Plans have been submitted to create a massive small business centre formed from 178 converted shipping containers on a site in Station Road, Little Stoke, just north of Patchway Station.
The latest application for the site, which is currently occupied by a builders’ merchants and a taxi firm, comes after a previous bid to redevelop the plot with 24 houses and flats was rejected by South Gloucestershire Council on the grounds that residents would have suffered unacceptable living conditions due to the proximity of the nearby railway line and Rolls-Royce complex.
A report submitted with the latest plans claim the facility, which will be marketed under the brand name ‘Mainline’, would meet a demand for space from “creative businesses that are attracted to the area to be co-located near the world class companies such as Rolls Royce, Toshiba and Airbus”.
“Successful examples of such models are already in place within Bristol, such as the Boxworks development and Engine Shed.”
“This project will provide people living outside of the centre of Bristol with business space and supporting facilities for small start-up businesses and entrepreneurs, mainly in the creative, digital and tech businesses.”
The planning application says the shipping containers will deliver space more quickly than a permanent building and they can be relocated if needed.
“The space created is fully serviced and flexible, perfect for small start-up business in the tech, media and creative sectors.”
If approved by SGC, the development would stand up to four storeys high and be delivered in three phases, to ensure supply meets demand.
Once fully completed, the facility would accommodate 160 small business units, with a further 18 shipping containers being used for communal facilities, including a cafe operated by Friska, a co-working space and a cycle hub.
The application states that 178 full-time jobs would be created by the development. There would be parking for 58 cars within the site.
Existing businesses at the site are continuing to operate as normal. Approval of plans by a local authority does not necessarily mean that a proposed development will take place.
• Planning application reference: PT18/3922/O
This article originally appeared in the October 2018 issue of the Stoke Gifford Journal news magazine (on page 26). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to over 5,000 homes in Stoke Gifford, Little Stoke and Harry Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
