City of Bristol College Advanced Construction Skills Centre
CSJ Planning has secured full planning permission for a new Advanced Construction Skills Centre for City of Bristol College, which will be located alongside its existing South Bristol Skills Academy building at Hengrove Park. The development will accommodate new facilities for teaching construction trades including plastering, brickwork, carpentry and joinery, painting and decorating, civil engineering and motor vehicle workshops. Construction wet trades and wood occupations are currently located at the College’s Ashley Down Campus and the new building will provide a purpose built construction centre, creating a dedicated complex for training within the construction industry. It will expand the educational capacity of the region and deliver higher apprenticeships and multi-skilled construction training.
This proposal comes forward at a time when a significant amount of investment and redevelopment is set to take place in South Bristol. The development site sits within the wider Hengrove Park regeneration area, which is the largest regeneration site in Bristol. A scheme to develop the area for circa 1,450 new homes, a high-quality park, office space, shops and community uses is currently being promoted by Bristol City Council with a revised outline planning application submitted in May 2019. Due to the advanced stage of design and having obtained funding from the Department for Education, City of Bristol College chose to progress with its own full planning application for the site. However, the approved development conforms to the Council’s aspirations for the area in providing first class educational facilities and contributing to the regeneration of the area.
The building’s ‘folded’ roof is the centrepiece of the development, delivering a distinctive piece of architecture that will make a significant cultural contribution to the area. It’s aim is to create a sense of place in a previously vacant plot and will aid in the artistic and characterful uplift of the College’s campus and the surrounding area.
Construction is due to commence later this year with completion anticipated in Spring 2021.
