FAQS

Who are FORE, Amicala and Socius? +

Ethical investor FORE Partnership, along with their senior living partner Amicala, acquired the freehold for the St Christopher’s Square site earlier this year. Working with mixed-use developer First Base, the joint venture partnership is in the process of preparing proposals for the site ahead of submitting a planning application in early 2022. FORE, Amicala and Socius are all based in and operate out of the UK, with projects in a range of places around the country. Recently, Socius received planning permission for the regeneration of the Soapworks in Bristol. The partners share a deep commitment to sustainability and social value. FORE is a certified B Corporation, meaning it is legally committed to purpose beyond profit, putting it among a global community of firms committed to harnessing the power of business to help address social and environmental issues and to build a more inclusive economy.

Further information about each of the joint venture partners can be found here.

What are you proposing for the site? +

We are proposing an ultra-sustainable integrated retirement community on the 5-acre site that will be environmentally-friendly, deliver facilities which will also be able to be accessed by the local neighbourhood, and provide a range of social and community benefits. The emerging proposals will provide around 120 homes for seniors through the sustainable refurbishment of the existing buildings, along with a collection of two storey cottages and four low-rise blocks ranging from 4-6 storeys, designed to sit sensitively within the extensive site. At the heart of the site, Grace House will be preserved and transformed into a hub for the wider community, potentially with a publicly accessible café and activity rooms, as well as ‘wellness’ facilities, including a hydrotherapy pool and rehabilitation gym. The designs also include extensive open space, sensory gardens, community food growing spaces and other rich landscaping. The project team is committing to generating a biodiversity net gain of at least 10%. The new community will be net zero in operation, with no fossil-fuels used on the property.

Why are you proposing senior living on the site? +

Bristol is facing a severe shortage of specialist accommodation for seniors - something Bristol City Council has been seeking to address through its Better Lives at Home strategy. Within Bristol, the over 65s account for every one in seven people, while there are 9,100 people aged 85 or older. By 2043, Bristol Council predicts there will be a 40% increase over 75s in the city, which demonstrates the increasing demand for age-appropriate housing. Our proposals will help address this shortage of high-quality specialist homes for older people, allowing them to age in place with independence and dignity, while also easing pressures on the NHS and wider care system and will have a positive effect on the local housing market by freeing up under-occupied family homes.

What do you mean by ‘extra care’? +

Extra care, also known as assisted living, or housing with care, is an integrated retirement community which provides specialist accommodation and care to older people. It is important to note that a development of this type is not domiciliary care and should not be confused with a ‘care home’. Extra care is a relatively new model of senior living in the UK that is very different to traditional retirement living or care homes. Unlike care homes, residents own their own home and have their own front door to maintain their independence and privacy and can be involved in the wider community as much as they like. Compared to traditional retirement communities such as McCarthy Stone or Churchill, ‘extra care’ such as St Monica’s Trust, Extra Care Charitable Trust or Audley, provides significantly more support and care for the residents, which can be increased or decreased depending on need as they age, ultimately providing full wrap-around support and care. Importantly, extra care communities are truly integrated with the communities they sit within, not gated or closed off, helping continue to give purpose and meaning to residents in their later years. This also fosters intergenerational integration, reducing isolation and loneliness, which has proven health and wellbeing benefits.

What are the benefits of the extra care model? +

By providing flexible care within the community, an extra care development allows residents to remain relatively independent and to age in place in the community, easing pressures and delivering significant savings to the NHS and wider care system, particularly by reducing both admissions and the length of hospital stays. This has been demonstrated by research commissioned by the Extra Care Charitable Trust, more information on which can be found here.

Carers within the proposed development will be recruited, employed and trained by Amicala (the extra care operator), and all care on the site will be regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England.

The extra care model also has a positive knock-on effect on the local housing market. As residents often move from family homes into extra care communities, typically from within a 5-10 mile radius, this frees up under-occupied family homes for up-sizers and in turn smaller homes for younger families or first-time buyers further down the housing chain.

What benefits will there be for the local community? +

We want to create a place the whole community can use and enjoy. Of course, a key benefit we provide is care for older members of the local community. We also strengthen the local housing market by freeing up family homes and reduce the pressure on the NHS and wider care system. An extra care development also benefits the local community in ways that other types of development wouldn’t. For example, wherever possible the site and its facilities will be accessible and available to the local community. As part of our proposal for St Christopher’s Square local community benefits will include:

• Beautiful publicly accessible open and green spaces, carefully landscaped for people and nature, with support for community food growing
• Publicly accessible café/bistro and activity space
• New local jobs on and offsite and investment in the local area supporting Bristol’s pandemic recovery
• Quality buildings that take inspiration from what’s already on the site and the local area
• A welcoming place that encourages intergenerational integration, benefitting the local community and the older people who will call this new community home
• Exploring working with the local education authority to provide Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) programme

What do you mean by ultra-sustainable? +

The project team is committed to delivering projects designed and built to the highest standards of sustainability. Investor FORE Partnership is an industry leader in sustainability (recent winner of EG Sustainability Award of the Year) and has committed to meeting a target of being net zero carbon across its business and its projects by 2025. St Christopher’s Square will form the first in a new generation of net-zero in operation ‘extra care’ communities to be delivered by FORE and its partner Amicala around the UK.

Importantly, our proposals involve the preservation and rejuvenation of the Grade-II listed Grace House and the sensitive restoration of the five Victorian lodges at the front of the site. This means the embodied carbon in the buildings will be retained, with the team sensitively restoring the buildings so they are highly energy efficient, while retaining their character.

Low carbon construction techniques and materials will be deployed across the development, driving down carbon emissions. Upon completion the development will be net zero carbon in operation and fossil-fuel free, drawing energy from renewable electricity as well as generating onsite solar energy.

Staff, residents and visitors will be encouraged to travel more sustainably through the provision of an electric vehicle car club, electric vehicle and e-bike charging points, and a shuttle bus service. Use of public transport, especially given that the site sits in close proximity to two main bus routes into the city, will also be encouraged.

We will also provide new allotments to support food growing with local schools as well as open spaces and sensory garden areas. We will generate a biodiversity net gain of 10%, helping to tackle the ecological emergency.

How many homes are you proposing? +

The emerging proposals are for around 120 specialist homes across the site, with around 25 apartments to be included in the refurbished Victorian lodges along Westbury Park. About 95 homes will be provided in collection of two storey cottages and four low-rise blocks ranging from 4-6 storeys, designed to sit sensitively within the extensive site. The apartment blocks will be positioned away from the site boundaries, with the single 6 storey block will be located at the centre of the site to ensure it is furthest away from existing properties.

What are your plans for Grace House and other existing buildings? +

The Grade-II listed Grace House will be preserved and enhanced, becoming a hub for the wider community, potentially with a publicly accessible café and activity rooms, as well as ‘wellness’ facilities, including a hydrotherapy pool and gym. The five Victoria lodges will be sensitively refurbished to create 26 specialist homes for seniors. Low carbon construction techniques and materials will be used across the sites, with the buildings made highly thermally efficient, while maintaining their original character.

How tall are the proposed buildings? +

Our proposals will address a real need for high quality specialist housing in Bristol for older people as well as providing new community facilities. We are proposing a collection of two storey cottages and four apartment blocks, ranging from 4-6 storeys. In response to feedback from residents we have removed the three-storey apartment building proposed for the eastern boundary of the site (neighbouring Bayswater Avenue), and have included a small number of two storey cottages along this boundary to respect the amenity of the existing properties.

The apartment blocks are being designed to sit sensitively within their context and are positioned away from the site boundaries so any impact on neighbours is limited. The single 6 -storey block is located at the centre of the site, furthest away from boundaries with existing properties.

Is this ‘over-development’? +

This is a complicated site within a conservation area, with architecturally significant buildings that must be retained as well as a number of much-valued mature trees. The scale and density has therefore been very carefully considered, striking an appropriate balance between optimising this important site for much-needed homes for seniors, thereby addressing a severe shortage in the local area and Bristol, while delivering sustainable designs that are environmentally friendly and sensitive to the local area.

Bristol City Council (BCC) planning policy stipulates a minimum density of development of 50 dwellings per hectare (dph) in the city in order to make sure land is used most efficiently. However, the City Council’s Urban Living supplementary planning guidance indicates that in ‘inner urban areas’, which the guidance indicates includes Westbury Park, a density of approximately 120 units per hectare is considered appropriate. With the St Christopher’s Square site measuring 5 acres (just over 2 hectares), the density of development proposed equates to roughly 60dph, far closer to the minimum density stipulated under BCC planning policy, and approximately half of what would be considered to be appropriate by BCC’s supplementary planning guidance.

Under planning policy, if the development was for open market residential rather than senior living the number of homes proposed would likely be increased significantly, requiring more or taller buildings, generating more car trips from the site and potentially being delivered without the additional facilities and services which can be used by the local community.

How much green space will there be? +

The designs for St Christopher’s Square include extensive rich landscaping with the areas around the building designed to enhance the site for the local community, those who will call the new development home and for the environment. Landscaping will include a range of planting and type of gardens, including allotments and support for community food growing, as well as sensory gardens, and space for leisure and relaxation and formal and informal play.

Bristol City Council has declared an ecological emergency and we are responding to this by creating space for nature with a commitment to a biodiversity net gain of 10%. The landscape will be managed in order to provide habitat and encourage wildlife, with measures including wildlife corridors and hedgehog highways. The measures we will take to deliver this will be outlined in our Ecology report, which will be submitted as part of our planning application.

Will trees be removed? +

We are committed to creating an environmentally-friendly development and share the local community’s concern that as many of the significant mature trees on the site are retained as possible. Where possible, buildings have been designed to sit amongst the existing trees – including those protected by Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs). The large sweet gum tree near the centre of the site will be retained as a focus for the new community. It is one of the best trees within the site and we know this tree is much loved, not least for its striking autumn colour, so we’re glad to be able to preserve it.

Elsewhere on the site we’re exploring removing some trees, however this will be done in line with Bristol City Council policy and will focus mainly on Category B and C trees. Suggestions that our proposals will see the loss of a significant proportion of the highest quality ‘Category A’ trees are incorrect.

Any trees that are removed will be replaced, ensuring that there will be a net increase in trees on the site, and a biodiversity net gain of 10%. For some of the existing trees, hard surfacing such as tarmac around their root system has had an impact on their health. We will improve the growing conditions for these trees by returning their environment to soft landscaping. The landscape will be managed in order to provide habitat and encourage wildlife, including wildlife corridors and hedgehog highways, along with a diverse range of planting.

Will you provide car parking? +

We understand that the issue of parking is incredibly important locally. The St Christopher’s site is in a highly accessible location, close to local shops and services in Westbury Park, whilst also benefitting from regular public transport services along Westbury Road which provide easy access into the city centre and other areas across Bristol.

Primary access to the site is proposed off Westbury Park, with a secondary access proposed off Bayswater Avenue. All servicing and deliveries will be made via the primary site access. We will also be proposing traffic calming initiatives and are exploring a crossing at Westbury Park.

It is vitally important to note that the secondary access proposed off of Bayswater Avenue will not serve the entire site. Access is required from Bayswater Avenue to service an existing substation and is currently proposed to serve between 4 and 6 parking spaces for residents living in the cottages in this part of the site.

We understand the sensitivity locally around traffic and access to parking. As such, we are proposing approximately 65 parking space for residents, staff and visitors, which is in excess of what would typically be delivered on an extra care development of this type and higher than Bristol City Council’s parking standards. Car ownership among residents of an integrated retirement community is significantly lower compared to open market housing, and residents often feel that they can relinquish car ownership given the level of services and facilities available on site.

As part of our Transport Plan, we will be implementing a range of solutions to ensure that residents and staff can access the site and nearby facilities without relying on their own car. These include:

• Access to an electric car club rental scheme for residents
• Electric shuttle buses which transport residents to health visits, shopping trips and other activities
• Shuttle services to transport staff to site
• Secure bike storage, as well as consideration of an electric bike hire scheme

Will the site be gated? +

We want to create a place the whole community can use and enjoy. The community is being designed to be part of the neighbourhood and will be open to the public, providing access for the local residents to the richly landscaped gardens as well as community facilities in the restored Grace House. Within the gardens their will also be space for allotments, supporting community food growing with local schools.

How have the plans evolved? +

The plans have been amended considerably in response to the comments, issues and concerns which have been raised during our consultation period so far which has included 1-2-1 meetings with immediate neighbours, walk around tours of the site, and workshop sessions with neighbours and stakeholders in September 2021. The plans have also evolved in response to feedback from council officers, Design West, community organisations, and other stakeholders. The main changes are a reduction in the number of new apartment blocks proposed and an increase in the number of cottages, with other changes focused on repositioning buildings further away from the site boundaries so any impact on neighbours is reduced. Specific changes include:

1. Removing a three-storey development from the boundary with properties along Bayswater Avenue, replacing this with a series of smaller, two-storey cottages, reducing impact on neighbours
2. Ensuring that the tallest element of the proposals is now located in the centre of the site, away from the site boundary and neighbouring properties, to reduce any impact on local residents
3. Reducing the footprint and reoriented the position of two buildings to ensure they are further away from neighbours on the Glen and Royal Albert Road
4. Joining two of the proposed buildings, allowing the single building created to be pulled away from the site boundary, creating a stronger buffer between this building and existing properties on the Glen – again to reduce any impact on neighbours

What are the next steps? +

The public consultation runs from 1 December 2021 to 19 January 2022, with public drop in sessions taking place on Wednesday 1 and Saturday 4 December. Following the public drop in sessions and closure of the consultation period, the project team will review feedback from the local community and key stakeholders and refine the proposals before submitting a planning application to the council in early 2022. Upon submission of the planning application, the proposals will be subject to statutory public consultation led by Bristol City Council where residents and interested parties will be able to view all technical documents and make comments on the submitted plans.

When would you start construction? +

Subject to planning permission the project team would start on site in early 2023, with construction expected to take two years. A construction management plan will be submitted with the planning application that sets out a series of carefully considered measures to reduce any impact of construction on the local neighbourhood.