Great Western Coffee Shop

TOTTERDOWN residents are fuming about plans to build new homes right on their doorstep.

More than 20 gathered into The Oxford pub in Oxford Street to raise concerns about an application by Network Rail.
​
Residents meet at The Oxford pub in Totterdown, Bristol, to discuss the plans for a housing development on wasteland opposite Bellevue Terrace which will block views over Bristol.
The company, which owns the land in Bellevue Terrace, has submitted plans to build nine three-storey homes.

But people living in and around the road say it^s an over development that will destroy their views, invade their privacy, block light and make traffic problems in the area much worse.

They have also accused the company of being underhanded, as they were only informed about the proposal on Christmas Eve.

Initially they only had until Wednesday to submit any objections but after intervention by their local councillors that has now been extended until next Wednesday, January 18.

Suzanne Ferris has lived in Bellevue Terrace for 18 years and organised last night^s meeting to make sure her neighbours were informed.

She said: ^This is going to be massive for us. At the moment we have fabulous views all across the city and we will lose those.

^These are four-bed, three-storey houses. We found an artist^s impression of the side view which shows existing houses will be blocked out.

^It will devalue our properties. A local builder told us by between ^20,000 and ^30,000 per property, that^s the price of a view.^

Miss Ferris added there were a number of physical constraints on the site that made it unsuitable for development.

The land was used for allotments until 1996 but there were a number of mine shafts underneath that fell in and had to be filled by Network Rail.

She said: ^The original properties on that site were pulled down because of subsidence problems. It^s been full of wildlife for years. We^re trying to protect the wildlife corridor and this would make it easier for them to encroach on Higham Street green.^

Residents were also concerned about the knock-on effect of having more cars in an area with tight access.

Fiona Esmarch lives just round the corner from Bellevue Terrace, and has already had her car hit by a passing van.

She said: ^We literally wouldn^t have anywhere to park.

^You can^t get furniture removal vans up here and it^s an incredibly dangerous street in snow and ice.

^On a good day I can see the suspension bridge from my bedroom. I moved here three years ago and the reason I chose it was because it was open and there was parking. It feels like an oasis. That would be lost.^

And Charles Burgoyne has only just moved to Bellevue Terrace. He said: ^To put it politely, I^m quite bewildered by the sheer scale of it.^

Ward councillors, Lib Dems Alf Havvock and Mark Bailey, attended the meeting and share their constituents^ concerns.

Mr Bailey said: ^Access to the area is a worry as there^s one road in and one road out.

^Ideally I^d like to see the site kept as it was. I don^t know how much it^s worth but who^s going to come up with ^1 million to buy the land?

^Allotments are desirable but probably not realistic.

^The preference is no development but if we can^t prevent it then smaller would be our aim.^

The councillors are planning on ^calling in^ the application, which means it won^t be dealt with by officers but by planning committee.

A date has yet to be set by they are hoping for it to be heard at a meeting in March.

To submit objections go to the planning section of the Bristol City Council website www.bristol.gov.uk. The application reference is 11/04970/F.

Network Rail was unavailable for comment last night.

Interesting you mention subsidence problems and the application is for 3 story houses! Doesn't seem quite right. I know the Bristol area is notorious for unmapped mineshafts, are they sure they plugged all the ones on this site?

The new homes will have stunning views. And when the electrification comes in, won't have noisy HSTs thundering past.

Try 'Bellevue Terrace' - or see bignosemac's post, just above yours?

New Totterdown terraces... a snip at ^415,000

(http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276268/Article/images/20931557/5993611-large.jpg)
Artists' impressions of the new Bellevue Terrace development

Forget about the Clifton Suspension Bridge or Cabot Tower, they are among the most familiar and loved buildings on the Bristol skyline. The Victorian terraced houses that line the hillside overlooking south Bristol stand out because of their distinctive pastel shades.

The Totterdown terraces are as much a part of Bristol's unique character and heritage as the Wills Building and Clifton's grand Georgian villas. And now a construction firm is in the process of building nine new houses in the heart of Totterdown that are a replica of those famous homes, which were originally built for Bristol's railway workers.

Ellson Homes is behind the plans to build two terraces of family homes on a parcel of unused open space in Bellevue Terrace. And even though the scheme has still not been completed, seven of the properties have already been sold.

The new houses, which have either four or five bedrooms, cost between ^350,000 and ^415,000, but the price tag has not put off potential buyers. The homes come with all the mod cons and spectacular views across the city and beyond.

They are being marketed by Ocean estate agents in Knowle, who say they have received dozens of inquiries. A spokesman said: "The houses come with far-reaching views. This is a brand new development of just nine period-style homes with private parking and gardens."

Each house has three floors, with accommodation from 1,449 sq ft to 1,923 sq ft. They also come with balconies and back gardens.

I like the way they've incorporated a paddling pool into the roof of each one

Once again, greedy developers shove as many shoeboxes as possible onto the land- in order to line their pockets.

The new homes will have stunning views ... I don't see any problems with houses here.

Once again, greedy developers shove as many shoeboxes as possible onto the land- in order to line their pockets.