Charity also reaches out to local community with summer fair and subsidised space hire

 

Local people in Fishponds are being asked to have their say on the revised plans for the redevelopment of the Vassall Centre later this month.

 

The next round of consultation will run from 16th May until 6th June with an exhibition at the Vassall Centre and consultation sessions on Tuesday 17th March from 5.30 to 7pm and Wednesday 18th May from 3.30 to 5pm. This will provide an opportunity for local residents and businesses to view and discuss the latest plans, give feedback and help shape the proposals before planning submission.

 

Bristol Charities’ vision is to create a balanced new neighbourhood centre for multigenerational living and working at the Centre. This will include accessible, sustainable work and meeting spaces for current and potentially new tenants alongside new, high quality affordable housing for older people and families, as well as facilities for the wider community.

 

Since the initial consultation with the community in January, Bristol Charities’ planning team, including recently appointed landscape, ecology, accessibility and engineering consultants, have been reviewing feedback and developing more detailed plans ready for the next round of consultation.

 

The revised plans include more detailed designs for the ‘landscaped heart’ of the scheme including outdoor recreational space to support wellbeing, wildlife and ecology, the accessible office hub layout, and new daylight/sunlight studies to show how the latest proposals relate to neighbouring properties. The team has also been reviewing ideas from the local community survey about facilities people would like to see in the centre and has been assessing the demand for early years and nursery provision in the area.

 

Julian Mines, who has taken up the role of chief executive officer at Bristol Charities this month says:

“We are committed to working in tandem with the local community to ensure this new neighbourhood centre benefits people in the Fishponds area.  We have listened carefully to the concerns and views of local people and we hope that this next round of consultation will show how the revised approach and designs are going to create a new centre that will offer a much wider range of facilities to benefit the whole community.”

 

For further information about the consultation please visit the Vassall Centre website.

 

To encourage community activities at the centre, Bristol Charities will be holding a summer fair in July and will also be offering subsidised meeing space hire at the Vassall Centre before work starts on the new development.

 

The summer fair will take place on July 2nd 2022 and the charity would welcome ideas and involvement from local people and community groups for activities, stalls, food, music and more to make this a really lively and fun family day out for everyone.

 

Julian Mines continues: “We are thrilled to launch our summer fair and are hoping lots of community groups will get involved and also benefit from the reduced booking fees at the centre.”

To get involved in the summer fair or to join the Fair committee, please email [email protected]. Community groups interested in taking advantage of the subsidised booking fees should visit www.vassallcentre.org.uk/meeting-spaces-for-hire or call on 0117 965 9630.

 

Bristol Charities provides opportunities and support for people and communities to improve lives through grants, housing and charitable projects in Bristol. It is a UK registered charity providing a range of affordable sheltered, retirement and extra care housing facilities for older people.

 

For media enquiries and interview requests contact

Caroline Harris at Spirit Public Relations

[email protected] 0117 9441415 / 07966 550623