Residents and local businesses are being asked to give their views on the latest proposals for Bridport Gateway – an innovative community development in the heart of Bridport.
Dorset Council is working with developers Shaw Healthcare and Morgan Sindall Later Living, and the registered housing provider East Boro Housing Trust to produce plans for the Bridport Gateway development.
The scheme is part of the council’s Building Better Lives programme which aims to deliver new, high quality accommodation and care services in Dorset for people who really need it.
If the proposals for Bridport Gateway get planning permission later this year, new care and housing facilities could be built on two sites off South Street, close to the town centre.
What do you think of the designs?
Architects employed by the developers have been working up designs. We want to know what local people think of them so we can build this feedback into the design process before a planning application is made later this year.
A leaflet about the scheme is being sent to households and businesses in the Bridport area and you can also take a look at the designs here.
Flood Lane site:
The site at Flood Lane aims to provide:
- Extra care housing, specifically designed to help people with support needs, problems getting about and increasing frailty to continue to live as independently as possible for as long as they want to. These homes should be available at affordable rent.
- A new care home to care for people with complex nursing and dementia needs
- A respite care facility that will allow people to stay for short periods of time to help give family carers a break, help prevent admission to hospital, or help people get back on their feet after a stay in hospital
- Community space with excellent facilities, allowing people living on the site and those in the wider community with disabilities to join and take part in activities and events run by local community groups
- Public gardens and green space for the whole community to enjoy
Fisherman’s Arms site:
At the Fisherman’s Arms site we want to build a mixture of affordable houses and apartments units, some of which will be targeted for workers in care and health jobs, and some of which will be for people with disabilities. These homes should be available at a mixture of social rent levels or affordable rents.
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Cllr Laura Miller, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health said:
“The Building Better Lives programme is about developing new accommodation and services to tackle the increasing levels of demand on Adults Social Care and Health services in Dorset.
“With the Bridport Gateway development we’re aiming to build places to live right in the heart of Bridport for adults with care and support needs, and for the key workers who deliver those health and care services too.
“It’s a really significant project and we want to get it right. If you live or work in the local area I would urge you to take a look at what we’re proposing and let us know what you think – we’re open to comments on all aspects of the scheme.”
Cllr Graham Carr-Jones, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing and Community Safety said:
“We know that where you live can really affect your health and wellbeing. The town centre location of this development is key to ensuring Bridport Gateway’s future residents have access to the town’s vibrant community scene, which in turn, will increase footfall to local businesses.
“We are keen to hear feedback and answer any questions or concerns people may have. We will listen and incorporate your views into the design process as we bring together the planning application later this year.”
How do I give my feedback?
You can submit comments about our proposals via our online survey. Together with our partners we are also holding four phone-in sessions so that you can ask us questions and tell us what you think. The sessions will take place:
- Wednesday 29 July 2 – 5pm
- Friday 31 July 10am – 1pm
- Monday 3 August 6 – 8pm
- Thursday 6 August 10am -1pm
To take part call us on 01305 225850 at the times specified above.
Alternatively you can email buildingbetterlives@dorsetcc.gov.uk, or write to:
Dorset Council Project Team
c/o Bridport Town Council
Mountfield, Bridport,
Dorset, DT6 3JP
We welcome comments on all aspects of the scheme. Please give your feedback by Friday 7 August.
Next steps
We will incorporate your views into the design process as we bring together the planning application.
We will submit the planning application this autumn, after which there will be a formal consultation period to give people further opportunity to share their views.
We expect work to begin on site early next year and for the accommodation to be ready for people to move into by Christmas 2022.
Find out more about the latest plans and ideas for Bridport Gateway.
Previous articles about Bridport Gateway.
Big issues with extra parking needed, extra traffic, sufficient medical access.
Thank you to everyone who has got in touch about the proposals. We are still in the process of seeking feedback from some stakeholder groups but we will collate your views and share our response to them as soon as possible.
Building Better Lives Team
The proposals seem quite acceptable and forward thinking. I have however some reservations about the chosen partner for healthcare. The current covid 19 situation has highlighted the running of the care sector and quick internet search against Shaw Healthcare shows a great deal of negative comment from staff working at the lower levels and criticism of the management structure. Have any safeguards regarding monitoring and targets for quality been built into the healthcare aspect of this development bearing in mind the site will be sold by the council to ensure good future care facilities.
Throughout the country shaw health care has questionable cqc reports, empty beds in homes ect. Have high agency costs as they can’t keep staff. From the bottom upwards…..
Then as homes not full sell property for huge profit when market is high….
Seems to be a trend of there’s.
Quite worrying really when tricuro have near to excellent cqc locally and the council home needs replacing and the council aren’t addressing this….. 🙄🙄
I would support any beneficial changes to these redundant sites which are currently unused. I think key worker housing should be prioritized. If there is scope for quality greenspace or planting to enhance either scheme, I think it would be beneficial.
Both sites do not appear to have enough parking spaces for staff,or
Residents ( Fishermans Arms )
There are significant traffic issues on South Street such as at the Morrisons traffic lights which will need to be improved and would be conditional on the granting of planning permission, but the overall concept is good for Bridport.
Please remember there are heritage listed sites in very close proximity to the plans and whilst we most certainly need to look after key worker housing and social housing can you please be sympathetic to our history as a town too
We live opposite South Mill and the site for the proposed Fisherman’s Arms development. We had hoped for a more imaginative use of the land, perhaps recognising the importance to Bridport of South Mill and its mediaeval background. As it is, should this existing proposal go ahead, the density of the housing will be too great and the effect of the development will be to create a rather sterile enclave. Additionally building above two storeys is inept – not helpful to the proposed occupant-client group. We wonder at the numbers of this group – is there such a need in Bridport? And if there is, we want to see a guarantee in writing that the development will be reserved only for occupants at all times in the future corresponding to the description of the development’s target occupant group. James Debney.
Overall I think the scheme would be a benefit to Bridport.
But I would like to mention a couple of points.
1 The proposed building of 3 to 4 Storey flats are out of keeping in a area which which has a local heritage and listed buildings.
We do need affordable homes but needs to be compatible with our local history.
2 The mixture of affordable houses and apartment units for workers in care and health jobs must be monitored and not allowed to go on the open market.
3Traffic access onto South Street could be a problem.
More bicycle access please.
A cycle way up Flood Lane to A 35 would connect with the existing north / south routes along to West Bay and the Happy Island bike path, just change the barrier. It would keep bikes off the Crown Roundabout.
Put a bike access across the north of this development to supermarkets and Askers Meadows which would minimise bike traffic on the Brewery traffic lights and South Street.