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Reflections from the Housing Festival: Driving progress through constructive dialogue

Our Bristol team has been reflecting on the enlightening discussions that took place at our workshop event with the Housing Festival earlier this year.

With the upcoming Bristol Local Plan consultation due this autumn, we’re looking back at how our workshop with the Housing Festival highlighted the pivotal role of planning in shaping Bristol's future. The curated workshop offered an in-depth examination of the current working practices within the city’s planning and developmental processes.

Welcoming local experts from across the Bristol community, we explored pressing challenges and considered potential solutions relating to the planning and creation of new homes in Bristol, whilst meeting local commitments on achieving net zero and delivering a biodiversity net gain.

Throughout our workshop, participants focused on three areas: selecting good places to build, pre-application and assessment, and the planning application phase. Our Bristol team, involved at the workshops, have provided the below insight into each area, alongside a detailed infographic, showcasing an overview of these discussions.

What follows below is a summary of the conversations that took place. Each group’s interaction was broad and wide ranging, laying the groundwork for future dialogues. Whilst these conversations open the door to further questions that need answering, they act as a catalyst for key discussions that will evolve in the coming months. 

Download our infographic to discover the actionable insights of our reflections from the Housing Festival:

Selecting good places to build

Transport emerged as a significant focus of the discussion. There was consensus about the need to be stronger on ensuring that there is a good transport structure in place, particularly achieving higher percentage of active and public transport options. The subject of car parking was identified as a major point of contention amongst existing residents in areas of development. The group consensus highlighted that the good/bad dichotomy relating to cars in current development perspectives was overly simplistic and some people require cars. Car clubs and shared mobility solutions as standard in new developments could offer a way forward for areas not ideally served by traditional public transport.

The locations chosen for new developments should be able to provide biodiversity net gain. There was also acknowledgment that in a city like Bristol, to meet the increasing demand for homes, there's a need to either build higher or expand outward. The sentiment of resisting both options leads to a developmental stalemate.

When discussing the prioritisation of ecological issues, net zero and the needs for homes, it was emphasised that, given the urgency of housing needs, this would likely take precedence in planning considerations. This was framed as a cautionary note, underscoring the importance of strategically identifying optimal locations for new developments now.

Pre-application and assessment

The pre-application and assessment stage is crucial for getting developer expectations and policy guidelines on the same page. To improve the process, the workshop suggested drawing on consultancy expertise to complement the work of local authorities and also highlighted the need for clearer technical assessments from the council. One of the key areas of discussion was the lack of access to council officers and how improving that can lead to much better outcomes for the stages that follow. 

Early collaboration was identified as key for addressing the unique challenges of land ownership in Bristol, as well as for speeding up later decision-making. The concept of Bristol's 15-minute city was raised as a theoretical model for setting early-stage collaboration. There was also a call for more detailed assessments concerning ecology and air quality to improve overall project outcomes.

To make development processes smoother and more inclusive, the discussion underscored the importance of early involvement in both design and ecology. Participants advocated for simplified mechanisms to streamline delivery after the application stage and emphasised the need to consider the broader impact of planning decisions, such as how they affect housing availability for families.

Planning application

One of the recurrent themes was the unpredictability of committee decisions. Even when proposals progress positively through pre-application phases and are considered acceptable based on planning balance, the risk of refusal remains if there is residual community resistance and councillors are placed in a position to determine the application. Participants also noted that planning conditions should be precise, enforceable and reasonable to avoid unnecessary delays in development. To mitigate emotionally driven dialogues, the workshop participants felt councillors should have access to broader training to support the wider needs of Bristol and how individual proposals can benefit the city as a whole, necessitating difficult but informed decisions.

A drive to demystify sustainability accreditations - NABERS, BREEAM, LEED, among others - also took centre stage. Rather than resisting these standards under the assumption of high achievement costs, developers should seek to increase familiarisation with the requirements. Many may find that they are already achieving these or could do so with minor adjustments. Our Sustainability and ESG team can assist to provide clarification and guidance on these accreditations.

Another key point was the red tape surrounding uplifts in affordable housing. Registered Social Landlords possess access to funding to exceed policy-compliant affordable housing quotas, however, in practice difficulties are experienced with the provision often becoming fixed at the outline stage. Workshop participants advocated for introducing greater flexibility into legal agreements and outline planning permissions, enabling uplifts when additional funding becomes available.

A path forward

From the collaborative workshop discussion, several themes emerged: the need for genuine and early community engagement, the nuanced challenges and opportunities of integrating ecology, the balance between technicality and practicality, plus the call for innovation in policy and implementation. By reflecting upon these insights, including at the upcoming Bristol Local Plan consultation, Bristol is better equipped to chart a development path that resonates with its residents and balances environmental, economic and community considerations.

Continue the conversation to discuss how we can work together to help shape Bristol’s future by contacting our Bristol team.