Developers preparing permanent redevelopment plans for the Bristol location
The vacant site in Clifton Village, Bristol(Image: Bristol Live)
A site in the middle of Clifton Village that has been unused for years could soon welcome a ‘temporary pop-up restaurant’ – with the developers who’ve acquired the site preparing proposals for a permanent structure there by year’s end.
The location was formerly a small parade of shops between Clifton Down Avenue and the Clifton Arcade, and subsequently housed an ice rink for several winters during the 2010s. In 2021, the structures there were knocked down and for the past five years it’s sat empty and cordoned off, despite a series of plans to construct offices, flats and retail units there.
Now, a fresh developer named Speare Developments says it has a new vision for its future which they aim to unveil later this year, but in the interim, it has lodged a planning application for a temporary ‘pop-up’ eatery to occupy the space.
Should this receive approval it’s anticipated to operate for a couple of years, whilst Speare attempts to secure planning consent for its long-term proposals, reports Bristol Live.
“This site has been derelict for too long,” a representative for Speare Developments said. “A pop-up restaurant presents an exciting opportunity to bring the site to life and improve its appearance whilst we develop permanent plans.
“We want the site to be open and active again, not fenced off and forgotten. There’s still a long way to go. As with any brownfield site, there are complex technical constraints that have the potential to affect the viability of a temporary scheme, but we are working through them.
“With that being said, we are serious about making this area better and we’re excited to explore Clifton’s strong identity as we prepare plans for the site’s long-term future.”
An artist’s sketch of the planned pop-up restaurant in the heart of Clifton Village(Image: Speare Developments)
Speare said the restaurant would be ‘designed to complement Clifton Village’s tapestry of independent traders’. “Speare Developments has been actively engaging with local businesses to understand how a new restaurant could work collaboratively with the existing community,” the representative said.
“Whilst the name and the operator are yet to be finalised, the pop-up restaurant is expected to operate for approximately two years while plans for the permanent development are formed and a planning application is decided.
“Long-term plans are expected to include a residential-led scheme with a mixture of ground floor commercial uses.”