at Rendezvous Plus Café, 182 Lawrence Hill.

The meetings are Wednesday, November 13 at 2.30pm and 4.30pm, Friday, November 15 at 11am and 2.30pm and Saturday, November 16 at 11am. Each session will include a presentation followed by a Q&A session and total one hour with refreshments provided.

The Steering Group is chaired by Councillor Jenny Bartle and attended by other local councillors and local stakeholders groups, with support from Fund Their Future , a local charity dedicated to community development. View the full proposals here.