BRISTOL City Council’s housing company Goram Homes aims to develop 40 homes at the former St Ursula’s School.
The developer’s business plan, approved by the council on March 7, is for more than 3,100 homes across the city over the next decade, half of them for social rent or shared ownership.
For St Ursula’s, it proposes 28 homes for sale, nine for social rent and three for affordable ownership.
The former Catholic girls’ school site in Henleaze, a Grade II listed building, is owned by the council.
Goram Homes’ website states: “Bristol City Council has passed this site to Goram Homes for development. No planning permission has been applied for or granted yet. The site has the potential for conversion into apartments.”
The sports hall at St Ursula’s has been rented out to Shine, an organisation that runs after-school and holiday clubs, for nine years.
Shaun Parker, who runs Shine with fellow director John Colley, said they had always known they would have to move one day but were disappointed that no one from Goram Homes had contacted them before the plan was made public.
“We provide childcare for hundreds of working families and have 120 staff across the region. St Ursula’s is our flagship site. Throughout this process, all we have asked is to be kept informed of developments and unfortunately this has not happened this time.”
A spokesperson for Goram Homes told the Voice: “There is the potential to develop the Grade II listed building at into apartments, but it is still very early days, and no plans are in place yet. We aim to carry out a range of technical surveys later this year, to better understand what might be possible. Once that’s complete, we’ll start engaging with the local community to make sure any plans can best serve the wider area.`
“We know one of the buildings on the site is currently leased by a sports club and is well used the local community.
“Therefore, we’ll work closely with Bristol City Council and Shine to help ensure an alternative space is found for them before any development starts.”