Christmas arrives at The Park Centre in Knowle

Date: 19 December 2024 

Team ABC donned their festive-wear last week to volunteer at the Pensioners Christmas Lunch at The Park Centre in Knowle for the second year.

The annual event, for over 70 local pensioners from the local community, provides a free fantastic three course Christmas dinner with all the trimmings along with entertainment and a visit from Santa. Everyone gets involved, from the kitchen staff cooking the turkey, to staff, volunteers and trustees mucking in to serve food and drink and generally be Christmas helpers.

This year, the pensioners were also joined by Lord Mayor Councillor Andrew Varney, his consort Robbie Vogelaar and BBC Bristol's Joe Sims to add some extra festive cheer.

Avril Baker, who is a trustee at The Park said: "It is such a lovely Christmassy event with everyone working together to make it a special event for many local pensioners. The team at The Park have done a wonderful job; it really shows the role The Park plays in the community, bringing people together.

"We were delighted to help at the lunch again and will, this year, also be making a festive donation to The Park in lieu of sending Christmas cards."

Plans for an ambitious state of the art ‘music hub’ approved by Bristol City Council

Date: 6 November 2024 

Proposals for a unique all encompassing ‘music hub’, featuring a piano showroom and music shop as well as performance and event space, practice and tuition rooms and recording studios, for specialist music retailer Mickleburgh, have been given the go ahead.

To enable the development of the music store Mickleburgh is working in partnership with residential property developer Colico Living, who will bring forward new purpose-built student accommodation on the upper floors of the building.

The proposals will enable the family-owned retailer to expand and diversify its music business, thereby securing its future on its existing site in Stokes Croft. Mickleburgh also intends to create and run a new live music venue in the basement, offering a range of intimate gigs and performances adding to the rich nightlife of Stokes Croft.

Michael Barnfield, owner of Mickleburgh said: “Stokes Croft is a vibrant cultural quarter; we love being a part of it and wanted to find a solution that will both enable us to stay in central Bristol and also provide much welcomed expanded state of the art space for live music performance.

“Our building is no longer fit for modern day retailing, the maze of corridors and rooms is not ideal for the shopper or us!  We know we must adapt to survive in the high street. We want to keep our core business of retailing musical instruments, but by providing a small live event space and music hub, our customers will meet other musicians, form bands, orchestras, quartets, choirs etc.  

“Without the partnership with CoLico Living, we would not be able to invest in diversifying the business, and it is this which will enable us to survive for many more years to come.” 

ABC supported Mickleburgh and Colico with engagement and public consultation back in November 2022 before the planning application was submitted to the council. This  included a key stakeholder presentation and tour of the existing Mickleburgh shop and a drop in exhibition for local neighbours and businesses to see the plans and talk to the team, alongside a project website. A feature was also secured on ITV West.

Avril Baker said: “This project struck a real chord with us; Mickleburgh is a long established and well-loved family business, needing to make a change to remain for the next generations. By collaborating with Colico, Mickleburgh has the opportunity to change its direction to meet the needs of customers, old and new. This was understood and generally supported during the consultation.”

Jon Stewart from Colico said: “After 3 years of hard work from many people we are delighted to have finally received planning consent for the redevelopment of No.1 Stokes Croft in Bristol, home to the iconic Mickleburgh Musical Instruments. Colico and Mickleburgh have worked collaboratively to enable this project to progress.

“Mickleburgh have owned this site since 1903 and are in desperate need of new reimagined space to continue and expand their presence in Stokes Croft for future Bristolian generations to enjoy.”

Year 10 students join ABC for one week 

Date: 12 July 2024 

Last week ABC had fun hosting two year 10 students on work experience.  Faith from Merchants Academy and Henry from Bedminster Down School were interested in finding out more about marketing and communications.

Avril Baker said: “We devised an ambitious work programme using some of our previous and current development projects to illustrate how communications can support engagement and consultation during the pre planning process.”

During the week the students got the opportunity to visit some of ABC’s current project sites and complete tasks such as creating a mini website, a poster and social media posts and writing a press release. They also had the opportunity to see how feedback is collected and analysed and then summarised in a report of community involvement.

Avril continued: “We related this activity to a variety of our projects ranging from the Park Centre Trust in Knowle to the current masterplanning of Western Harbour.  We really appreciated their thoughts about how to interest and engage with young people during consultations which is always a challenge.”

When asked to summarise her week at ABC, Faith said: “I came to ABC for work experience, wanting to find out more about marketing and communications. Throughout the week, Avril and her team have helped me learn new things and improve my skills in communication, technology and using initiative. We’ve had a few site visits, including at Waverley House, a student accommodation redevelopment project in the city centre. We also had the chance to make our own website about Freestone Island, another student accommodation project near Temple Meads station, plus learning how to use Survey Monkey and Canva, which we used to make graphics about some of the projects we have worked on.

“One fun thing we did was visit the animal centre at The Park in Knowle, where we got to pet a guinea pig and a Madagascan hedgehog that’s not a hedgehog (tenrec). Overall, I think the funniest part of the week was when we went to the harbourside to look at different venues for consultation. We parked at Wapping Wharf and walked across the waterfront to Underfall Yard in the rain, only to find out that it was closed for filming!”

Henry said: “As a part of my school’s work experience, I spent a week at Avril Baker Consultancy, where I learned about consultation and how important community involvement is for planning and development projects. We had trips to sites ABC had worked on, or is currently working on, and had experience with many different means to reaching out to the public for their say in projects.

“We also had our hand at a variety of different online programmes. We used Canva to create mock posters/flyers that showed us how to entice people through colour and interesting text.   We used Google Sites to experience creating a website, which taught us how to lay out information to encourage people to look through a site. Finally, we used Survey Monkey to create a mock survey inspired by ones the public has access to. I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and felt fulfilled at the end of the week.”

Proposals submitted for a new Tiny House Community in Bristol

Date: 20 June 2024 

Tiny House Community Bristol (THCB), a registered Community Benefit Society, recently submitted a planning application to Bristol City Council for a vacant training centre site in Sea Mills. 

The aim is to transform the site and create a sustainable, co-housing community featuring 13 affordable ‘tiny house’ dwellings organised around a communal courtyard garden. The innovative proposals include a common house with a shared library, a communal roundhouse, a shared workshop, a community greenhouse, and one unit of guest accommodation.

The vacant training facility, located off The Crescent in Sea Mills on council-owned land, has been closed for several years, but guardians have occupied and maintained the site, cultivating various areas with raised beds and pots. The design proposals incorporate growing spaces, new landscaping, tree planting and dedicated wildlife areas.

Rachel Butler, founder and director of THCB, said, “We are dedicated to tackling Bristol’s housing, climate and ecological crises through community-led Tiny House settlements, putting nature and community at the heart of everything we do”.

Sustainability is a core principle of THCB’s approach, so it will be a car-free development with residents being encouraged to share electric bikes, take public transport or use a car-share scheme. There will of course be access and turning space for disabled users, deliveries, emergency vehicles and refuse services.

Avril Baker Consultancy shared knowledge and expertise to support THCB’s early engagement on the proposals with community stakeholders, neighbours and the wider public. This involved introducing the concept of Tiny House’s approach to innovative community housing and inviting feedback on their early designs. Activities included a drop-in public event, dedicated project website and feedback survey.

New ferry service between Saltash and Plymouth following successful trial

Date: 23 May 2023

Plymouth Boat Trips has announced that, following a successful trial ferry service and public survey run in partnership with Saltash Town Council on Saturday 30th March, a new daily water transport link between Plymouth’s Royal William Yard and Saltash will be introduced from Friday 24th May.

The 70-capacity foot ferry will depart every 1.5 hours from Royal William Yard Marina, stopping at Jubilee Pontoon, which is managed by Saltash Town Council under a Tenancy at Will with Cornwall Council. Potential plans are also in place for a connecting bus service, dependant on numbers, that will provide transport directly into Saltash town centre.

Owner of Plymouth Boat Trips, Ben Squire, said: ‘We’re thrilled to be working with Saltash Town Council to deliver this important new service for commuters and tourists alike. It has long been our aim to grow our network of ferry routes across Plymouth and Cornwall and this is another very positive step on that journey.”

The Royal William Yard to Saltash Ferry service begins as Plymouth Boat Trips simultaneously launches its advanced online booking system, covering all services including cruises, ferries, and fishing trips. Ferry tickets can now be booked online, up to and including the day of travel, via the Plymouth Boat Trips website.

Ben added: “Water transport is not only an enjoyable way to travel, but is also a more sustainable choice, meaning less traffic and congestion on our roads and with our recently introduced online booking system, it’s even easier to take the ferry.”

It is hoped that the new water link will help to drive footfall between Plymouth’s iconic Royal William Yard as well as Saltash, to help boost the local economy at both destinations.

The Chairman of Saltash Town Council, Councillor Julia Peggs said: “I am delighted that following the survey results from the transport connectivity day the new ferry will be in operation. The Town Council is pleased to be working in partnership with Plymouth Boat Trips to offer an additional form of transport to residents and visitors, and our aim is to further grow transport links into the town centre.”

Councillor Peggs thanked Cornwall Council, Urban Splash and Plymouth City Council for their support in the new venture and went on to say: “Saltash provides a perfect escape for those looking to experience the serene charm of Cornish life.”

Richard Williams-Pears, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport, said: “We’re committed to putting the infrastructure in place to help residents make more sustainable choices about how they travel and to support councils such as Saltash in their work. Reducing the number of journeys made by car isn’t just good for our environment – it’s good for our health too.

“Earlier this year we introduced the Beryl e-bike share in Saltash and the great news is that with Beryl docking bays close to Jubilee Pontoon and Royal William Yard in Plymouth, passengers can hire them for their onward journeys.”

Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Transport at Plymouth City Council, added: “It is great news to hear about the new ferry service. This will help provide an extra travel link between Saltash and Plymouth for those who would like to visit for shopping and family days out.”

The full timetable is available on both Plymouth Boat Trips website and Saltash Town Council website.

Free transport for one day only in Saltash

Date: 25 April 2025

Ferries, a land train, tuk tuk and a minibus provided free trips for local people in Saltash and Plymouth on 30th March, as part of a consultation into making Saltash Waterside better connected and attract more visitors.

With nearly 400 people at the exhibition and over 2,500 passengers using the transport on offer, the day was a big success with many positive comments from local residents in person, on social media and through the feedback survey, which was provided online and at key locations.

Residents and visitors were asked what transport options they would like to see and use in the future to help make Saltash Waterside better connected to Plymouth and the surrounding area and to the town centre itself, which is located up a steep hill from the Waterside.

Avril Baker, Avril Baker Consultancy said: “It was great to see so the Waterside so busy; there were queues for the ferry to Royal William Yard in Plymouth before the event even started. Talking to people at the exhibition, there was clear demand for better transport connections as well as more amenities and facilities at the Waterside and this was reflected in the feedback surveys too.”

A project website and regular use of social media also encouraged people unable to attend the events to get involved and give their views.

Sinead Burrows, Saltash Town Council said: “It was great to see so many people engage and enjoy the day; we received lots of positive feedback. The next step will be to see how we might be able to seek funding to bring forward some of the options in the not-to-distant future.”

Saltash Town Council secured funding for a feasibility study for this project through Cornwall Council, from the Government’s Community Levelling up Programme and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. 

Find out more at the project website.

Planning green light for UNITE's Freestone Island scheme

Date: 15 April 2024

We are delighted that UNITE Students has been granted planning consent for its 500-bed student accommodation development at Freestone Island in Bristol Temple Quarter.

ABC worked closely with UNITE and their design and planning team to bring this project forward, leading on engagement and consultation with the community and wider stakeholders.  Following public consultation and engagement with a range of stakeholders, a range of changes were made to the design including a reduction in massing and the number of student beds, enhancements to the east-west permeable route through the site and increased public realm.

The Freestone Island scheme, in Bristol Temple Quarter, which has total development costs of £73m , is set to open for the 2026/27 academic year. It will be close to Unite’s  600-bed Marsh Mills site, on Feeder Road, and the University of Bristol’s Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, where up to 4,600 students will be based on completion.   

The new development will also provide new high quality public realm and 4,500 sq ft of affordable workspace.

Tom Brewerton, group development director at Unite Students, said: "Our Freestone Island project provides Unite Students with the opportunity to grow further in the city by providing high quality, value for money rooms for our students and university partners. We look forward to starting the construction phase as swiftly as possible and delivering the scheme in time for the 2026/27 academic year."

New homes for Tatworth after successful appeal

Date: 25 March 2024

Crossman Group has won its appeal for outline planning permission for up to 95 dwellings on land off Perry Street in Tatworth, South Somerset.

The proposed development will include bungalows, aimed directly at older people, affordable homes for younger people trying to get on the property ladder, and also self-build plots.

The housing will be a mix of sizes and tenures with 35% affordable housing comprising affordable rent, shared ownership and starter homes.

The successful appeal follows a long road to planning with early engagement and wider public consultation being facilitated by Avril Baker Consultancy back in August/September 2021.

Avril Baker, Avril Baker Consultancy said: “We are pleased to see this scheme finally get the go ahead. While there were mixed views on new housing in this location, this will help support more people to get onto the housing ladder in South Somerset.

“We consulted the local parish council and local residents on this scheme and publicised the proposals through both local media and social media resulting in over 200 survey responses.

“Following consultation, the proposals were revised in response to feedback from key stakeholders and the local community.”

Matthew Halstead, Director, Crossman Acquisitions aid: “We are delighted our appeal has been approved, it has been a long planning journey but we got there in the end.”

Crossman Group will also make a contribution to education, NHS, youth facilities, travel plan and open spaces in the local area, as part of its section 106 commitments.

Final phases of Wapping Wharf in for planning

Date: 11 October 2023

Bristol City Council recently registered the hybrid planning application for the final phases of the regeneration of Wapping Wharf on its website.

The documents which form the application are now available to view and comment on Bristol City Council’s planning portal  (application reference 23/02946/P).

ABC has worked with owners Umberslade and their project team through the pre-application period. The proposals have been significantly revised following two years of consultation with Wapping Wharf traders, local residents, stakeholders, advisory bodies and the wider public.

Stuart Hatton, managing director of Umberslade said: “Our ambition is to build on what we’ve created so far but make it even better. We believe we have created something fresh and exciting that will enhance our community here and draw people to the area, with more green public spaces for them to enjoy.

“We have listened very carefully to the feedback from all parties and worked hard to ensure we have responded and made changes where possible, whilst maintaining the overall integrity of the design and our vision for these final phases of Wapping Wharf.”

If approved, the proposals will secure the future of the CARGO independent businesses and provide much-needed sustainable new homes, shops, restaurants, takeaways and workspaces, together with generous landscaped public spaces, and more natural habitat for wildlife to improve biodiversity.

For more information see https://www.wappingwharfnorth.co.uk/