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The East Street Vision was developed to create a long-term public realm and regeneration framework for one of Bristol’s most important high streets at a time of major housing growth and changing town centre dynamics. The project brought together businesses, residents, developers and public-sector partners around a shared vision focused on improving the public realm, supporting independent businesses, increasing footfall and preparing the area for significant urban densification and mixed-use regeneration. 

ast Street sits at the heart of the wider Bedminster and South Bristol regeneration area where substantial residential growth and investment pressure were already emerging. The challenge was to ensure that the high street and public realm evolved alongside this growth rather than becoming increasingly fragmented and vehicle-dominated.

TownCentred helped establish and coordinate a developer alliance involving major landowners, developers and public-sector partners to fund and support the creation of a shared regeneration and public realm framework. This collaborative approach helped align investment interests around long-term place outcomes rather than isolated development schemes.

A multi-disciplinary consultant team including urban designers, transport specialists and public realm professionals was procured to develop the vision and masterplan. Extensive stakeholder engagement was undertaken with businesses, community organisations and local residents to ensure the strategy reflected both commercial realities and local aspirations.

The project explored how improved public realm, movement, greening, meanwhile uses and stronger pedestrian experience could help strengthen East Street’s role as a mixed-use urban centre increasingly shaped by higher-density living, independent business activity and changing consumer behaviour.

Key Outcomes

• Procurement of an award-shortlisted public realm vision and masterplan

• Creation of a developer alliance involving public and private-sector stakeholders

• Shared investment and design framework for the East Street corridor

• Improved alignment between housing growth, movement and public realm strategy

• Stronger planning and regeneration coordination across multiple development sites

• Increased focus on walkability, public space and independent business vitality

• Support for long-term mixed-use regeneration and town centre resilience

Learn more about East Street’s revitalisation masterplan project here. 

Full Case Study

Issue/challenge

Almost complete loss of high street purpose as a comparison shopping centre (departure in the past of M&S/Debenhams etc and more recently Argos, Peacocks etc) and lack of a local (shopping) catchment area made a viable future very challenging.

Strategy

Seek major land use change and residential development of adjacent obsolete industrial and warehouse buildings to create a new immediate (1-2 minute walk) local catchment area and fresh economic demand for a redefined high street that will play a greater role as a substantial local centre as opposed to a traditional comparison centre.

Process

Bedminster was one of the first 12 ‘Portas Pilots’ in 2012 and immediately converted into a Business Improvement District (BID) which is now in its tenth year. As the BID grew in confidence it lobbied for a more positive planning environment including encouraging its 350 business members to speak at planning committee meetings. This combined with the council’s Urban Living SPD which supported medium to higher rise redevelopment significantly changed the prospects for a viable future.

Structure

The BID operates as a limited company with a board elected from its 350 paying ‘members’ with a small p/t executive that provides a focal point and representative voice in lobbying and planning matters with the local planning authority and other public agencies. The BID put forward BID board directors and other local businesses to represent the positive planning perspective of local businesses in relation to key planning applications.

Also as a more coherent approach emerged from local landowners, an informal partnership with the BID led to the formation of a steering group and funding (with BCC via LOHS funding pot) of a Vision and Public Realm Masterplan for East Street.

Resource

Further funding from BCC/CA has been secured to test elements of the Vision. This funding is complemented by funding from the BID who manage key elements on behalf of the local authority.  

Communications

Creation of the East Street Vision entailed the creation of a steering group between BID, city council and developers. Subsequently as the project has moved into implementation a closer working relationship between BID and council is facilitating the advancement of transport and public realm initiatives.

Impact

As most of the developments are either on site or through recent planning approvals the impact on the street in terms of footfall is yet to be felt. However the knowledge that the immediate local catchment area will increase by nearly 4,000 residents (and students) provides comfort that the short/medium term future of East Street will improve. Shortlisting of the Vision by several national placemaking awards provides further confidence. (National Landscape Institute; The Developer ‘Pineapple’ Awards).