St Mary's Hospital gains consent for student accommodation
Bristol City Council’s Development Control Committee have unanimously approved a scheme brought forward by Empiric, a major provider of student accommodation throughout the UK. St Mary’s Hospital has been vacant for approximately 6 years since Nuffield Health relocated to their new hospital in Clifton. The site has a chequered planning history, with a number of residential and student accommodation proposals being refused or having been dismissed at appeal. Empiric and their design team took a fresh approach to the redevelopment of this site based around the retention of the main original hospital building, which is recognised as a heritage asset. Various modern day accretions to the main building are to be demolished and a number of new build elements are to be constructed within the grounds; including an extension to the original hospital building, a new pavilion block and 8 townhouses along Upper Byron Place. The scheme will deliver 153 bed spaces of student accommodation along with communal facilities such as a gymnasium and cinema room. The site is in a highly sustainable location and in easy reach of the University precinct. The scheme gained support from both Officers and members and has been granted subject to the signing of the unilateral undertaking.
