Lawrence Hill – Homes, Heart, and High Street

Client: Local Stakeholders Coalition (Lawrence Hill Steering Group & Fund their Future) 

The Challenge: Overcrowding and a Failing High Street

Lawrence Hill, one of Bristol's most deprived inner-city wards, faces severe overcrowding and acute resident dissatisfaction (ranking 31st out of 34 wards). The high street (Church Road) is dominated by traffic and bordered by underutilized industrial land (8-9 hectares), stifling community life and failing to leverage its excellent transport links, including the Bristol-Bath Railway Path.

The Vision: A Thriving, Community-Centred Urban Hub

The "Homes Heart High St" project establishes a clear vision for transforming the area into a thriving, resilient "15-minute neighbourhood." The core objective is to build nearly 2,000 new, mid-rise homes, with a critical target of 50% affordable and social housing prioritized for local residents. This development will be paired with revitalizing the high street, creating a central public plaza (at Berkeley Court), and establishing a new linear park from currently inaccessible green space to enhance walkability.

Strategic Approach and Delivery Innovation

The delivery strategy, informed by TownCentred’s experience in community-led projects like Glencoyne Square, gained 96% resident support by prioritizing community needs and incorporating solutions like the 'living above the shop' model.

To ensure financial viability while meeting the high affordable housing target, the approach hinges on two "game changers." First, utilizing the site's low infrastructure costs due to its inner-city location. Second, leveraging new UK government Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) reforms to acquire industrial land at Existing Use Value rather than speculative "Hope Value." This mechanism is crucial for viability, potentially saving the acquiring authority £2–4 million per hectare.

Given the projected low-profit margin, the project is strongly advocated as a public sector-led initiative. This would involve Bristol's own development company, Goram Homes, or the creation of a dedicated Locally-led Urban Development Corporation (like Stockport MDC) to streamline delivery and guarantee the community vision.

Expected Outcomes

The successful delivery of the Lawrence Hill vision is projected to yield transformative and long-lasting benefits. The new, mid-rise housing will directly address overcrowding and housing inequality, supporting a more diverse population and creating a modern employment hub. A shift to a "15-minute city" model promotes public health through active travel (walking and cycling) and improved public spaces that reduce social isolation, a problem the report noted has the health impact of "smoking 15 cigarettes a day." Finally, sustainable planning will result in a substantial reduction in local carbon emissions. This comprehensive strategy transforms one of Bristol's most neglected areas into a resilient, inclusive urban centre.