Plans submitted for new primary school to serve Windmill Hill

Plans have been revealed to build a new 420-place primary school on the site of a former college in South Bristol.

A Government body called the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) wants to build the new school as part of a regeneration scheme for the college site in Marksbury Road, Bedminster.

The plans also include a mix of new homes, community facilities, and business and employment space.

The HCA has now submitted an outline planning application to the city council which is expected to decide whether to give consent in the spring.

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If planning permission is granted, then the HCA will go out to tender for a developer to take on the project.

David Warburton, from the HCA, said: "This is an important project because it is about so much more than bricks and mortar.

"If supported, it would deliver the key building blocks that underpin a strong community, including new homes, investment, job and training opportunities, community facilities and hundreds of extra school places.

"There is a lot of work that still needs to be done to deliver this project and we remain committed to working with partners and local people to turn their vision for this site into reality."

The project has also received support from Bristol Mayor George Ferguson who said he welcomed the plan which includes much-needed school places for South Bristol.

He said: "Our planning officers and planning committee will obviously have to consider the details of the scheme as it develops and I expect there to be local involvement to produce an innovative form of community development to include a healthy mix of new homes and workplaces affordable to local people."

The council is keen for a new primary school to open in time for the start of the new academic year in September, 2014. This means the HCA will want to go ahead with the tender process for a developer as soon as possible if planning permission is granted.

As well as a new primary school to serve the Windmill Hill area, the regeneration scheme includes:

• Up to 85 new homes, including 15 'self build' plots which would be delivered through the HCA's Custom Build initiative,

• Up to 900 sq metres of employment space based within the former college's engineering block,

• A new health centre and pharmacy which would be delivered with support and investment from local practices.

• Improved pedestrian and cycle access to the Northern Slopes, an escarpment of open land behind the college site.

Mr Warburton said the HCA had worked closely with partners and listened to local residents over several years to develop an "exciting" regeneration scheme for the six-acre site.

The HCA bought the college site in 2008 to help the City of Bristol College move to state-of-the-art new premises at Hengrove Park.

The agency originally proposed to deliver a mixed use development of new homes, employment and community facilities - but without a school.

This led the city council to urge the HCA to revise the scheme to include a school because primary places are desperately needed in the area due to an increase of young families.

Full details of the planning application can be found on the city council's website.

The HCA is the national housing and regeneration agency for England and the regulator for organisations which provide social housing.