Job opportunities could exceed 350

The demand for workspace in the Easton and Lawrence Hill areas has been quantified in the Easton and Lawrence Hill Workspace Needs Assessment, a study undertaken by Bristol East Side Traders and UWE. This economic assessment of workspace requirements highlights the need for a net floor space of some 5700sq.m over the next three years to meet the demands of local business and of the community.

The Chocolate Factory is proposing some 6826 sq.m (73,475sq.ft) of commercial space and a further 355 sq.m (3820 sq.ft) of space for community use. Four times more commercial space than Persimmon Persimmon: 1600 sq.m Squarepeg:   6826 sq.m As a retail, leisure and business hub, the Chocolate Factory development has the potential to become a focal point for Greenbank and the cycle path users.

Active retail shops, mainly around the public square, will provide a service for both the local community and users of the cycle path, also contributing to the workspace needs of the area.

The genuine mix of residential and business accommodation will encourage both local and on-site residents to live and work locally whilst also providing upward of 350 new employment opportunities for the area. To put this in context, this would be four times the employment capacity of The Tobacco Factory. At the Persimmon appeal, The Planning Inspector stated that he would have liked to see at least 50,000 sq.ft of commercial space on the site. Squarepeg, who are providing significantly more than this, have been in consultation with BEST and other workspace providers to determine in some detail the type of space requirement for the locality.

Venue: The Pickle Factory,
All Hallows Road, Easton

Date: Friday 18th July

Time: 2pm - 7pm

Date: Saturday 19th July

Time: 10am - 2pm

More family homes to meet local needs

The team at AFM Architects have progressed the scheme’s design including more 3 and 4 bedroom family homes.

A total of 47 houses are now included on the site, an increase of 20 homes over the original plan. In addition, there are a number of larger 3-bedroom dwellings included in the original buildings, creating a better mix of accommodation on site.

In addition to private terraces, these larger dwellings will also benefit from shared outdoor space between buildings 4 and 5, creating an all year round open air area.

Coherent approach creates combined application

As the development has progressed, it has become clear that the development area could be significantly improved with the inclusion of two small pockets of undeveloped land immediately adjacent to the site. Both are more suitable for family housing than the existing factory development and also enable us to design more direct links to the cycle path opening through to the public square.

Negotiations to purchase both plots of land have been successful and the application now includes land on Greenbank Road, opposite the cemetery and a strip of land that runs along the cycle path.

Bikers Rule!

Resident, visitor and employee cyclists connected with the Chocolate Factory will benefit from secure undercovered parking and plenty of it.

The on-site layout also places a high priority on safety for pedestrians and cyclists as the new site layout, which will be revealed at the exhibition, will show.

The onsite layout includes convenient access from both the cycle path on the south side of the site and from Co-operation Road,to the North, whereas only 25% of cars will need access through this route for parking.