Bristol needs to consider developing tall buildings to maximise the constrained city’s potential in offering significant new, grade-A office space.
Speaking at Estates Gazette’s first ever City Talks event in Bristol, the panel debated having a more flexible approach to building tall – which would mean over the current seven-storey high levels – in the city.
Panellist and Hartnell Taylor Cook partner, Chris Grazier, said: “Bristol is a constrained city so going up makes sense.”
Fellow panellist Ross Polkinghorne, head of real estate at law firm Burges Salmon, added: “Bristol is also a small city there are not many opportunities of scale to attract the same money that would go to Birmingham and Manchester.”
According to guest Phil Morton of CBRE, the city only has 1m sq ft of developable land left, which he says will soon run out. “You’ve got to go high and you’ve got to cluster this type of development,” he said.
So will we see a Bristol Shard?
The 170-strong audience voted and around a third thought there should be taller buildings in Bristol.
Other topics debated included devolution and infrastructure and connectivity.
For further details of the debate, coverage will be in the November 9 issue of Estates Gazette.
Panel
John Wright, director, Stride Treglown
Ross Polkinghorne, head of real estate development, Burges Salmon
Nigel Wild, business account manager, Morgan Lovell
Chris Grazier, partner, Hartnell Taylor Cook
Gavin Bridge, director, Cubex Land
Alistair Reid, director, Bristol City Council
Chair: Stacey Meadwell, regional editor, Estates Gazette
• To send feedback e-mail lisa.pilkington@estatesgazette.com or Tweet @eglisap or @estatesgazette
