Work on a new 327-home development site on the borders of Bradley Stoke and Stoke Gifford is now expected to start this summer following a £38 million land deal between two major housebuilding firms.

The site, which is being marketed under the name ‘Mulgrove Farm Village’, lies south of the Winterbourne Road (i.e. on the opposite side to the Winter Stream Farm pub restaurant) and north of the main railway line.

It forms part of the planned East of Harry Stoke New Neighbourhood where a total of 2,000 homes are to be built over the next eight or more years.

Given that the land consists of a domed-shaped hill, extensive earthworks are required to create a level plateau to enable development. These earthworks comprise levelling the site at its highest point and infilling areas on the lower slopes, with no plans to take material off site. This will involve the excavation and relocation of 250,000 cubic metres of material.

The south-eastern part of the site, around the now demolished Mulgrove Farm, is in the ownership of South Gloucestershire Council (SGC). The remainder was previously in the ownership of housebuilder Crest Nicholson but has now been acquired by Wainhomes Severn Valley.

In November 2018, Crest Nicholson secured full permission for a site-wide earthworks strategy and the construction of 150 homes on its part of the site. Outline permission was also granted for 177 homes on the council-owned land, along with a primary school and nursery.

Access to the new development will be from a new arm off Parkway North Roundabout in the west, and via a new junction on Old Gloucester Road, 90m south of its junction with Winterbourne Road in the east.

During the first phase of the project, Wainhomes Severn Valley will build 150 properties – 116 for private sale and through a registered housing provider, a further nine for shared ownership and 25 for affordable rent.

Site preparation will begin in the summer and building will commence following completion of a 12-month earthworks programme. The first homes are expected to be completed early in 2022.

More: Agreement in place to deliver the main infrastructure »

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The developer of a proposed new £100m office complex earmarked for a site at the rear of Parkway Station has successfully re-applied for outline planning permission.

The original planning consent for the development, which could provide space for up to 2,000 workers, was granted in 2016, but it expired in June this year.

The new application, submitted by developer Ashfield Land, was for the same scheme as previously approved, however, it was necessary to assess it against new planning policies that South Gloucestershire has adopted in the intervening years.

The existing buildings on the Hunts Ground Road site, opposite the Parkway Park & Ride facility, were demolished in 2017.

The proposed 18,500sqm development, named ‘The Approach’ in marketing literature, is being targeted at corporate occupiers seeking a high-quality, sustainable, well-located and well-connected HQ building.

The site has excellent connectivity because of its proximity to Parkway Station, as well as the recently opened Stoke Gifford By-Pass. From 2022, it will be also be served by the Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension, currently expected to be running from 2022.

The plans include a two-storey decked car park with 525 car parking spaces, of which 21 are for disabled use. There would also be 250 cycle parking spaces as well as 20 shower cubicles on site.

The outline planning consent defines the scale and position of the building and access to the site from Hunts Ground Road. Once an agreement has been reached with a suitable occupier, the developer will submit a ‘reserved matters’ application. This will address specific details of the final scheme, including landscaping and the appearance of the building.

More: "… the best-connected consented office scheme in the SW today" »

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Anyone who has driven along the A4174 Ring Road between Abbey Wood and Hambrook recently can’t failed to have noticed the plethora of housing developer signs that have sprung up along the northern edge of the road, with Crest Nicholson and Linden Homes telling us that some new development is ‘Coming soon’ and urging us to ‘Register now’.

Journal readers will be aware from previous articles that 2,000 new homes are to be built on either side of the Stoke Gifford By-Pass, which links Parkway North with the Ring Road. This development is known as the ‘East of Harry Stoke (EoHS) New Neighbourhood’, where the houses are currently planned to be completed between 2020 and 2026, subject to further planning approvals and S106 agreements.

This is in addition to the 1,200 new homes earmarked over a decade ago for an adjoining area further to the west known as ‘Land at Harry Stoke’ (LaHS). Here, just 166 units of the approved housing quota have so far been delivered – at Crest Nicholson’s Highbrook Park development.

Little has happened on the ground for the last couple of years, but that all changed in July when excavators began work in earnest on land between Westfield Way and Highbrook Park. The Journal understands that this activity is associated with the construction of a new access road that the developers are contractually obliged to provide before the 200th home can be occupied on the LaHS site, suggesting that house building might be about to resume.

Above: Construction activity at a site off Westfield Lane.

More: Pressure on council to progress 763-home planning application »

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Provisional plans for a new Aldi, Premier Inn, Costa and gym (The Gym Group) in Stoke Gifford are being consulted on ahead of a possible planning application being made in the coming weeks.

Aviva Investors, which owns the vacant site next to Sainsbury’s and between Fox Den Road and Great Stoke Way, says it has been working on the plans for the last four years.

The proposals were made public in early August when residents living near the development site were sent a letter and site plan (see facing page) with an invitation to provide feedback in an informal consultation.

Helen Rainsford, senior real estate director at Aviva Investors, said:

“We are delighted to progress these proposals, which will help serve the growing community, existing employment and passing trade from Parkway.”

“We did explore a number of different options, including residential and student, employment and retail. The initial feedback has been really positive, especially for the Aldi. With parking being an issue in the area, we have been mindful not to exacerbate the situation and make the site accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.”

Aviva Investors says it would welcome further feedback on the proposals, which can be sent to consultationevents.southwest@eu.jll.com or by calling their agents JLL on 0117 927 6691.

There are also plans, still subject to confirmation, to give a presentation to Stoke Gifford Parish Council at a scheduled meeting of its Planning and Transportation Committee on Tuesday 24th September. The meeting takes place at Little Stoke Community Hall, Little Stoke Park, starting at 7pm.

Subject to feedback, a planning application could be submitted “in the next month” and Aviva Investors says it hopes the new facilities will be open by early 2021 (subject to receiving planning consent).

Image: Aerial view looking south, with the Premier Inn and gym in the foreground. The rear of the existing Sainsbury’s store can be seen in the far background.

More: Site plan of the proposed development »

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