WORK on the first part of a multi-million scheme which is aimed at breathing new life into Knowle West could start later this year.

A government agency which owns land at Filwood Park has announced it has put together a planning application which includes a new park, housing estate and shops.

The Homes and Community Agency (HCA) has been working with the City Council on the project and hopes are high that the scheme will kick-start the regeneration of the area.

The scheme is also likely to run alongside a project to build a new shopping centre at the nearby Filwood Broadway.

The land at Filwood Park earmarked for the improvements was purchased by the HCA's predecessor English Partnerships and an outline planning application has been drawn up.

The application is likely to go before the council in summer and the city council will also discuss the project at a cabinet meeting next month.

As reported in the Evening Post an earlier scheme to demolish large parts of Knowle West was scrapped following complaints from people living in the area.

The council went back to the drawing board and the results are expected to be made public this summer. It is hoped that the scheme will be the first part of the jigsaw which will give the area a much-needed boost.

The planning application includes;

● A new and improved public park.

● A new estate of up to 150 homes, of which 30 per cent would be affordable housing.

● Up to 8,000 square metres of business and office space and new car parking.

The plans were put together following a public consultation with local people, which included a five day community event last November which helped shape the long-term vision for the empty site.

There has also an extensive and ongoing local consultation, including work with local people to develop proposals for a new shopping centre for Filwood Broadway.

To help the project get off the ground the HCA has managed to get its hands on around £1 million of Government grants to invest in improving the general area around Filwood Park.

The news was welcomed by Knowle West resident Denise Britt, who chairs Community in Partnership, a local charity which helps residents work with the council and other partners to improve the area.

She said: "Residents have been very positive about the way they have been involved in these plans.

"We had said that we wanted an improved park and were pleased to see that this had been taken on board. I think the plans that I have seen are fantastic and will make a real difference to the area."

David Warburton, the head of the HCA head in Bristol, said: "This planning application forms a central part of our own and partners' ambitions to create local jobs and opportunities, deliver high quality new homes and improve the provision of open space at Filwood Park.

"It also links with wider plans for the regeneration of Knowle West, by creating a new gateway to the area and providing a platform on which further investment can be attracted and improvements delivered.

"We have been really pleased with the level of commitment local people have shown in getting involved in this important project and the ideas they have put forward, and this has resulted in a strong proposal.

"We remain committed to working with partners and local people to help deliver this vision for Filwood Park."

Councillor Anthony Negus, the city council's head of planning, property and regeneration, said: "The application for Filwood Park marks a new beginning for Knowle West.

"The aim of the project is to create a beautiful park, provide employment and bring affordable home ownership to within the reach of more local people.

" By 2015, the area will be served by a high-quality rapid transit system linking more local people to jobs and prosperity north of the city as well as new opportunities close to home.

"It's all coming together – exciting times are ahead for south Bristol people."

It is hoped that a decision will be made on the planning application before the summer, with building work on infrastructure improvements to start in the autumn.