THE former St Christopher’s School site in Westbury Park has been sold.
The new owners are being urged to work with local people on a “sensitive and appropriate” redevelopment.
The five-acre site in Westbury Park, which was on the market for £10million, has been bought by London-based property group Square Bay. It will work with Acorn Property Group to develop a plan for its future.
Both firms say they are committed to continuing to work with Westbury Park Community Association (WPCA), St Christopher’s Action Network (SCAN), and the wider community.
After the special needs school shut in 202o, the site on the edge of the Downs was sold to potential developers, who wanted to create a retirement village there. But their plans, which included high buildings, were unanimously rejected by Bristol City Council planners.
The site was declared as Asset of Community Value in 2024, which strengthens local involvement in future plans.
Details of what the new owners propose have not yet been made public but Square Bay has told SCAN that Grace House, the Grade II listed part of the old school will probably become residential, some of the large villas facing the Downs will be converted into flats and others refurbished as single homes, and the rest of the site will be two or three storey houses.
The plan is for Acorn Property Group to take over the site if planning permission is granted. Acorn is also in the midst of acquiring the former Bristol Zoo Gardens site in Clifton.
Westbury Park Community Association said in an email to members: “We aim to ensure that [the developers’] programme of work is as good as it should be for this important and very challenging development site with significant potential impacts both on immediate neighbours and all of our community.”
SCAN, which has been campaigning for nearly five years, said it wanted the site to be developed in a sensitive and appropriate way: low rise, low density and low impact.
Spokesperson Robin Hambleton said: “We hope Acorn can hear us loud and clear! We want you to listen to the views from our community. Families living here want a scheme that is low rise, low density and low impact. Any new plans MUST protect road safety, especially for our local children walking to school, as well as preserve the unique character of our neighbourhood. We are all bruised by the disaster of the previous planning application so we hope the new developers recognise this is a sensitive site that needs a lot of thought.
“Of course we want to see this site brought back to life – and to serve the community as it once did. We look forward to making sure this happens by working together with all the people who care about this special place.
“We do not want to be left with a scheme that only delivers profit for the developers rather than benefits to the community.”
The St Christopher’s site was granted Asset of Community Value (ACV) status in 2024.
Robin Hambleton added: “Crucially, now the site is protected as an ACV, any new development has to honour the legacy of more than 70 years of special education that the school gave our city and ensure the site delivers social value for the local community in the future.”
SCAN has prepared a planning brief, asking the new owner to not overdevelop the site, protect the ecology of the land, safeguard road safety and traffic, offer development that blends in with the existing two-storey housing in this Conservation Area, and honour the legacy of the St Christopher’s School special needs provision by enabling the site to deliver social value in the future.
A spokesperson for the developers said: “Square Bay’s completion of the purchase of St Christopher’s in Westbury Park marks the start of a new chapter for this historic site in Bristol. Working in partnership with Acorn Property Group, Square Bay is committed to continuing its engagement with the Westbury Park Community Association, St Christopher’s Action Network, and the wider community as we consult on the site’s future.
“In the meantime, we wanted to let our neighbours know that we are now making the site safe by improving the security measures.
“Details of the public consultation will be shared in due course. We look forward to meeting as many of our neighbours as possible in the coming months, to discuss our plans and hear the community’s feedback.”