Green light for tallest building in Bristol

Plans for the tallest building in Bristol have been given the green light by the city council. 

A 20-storey Premier Inn built in the 1970s will be demolished and replaced by two new buildings, one of 18 storeys and another of 28. 

The former will provide 132 co-living homes, 20% of which will be designated affordable, while the latter will consist of 442 purpose-built student accommodation beds. 

Designed by architects Hodder and Partners, the scheme, known as St James Square, will also involve extensive landscaping, which will create a pedestrian route connecting Bristol bus and coach station with nearby Broadmead. 

Two-thirds of the site's 20,500 sq ft ground floor will be available to the public as open space. 

Oliver d'Erlanger, senior development manager at developer Olympian Homes, said: "The hotel building has come to the end of its life. 

"There is a real opportunity to transform the site into a place with attractive and safe public spaces that much better connect Broadmead, Bristol Bus Station, the Bear Pit and St James' Park, and open up views to the listed St James' Priory. That's exactly what we propose to do." 

Olympian said it is now looking for a contractor and a funding partner for the scheme. 

Source; Building