Officers say the council would lose any appeal and risk legal costs

Councillors look set to be on a collision course with their own planning officers over a plan to construct what would be the tallest building ever built in South Bristol.

The plan is to build a 23-storey block of student flats as part of a bigger project that also includes 434 flats on what is now part of an industrial estate in Bedminster, but that was blocked by councillors back in January.

Members of the council’s planning committee voted not to give planning permission to the scheme put forward by developers Galliard Apsley, despite the council’s planning officers recommending it be given approval.

It wasn’t refused at the meeting in late January. The rules at City Hall mean councillors have to send the officers away to come up with reasons to refuse it at the next meeting.

That meeting is taking place next week on March 11, and ahead of that, those officers tasked with coming up with reasons to refuse the scheme have returned with a fresh report.

The report proposes the wording of a statement refusing to give planning permission for the scheme, but officers have told councillors that the reasons they give won’t stand up on appeal.

That means even if the plans are refused next week, the developer could appeal to the Government’s Planning Inspectors and overturn that decision – and the council’s own planning officers don’t believe the council would win that legal battle, and councillors have been warned that the council may have to pay the costs of that appeal.

Back in January, councillors said they wanted to refuse the plan for two reasons. The first was that building so many flats on the site, with such tall buildings, would represent an ‘over-intensive development’.

The second was that the proposal would ’cause harm to views of heritage assets’. The buildings would be built on what is now an industrial estate on Princess Street, next to the railway line in Bedminster, near Victoria Park.

The 25-page report, which doesn’t have an author’s name revealed, outlines council planning officers’ views that the developers would win on appeal, because the reasons to refuse the scheme are not strong enough.

“It is considered that this reason for refusal would not be defendable at appeal,” the officers’ report said.

“It would potentially put the council at risk of behaviour that would be considered unreasonable in the terms of the Planning Practice Guidance, which would expose the Local Planning Authority to a significant risk of a substantive award of costs against the council,” it added.

The officers’ report tells councillors that they don’t believe the council could refuse the plan because the location at Princess Street is too far from bus stops, nor that the buildings will be too tall – pointing out that the council’s own masterplan for the regeneration of the area around Whitehouse Street says the area should be developed with a high density of buildings.

“Officers strongly advise against refusing on either over-intensive development or harm to the setting of heritage assets,” the officers’ report said. “In line with the presumption in favour of sustainable development, officers continue to recommend that permission is granted.”

To find all the planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more in your community, visit the Public Notices Portal.

Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world’s busiest hub for international passengers, has partially resumed flight operations as of March 5, 2026, following days of near-total suspension triggered by escalating regional security tensions involving U.S., Israeli and Iranian military actions.

Airport authorities confirmed a limited resumption beginning March 2, with a small number of repatriation, cargo, repositioning and essential flights permitted at DXB and its sister facility, Al Maktoum International (DWC). By March 5, operations expanded modestly, including more than 100 flights scheduled by flagship carrier Emirates on March 5 and 6, though most regular scheduled commercial services remain heavily curtailed or suspended.

Dubai Airports advised passengers not to travel to the facility unless holding a confirmed booking and contacted directly by their airline. “Safety remains the top priority,” a spokesperson stated in recent updates. Travelers should check airline websites or apps for real-time status before heading to the airport to avoid congestion and unnecessary trips.

The disruptions stem from partial closures of UAE airspace and broader regional restrictions implemented as a precautionary measure amid the intensifying conflict. Iranian retaliatory strikes targeted areas near key Gulf hubs after initial U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran, prompting widespread airspace shutdowns across Iran, Iraq, Syria, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and partial measures in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. This led to the suspension of all DXB operations starting late February 2026, with thousands of flights canceled globally — more than 20,000 in the Middle East alone since the escalation began.

Emirates, the primary operator at DXB, has operated a reduced schedule since the partial reopening, prioritizing repatriation and freight. The airline confirmed flights to select destinations are running, with gradual build-up subject to airspace availability. All scheduled Emirates flights to and from Dubai remain suspended until at least 11:59 p.m. UAE time on March 7 in some advisories, though limited services have proceeded. The carrier urged passengers not to proceed to the airport without confirmation.

Other airlines followed suit. flydubai resumed a reduced network from DXB, adding flights as conditions allow. International carriers like Lufthansa suspended services to Dubai until March 6 or later, while Qatar Airways and Etihad maintained suspensions or limited ops at nearby hubs. Governments worldwide, including the U.S., arranged charter flights and assisted citizens in repatriation efforts from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

The crisis has stranded hundreds of thousands, with reports of chaos at terminals during the initial full closures. Hotels accommodated affected passengers, and authorities facilitated essential movements. Damage from incidents, including minor impacts at DXB concourses and nearby sites, was contained quickly, though one fatality and injuries occurred at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport in related events.

As of March 6, 2026, DXB handles only select flights, focusing on clearing backlogs of stranded travelers and maintaining cargo flows for critical goods like pharmaceuticals and perishables. Flight tracking shows moderate activity compared to normal volumes, with many departure boards still displaying cancellations for routine services. Weather conditions remain clear, but operational limits from airspace constraints dominate.

The partial restart follows similar phased approaches at Abu Dhabi (AUH) and other UAE airports, where limited repatriation flights operated by March 5. Authorities coordinate closely with the General Civil Aviation Authority and airlines to manage flow and prevent overcrowding.

Broader implications highlight aviation’s vulnerability to geopolitical events in this transit-critical region. Dubai’s role as a global connector amplifies disruptions, affecting routes between Europe, Asia, Africa and beyond. Airline shares stabilized after initial sell-offs, though recovery depends on de-escalation.

Travelers face ongoing uncertainty. Experts recommend monitoring official sources like dubaiairports.ae, emirates.com and flight-status tools. Bookings may require flexibility, with waivers offered by many carriers for rebooking or refunds.

The situation remains fluid, with potential for further adjustments based on regional developments. While limited operations offer relief for some, full normalcy at DXB — typically handling over 1,500 daily movements — awaits stabilization of airspace and security conditions.

For now, the airport functions in crisis mode, prioritizing safety and essential connectivity amid one of the most severe aviation shocks since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Developers commit to ‘faithful reproduction of the former mill facades’

Hotspur Press is set to be completely demolished after an inferno raged through the Georgian mill last June, developers have announced.

Manner had planning permission to build a 35-storey student accommodation block around the mill’s facades when disaster struck last summer, but its building attempts were held up by a bid to list the building and the company’s multiple changes to planned cladding panels. In January, the developers revealed revised plans for the site, promising to ‘replicate’ the original structure and incorporate ‘any materials that can be reused’.

On Thursday (March 5), Manchester council recommended the project be given planning permission, but confirmed ‘as a result of the fire, the mill facades cannot be retained and would be demolished and reconstructed in a replicated form’ with the same dimensions ‘but with new materials’.

A spokesperson for Manner ‘welcomed the recommendation for approval and the opportunity to bring forward our revised plans for the regeneration of The Hotspur Press’.

They added: “Our updated planning application sets out a regeneration scheme that remains true to our original vision, following the setback of the devastating fire the building suffered in 2025. While it is not possible to safely retain the remaining structure, we are committed to a faithful reproduction of the former mill facades.

“This approach will ensure the historic significance of The Hotspur Press can be appreciated by Manchester’s residents, while bringing it back into productive use for the first time in nearly two decades and delivering the site’s wider regeneration plans.”

Manner previously said it hoped to start demolition and the rebuild at some point in 2026.

The Georgian mill had been subject to numerous redevelopment attempts since it closed as a printing press in 1996, including a 2020 bid to convert it into private flats which came to nothing, despite being awarded planning permission.

A 619-student accommodation tower will now be built on the Cambridge Street site, which will be clad in bronze, following multiple changes to the scheme by Manner before the fire started. After initially proposing brick cladding, it asked for permission to switch to silver material, and then bronze.

Changes further delayed building beginning after an application to list the building in 2025 held up the process until January 2025, when Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy rejected the bid.

The proposal will be debated by Manchester’s planning committee at 2pm on Thursday, March 12. You can watch it online here.

To find all the planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more in your community, visit the Public Notices Portal.

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