The city centre car parks that could be demolished for housing (2025)

Planners approved permission for the first site just a few weeks ago, while the others are still in the early stages of consideration

At least five public car parks in and around Bristol city centre have been earmarked for redevelopment as part of major housing plans. Two NCP multi-storeys and three outdoor council car parks could be replaced with hundreds of homes as part of separate proposals, the first of which was given the go-ahead by planners just a few weeks ago.

Two of the sites would deliver at least some parking spaces as part of the rebuild, while others make no mention of retaining parking provision. Though some of the proposals emerged years ago, most remain at the early stages of planning with no timeline for delivery made public yet.

The NCP sites would be demolished in place of 20-storey tower blocks of student accommodation, with one of them described by council officers as "one of the largest buildings in Bristol city centre" if it goes ahead. The smaller council-owned car parks are earmarked for development by Bristol City Council's own housing company Goram Homes.

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Across all five sites almost 1,500 homes are planned including student bedrooms, co-living accommodation and, at least in the case of the council plans, a mixture of social rent and shared ownership properties. Below we list the locations and a brief summary of the proposals:

Nelson Street

The Nelson Street NCP multi-storey car park will be demolished and replaced with a 20-storey building with 565 student beds, under informal plans submitted to Bristol City Council last year. Exact details have not yet been confirmed but the proposed redevelopment would also include commercial units on the ground floor and improvements to the street scene.

A real estate company called Downing bought the building in November 2023, and asked the council if it thinks the plans would have a significant effect on the environment - in which case they will need to compile a report assessing the impact of the revamp. The council replied in a letter dated March 22 2024, concluding that this assessment will not be required.

The letter did note, however: "The proposed development would be of a significant scale and would be one of the largest buildings in Bristol City Centre. It would therefore have the potential to have a larger visual impact than other lower-rise urban development projects by reason of its height and overall scale."

The documents show the scale of what the developers have in mind to replace the 10-level car park between Broadmead and the Old City. In the original letter to the council, town planners Stride Treglown said: “The site offers a unique opportunity to promote a highly sustainable redevelopment in a key part of the city centre.”

Rupert Street

Another NCP multi-storey car park on Rupert Street will also be demolished under plans approved by the council in March. The car park, next to the Bridewell Police Station, is a classic example of 1960s Brutalist architecture, and some people had campaigned to get the building protected.

Developers Pegasus Group now have permission to replace the car park with a new car park, as well as 328 student beds and 249 co-living studios. The new building will be up to 20 storeys tall. The public area on the street outside will also be improved, with new public art, benches, and planting. Twenty per cent of the co-living studios in both developments will be designated as “affordable” and there will also be a replacement car park with 400 spaces compared to the existing 498.

Pegasus Group wrote on LinkedIn after the approval, describing its plan as a "sustainable, mixed-use, community-led redevelopment" that will become "a true landmark development in the heart of Bristol’s City Centre". The post added: "Our clients, Greystar/Student Roost, are delighted with the approval of 249 co-living and 328 student rooms, along with a replacement 400 space public car park, to be operated by NCP, meeting modern standards, and allowing for electric vehicle charging."

The timeline for the demolition and redevelopment has not yet been publicly released.

Portwall Lane

It was back in January 2023 that detailed plans emerged to build a £35m residential development on Portwall Lane Car Park, on the edge of Bristol city centre. Bristol City Council’s housing company Goram Homes and property consultancy firm Knight Frank announced their proposal for the site in Redcliffe more than two years ago, saying it could accommodate up to 120 homes - 40 per cent of which would be a mixture of social rent and shared ownership.

The site, which is opposite the landmark St Mary Redcliffe Church, is not mentioned in Goram Homes' list of 12 development sites in its five-year plan. However, its 2023 business plan stated: "We’re working with the Redcliffe community on our Portwall Lane car park development, which will unite North and South Redcliffe.

"Our proposed scheme includes 122 new homes (40 per cent of which will be affordable), green space and a range of flexible commercial opportunities on the Portwall Lane Car Park, to regenerate the area and respect its historic surroundings." No plans appear to have been submitted on the council's planning portal yet.

SS Great Britain Car Park

Another ambition of Goram Homes is to build on the car park next to SS Great Britain, at Bristol's Harbourside. It's been a few years since the site was first publicly named and according to the housing company's website, Alec French Architects has been appointed to work on the design and a pre-application enquiry has been submitted to the council. The total number of homes is listed as 153.

The website adds: "The site is currently an operational car park that generates a revenue and is subject to a lease with the SS Great Britain Trust. Any development proposals will involve the reallocation of the existing parking with a residential development above. We will work with the SS Great Britain Trust to understand their aspirations for the site, and will work with surrounding businesses and residents as plans progress."

The Grove Car Park

Bristol City Council has also passed the Grove Car Park to Goram Homes for development. Located next to Mud Dock cafe at Bristol Harbourside, the site was also named in the housing company's 2023 business plan.

Goram Homes states on its website: "This council-owned site, in a prime harbourside location, has the potential for around 70 new homes, alongside some public car parking and commercial space at the ground floor level. At least 40 per cent of the new homes here would be a mixture of social rent and shared ownership."

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