Plans approved for 140 new homes in Lockleaze, Bristol

Plans for 140 new homes in Lockleaze to be built by Vistry Group, the UK’s leading mixed-tenure developer, and council-owned housing company Goram Homes, have been approved.

The new development on Dovercourt Road will transform Dovercourt Depot, a disused Bristol City Council depot, into a thriving new neighbourhood just three miles north of the city centre.

There will be a mix of new homes consisting of apartment blocks up to four-storeys, including one and two-bedroom apartments, and two, three and four-bedroom houses. 

Half of the homes will be council-owned homes, including social rent and shared ownership, whilst the other half will be sold on the open market by leading retail brand Countryside Homes. 

The development will encourage a sustainable, energy efficient way of living, with the homes featuring solar panels and air source heat pumps, alongside electric car charging points. 

Additionally, a new public park will be created at the heart of the development, improving biodiversity on the site by over 10%.  

Traffic calming measures will also be delivered along Dovercourt Road, with these being co-designed with local residents in the area to address longstanding issues around speeding.

Outline planning consent was granted in October 2022 and the design team worked with the community on the detailed plans that have now been approved. 
Dovercourt Road is the next development that Goram Homes, Bristol City Council’s housing company, is bringing forward with Vistry, working under its Countryside Partnerships brand. 

The two partners are already building 268 homes nearby at One Lockleaze, as well as at other sites across Bristol including Hengrove Park, where outline planning permission has been granted for more than 1400 new homes. 

Christiana Makariou, development director of Goram Homes, said: “Securing detailed planning consent for Dovercourt Road means we can get on with building much needed affordable homes on this derelict site. We plan to create a thriving new neighbourhood here, with eco-focused homes and shared community spaces and play facilities that we hope can benefit existing residents too.”

Goram Homes was set up to transform council owned land into new homes, with the high levels of council housing and social rented homes needed to tackle the city’s housing challenges. 

Councillor Tom Renhard, cabinet member for housing delivery and homelessness said: “Goram Homes can build much higher levels of council and social rented homes than we see at other developments, and Dovercourt Road is no exception. Half of the homes here will be council-owned homes for social rent and shared ownership, transforming disused land into houses and apartments to tackle the housing crisis, and will add to the 12,534 new homes built in Bristol since 2016.” 

Marc Thompson, regeneration and growth director at Vistry Group said: “Working in partnership with Goram Homes, we’re transforming this redundant, brownfield site into a high-quality collection of new homes, including a significant number of affordable homes, and new public open spaces, which is exactly what true regeneration should be all about. 

“We’ve consulted and listened to the local community to make sure the development delivers for them, and, combined with our nearby development One Lockleaze, Dovercourt Road will provide significant socio-economic benefits for the Lockleaze community.”

Construction is set to start in the next few months.