BALTIC WHARF CARAVAN PARK
Updated 16th July 2025
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Comment on the latest planning amendment by 17th July 2025:
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Background
Bristol City Council’s development company, Goram Homes, and its partner, Hills Residential, were granted planning permission for the proposed development at Baltic Wharf Caravan Park in April 2024, in the face of opposition from campaigners trying to save the trees and the last green space on the Harbour, and from Bristol citizens concerned about a range of issues.
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Spike Island Community Association, along with over 600+ other individuals and organisations, filed an objection at the time, but we stepped back from campaigning against the development as, for the Councillors that voted to approve the planning application, the promise of affordable housing seemed to override all the irregularities and arguments against, including financial non-viability, questions around use of public funds, flood risk, loss of biodiversity and others.
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Removal of affordable housing condition
The scheme was approved with a 40% affordable housing condition; however the developers are now seeking to remove that condition, citing technicalities in obtaining the grant funding that will help deliver that affordable housing – a yet to be explained paradox.
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Financial non-viability
The financial viability report has always shown a £10m loss (£20m below benchmark profit), with affordable housing included, and yet the developer gave assurances to the planning approval committee that this would not be an issue. They have now come back citing a downturn in economic circumstances, despite the amended viability report showing an upturn and, without safeguards in place, could use this argument again to justify failure to deliver affordable housing.
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​Underselling of valuable Harbour asset
Multiple accredited sources put the market value at £12-15m, but it is being sold for the benefit of the private developer for £1.3m, around a tenth of its value. Without affordable housing or a substantial capital gain for Bristolians, the arguments against the development come to the fore.
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Loss of biodiversity
This site is the last green space on the harbourside with a large number of mature trees. Sites for promised replacement trees have yet to be identified / committed to and, even with replacements, there would be an overall biodiversity loss of 37%, when a 10% increase in biodiversity was promised
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Overlooking of flood risk
The Environment Agency withdrew its objection to the development going ahead in the high-risk flood zone of Baltic Wharf, after a contribution towards the £300 million cost of Bristol and Avon Flood Strategy, was made in the sum of £30k by the taxpayer-owned Goram Homes. At the same time, the EA objected to the Caravan Park being moved to a site with a lower flood risk.
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Questions over use of public funds
The developers have secured a £2.5m grant from the Brownfield Land Release Fund but the site is a greenfield site, as defined by the National Planning Policy Framework, and does not require decontamination or other works for which the grant must be used.
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Campaign for a Community Park
We are asking councillors to look again at the details of this project, being driven forward by the developers and officers in the Council’s planning department. There is huge support for the idea of the site becoming a community-owned asset, and we are asking Bristolians to share ideas and support plans for a community park. ​
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Our actions
We are seeking:
- confirmation that affordable housing will be safeguarded before any building work can commence
- explanation of why Existing Use Value (for a caravan park) has been used in the valuation, instead of Market Value (for a residential site with planning permission), and confirmation that any undersell above £2m is approved by the Secretary of State, as required by law.
- clarification regarding use of public funds
- engagement from Bristolians to save this valuable community asset
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Comment on the planning application by 17th July 2025:
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