A developer’s plan for a former Wetherspoon’s pub and hidden cinema has been described as a “bleak, prison-like warehouse for people” that could further fuel gentrification in the area.
Last week developers Landrose, which bought St George’s Hall in Redfield from Wetherspoon’s several months ago, submitted a planning application to build 44 bedsits in the building. Local residents who have been campaigning for the Church Road building to be put into community use and for the hidden cinema to be restored are hoping that the council will reject the application.
The group of residents, whose proposals for the historic building gained cross party support from local councillors and whose petition gathered over 9,000 signatures, believe there is still a chance to stop the development from going ahead. So far 28 objections have been raised on the council’s planning portal, despite the hurdle of ongoing maintenance issues over the last week that have made it more difficult for members of the public to submit comments.
Landrose has disputed claims by residents that creating a HMO on the high street will cause parking problems in the area. The developer said that their tenants do not drive and the property will have “abundant bicycle storage”. They also claim that the cinema is derelict and will be expensive to restore, and that that the front of the building will be retained as a community space.
The developer says it has been in contact with “a representative” from the campaign group and is exploring options in regards to local charities who could use the space. But the members from Save the Redfield Cinema campaign, who spoke to Bristol Live, dispute the claim that the developer is engaging with the community. They say the developer has proposed demolishing the 1912 cinema and replacing it with a 20-seat cinema at the front of the building, which they fear that unlike their “pay what you…