A 239-home retirement village secures planning approval as part of the new neighbourhood for Bristol: ‘Brabazon’.
Led by YTL Developments, the detailed planning application for the former Filton Airfield secured a recommendation for approval. PJA supported the design proposals with access, movement, and parking, and produced the transport assessment and travel plan to support the planning submission.
In developing the movement strategy, we paid close attention to the specific transport needs of future residents who would be less likely to own or drive a car than the general population and would have a greater reliance on other forms of transport in order to maintain their independence.
In time, Brabazon will provide a wider range of services and facilities which are within an easy walk, cycle or mobility scooter journey including a restaurant and spa to enable residents to enjoy a vibrant social life within close proximity.
The new neighbourhood will also be accessible by metrobus, and a new train station will connect to Bristol Temple Meads Station in the city centre in less than 15 minutes. This makes Brabazon an ideal location for a retirement village, providing residents with the opportunity to remain independent without a car.
To further bolster transport choices, the proposals incorporated a high level of mobility buggy parking for residents, disabled parking bays, secure and covered cycle storage for staff and residents and space for a minibus to serve residents. Additionally, the retirement village includes a restaurant and spa.
Our work on the Brabazon retirement village provided us with an important reminder that a one-size fits all approach to mobility is rarely appropriate, but it is interesting to note that the features which allow our growing elderly population to maintain their independence and health for longer, (proximity to services and facilities, walkable neighbourhoods, cycleways, good public transport provision, limited parking provision) are the same features which will help us all to move more sustainably and healthily throughout our lives.
PJA have provided transport and placemaking advice to YTL Developments at Brabazon since 2017, initially helping to achieve approval on the outline masterplan for the new neighbourhood and subsequently securing reserved matters/detailed consent for Hangar 16U – a new local, social hub in a historic listed aircraft hangar – and around 870 properties including the retirement village.
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Image courtesy of Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios.
