Press release for the Jacob Street – Hawkins Street development
We are working at the detail of the Hawkins Street planning proposal. Last week the Evening Post asked us for comments that were prepared by our Chairman Paul Bradburn. 20th January 2012
“The Hawkins Street site is a hugely important development for Old Market therefore the Old Market Community Association is keen to see that any application is of high quality and has the potential to be a great asset for both the developer and the community alike.
Upon first appraisal the submitted drawings go a long way towards delivering that goal and we applaud the architect for reusing many of the existing buildings that are an important historical reference to the industrial past of the area. The scheme shows a good reference to the architectural diversity that exists in Old Market with a mix of styles, materials and elevations.
We believe that what looks like being a good scheme at the moment, could with a few design changes, be a top level design that would raise the bar for other developers to aspire to.
Old Market is in desperate need of more family orientated living spaces. We would like to see more provision for 3 and 4 bedroom dwellings within the proposal and a better mix of affordable housing provision.
We also think that, considering how many people will be living here, there is not enough access to an open green communal space. The developers also own the Post and Press building which has a tract of under-used garden space next to Hawkins Street. This would present an ideal opportunity to integrate this space with the proposed development and create an open area for this new community to enjoy. We are looking at the long term sustainability of any new proposals, it has been proven that access to communal green spaces are a great benefit to health and the wellbeing of people who use them.
We would also love to see provision made for some live-work spaces within the proposal. The site was originally industrial and it makes total sense to regenerate some work spaces or enterprise workshops that bring a better mixed use and vibrancy to the area.
It would also be good to see some stronger architectural pieces within the proposal. The corner of Unity Street and Hawkins Street would benefit greatly from having a building that mirrors the scale and presence of some of the Gardiner Haskins buildings. A statement building, that would create a much more impressive gateway into the development.
If the developers and their architects would take on board these constructive suggestions we believe that this would achieve a very high quality development. That, backed by the planning officers making sure that the scheme is delivered as per the design drawings would create a valuable future legacy for Old Market.
The owners of the site have been based in Old Market for many decades. The area and its community have provided well for them. We can only hope that they will see fit to do the best they can for a community that deserves the best it can get.”
Posted in 
Consultations on our objectives for the current year and heritage priorities
Old Market in 2015, copyright ESHA Architects
On the 6th of February we will have our Annual General Meeting to renew our Committee and decide the priorities for the current year. It will be held at 6pm at the Stag and Hounds, Bristol.
We would like to give the opportunity to everybody to have their say on this process and we have set up two surveys to share the list of our current work packages.
The first survey lists all general work, projects and proposals of collaboration. More information in this spreadsheet.
The second survey is a list of topics that could be followed to promote Arts, Heritage and Historic Environment in Old Market. We are already working to several of them and more information can be found in this spreadsheet.
We would like to find people that could take ownership of individual items, so please come forward!
Note: We wish to thank ESHA Architects for the image above, coloured by our Chairman Paul Bradburn.
Our Councillors’ surgery – Lawrence Hill Ward
Councillors Margaret Hickman and Brenda Hugill, Lawrence Hill Ward, will be holding an advice surgery at Trinity Road Library on Saturday 14 January 2012 from 10.30am to 12.30pm
Please go to reception at the library, Trinity Road, St Phillips, BS2 0NW
There will be a Somali interpreter at the surgery
- Flyer and more info
- Bristol City Council pages on our Councillors
The history of The Bristol Guild of the Poor Brave Things
Mike Mantin will introduce his work on the history of The Bristol Guild of the Poor Brave Things (The Guild Heritage Building, Braggs Lane, Old Market) during the conference “Telling Our Stories and Resistance” at the M-Shed on Saturday the 14th of January.
“In a unique collaboration to support UK Disability History Month, Bristol based deaf and disabled artists, writers, film and theatre makers are hosting a day of activities to explore disabled people’s often forgotten history and to celebrate disability arts and culture. Telling Our Stories will take place alongside Liz Crow’s international award winning exhibition Resistance:which way the future? showing at M Shed 5th January to 5th February 2012.”
For details on the conference please visit the web page of the initiative.
For more information on The Guild Heritage Building visit its website.
Recent rumours in Old Market
We would like to clarify and deny current rumours that Old Market Community Association is involved in the enforcement against massage parlours in Old Market. In our AGM in January 2011 it was decided that we would not take further active actions against legally open and licensed sex venues in Old Market but work with all businesses in the area. This is the line that we have pursued in the last year and for this reason we decided not to object to the renewal of the licence for Temptations when the new SEVs regulations came into force. We have, however, supported the closure of The Exchange, which Bristol City Council discovered had operated without a licence – a decision which was confirmed by the Planning Inspectorate. We therefore wish to state strongly that we did not initiate or were involved in the enforcement action which is currently discussed in the street. We will decide at a suitable time our position on any individual case when and where the information will be available through the planning portal of formal communication by Bristol City Council.”
Final report from the Prince’s Foundation
The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment has released the final version of the report from the workshops with the community and with stakeholders.
Draft report of our Enquiry by Design workshop
The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment has prepared a draft version of the report to present outcomes and recommendations from the workshops with the community and with stakeholders.
To view the report open it at the following link, download the original from the File menu, and rotate view clockwise in Acrobate reader.
Please send all comments to oldmarket.future@gmail.com
Hydra Books – our new bookshop
The Hydra Bookshop will open on Saturday 26th November 2011 with a talk from Ian Bone a prominent British anarchist and an active publisher of anarchist newspapers and tabloids.
’The Hydra’ is a bookshop and coffee shop by day; event space and meeting place by night situated at 34, Old Market Street (BS2 0EZ). We have a warm inviting event space suitable for groups of up to 25.
Run by local people as a workers’ co-operative, the shop grew out of the Bristol Radical History Group and similar networks across the city.
There will be an opening week of events organised by Bristol Radical History Group. The details will appear in the Events Calendar on the website .
Enquiry by Design – first results
While waiting for the first version of the report that we will receive from the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment we are pleased to share copy of the presentation used by the team of the Foundation to illustrate the initial results of the workshop in the last public event.
Enquiry by Design - Old Market
The “new market”
Farmers' Market by NatalieMaynor om Flickr
What about a new market in Old Market?
Nothing has been decided yet but we think it is an excellent idea. Is there anybody interested in developing this project?
The proposal should include:
- Outline of the type of market
- Key objectives
- A plan that shows the preferred location (and possibly alternative options): St Matthias Park or Old Market, somebody proposed George Jones Park
- Anticipated numbers of stalls and their offer of goods
- Proposed amount of space to be utilised for each stall
- Day and timings of the market (frequency)
- Type of stalls: traders’ own stalls or stalls supplied by organiser
- Financial considerations/economics, e.g. proposed charge per stall
- Health and Safety considerations
- Proposed communication/advertising
Once somebody is willing to take this on and we have more clarity about the above points we can arrange a meeting with the Bristol City Council Market Manager to get advice on:
- Charges by BCC per stall (approx. £2 for 8x6ft stall)
- How to apply for a licence from BCC
- How to obtain landowner permission
- Communication and advertising support (there is some support available via the BCC website but it is expected that the organiser is responsible for communications)
- Any other questions
