A Bristol property developer has slammed the council for blocking an innovative plan for floating homes in the harbour. The developer said senior figures at Bristol City Council have previously supported his plans, but added “nobody seems to be able to take a decision”.
Floating homes are already popular in other parts of the world, including the Netherlands, America and Canada. Kev Draper, managing director of Float8, said his homes would be far better insulated than houseboats or yachts, plans for which have recently caused concerns.
Earlier this month, the council gave planning permission for a new pontoon opposite the SS Great Britain, sparking fears from residents living at Capricorn Quay. Residents opposed the plans due to the potential noise and pollution coming from boats moored at the pontoon.
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Part of the reason the council is keen to build a new pontoon there, with space for 34 boats, is to help the harbour gain new sources of income. The harbour is losing hundreds of thousands of pounds each year, prompting the council to massively increase mooring fees for boats. Mr Draper said his plans for floating homes could be an innovative solution.
In an interview, he said: “It’s like a brand new apartment. It has a lot of modern things going for it. But we weren’t allowed to put our show home here, so we put it in London in Canary Wharf. [Bristol’s] harbour master seems to have a love for boats with an engine or a sail, he said he ‘doesn’t like the look of them’. But it would produce a huge amount of revenue for the council.
“This is one of the best harbours I’ve ever been to, and I think floating homes would blend in extremely well. What we want more than anything is just to have a conversation. The harbour should never be a loss-making thing for the council. Let’s just test the waters.”
Float8 has suggested to the council they could begin with 22 floating homes in the harbour. These would be built off-site, with modern methods of construction, and be far more spacious and insulated than regular houseboats. Other suggestions include small floating offices for start-ups near the Valentine Bridge behind Temple Meads train station.
Mr Draper said he first met with the harbour master six years ago, and has also spoken with several senior figures at the council. But he criticised council bosses for failing to give a clear reason why his proposals have not been taken forward. Elsewhere the company has had more constructive discussions with councils in London and Greater Manchester.
When asked for the reasons why the proposals had not been taken forward, Bristol City Council said “there are no plans to introduce floating houses” — but added that thousands of homes were built last year elsewhere in the city. It remains unclear what the obstacles are.
A spokesperson for the council said: “Officers and a former councillor met with Mr Draper some years ago to hear his ideas. As explained on a number of occasions, there are no plans to introduce floating houses on the harbour.
“We are in the process of introducing a number of improvements to the harbour area as part of the harbour review and investing heavily in harbour infrastructure. Meanwhile, back on dry land, Bristol built 2,563 new homes in 2021–22, exceeding the mayor’s ambitious target, including more new affordable homes than for any year in the last 12.”
The council added that should any future plans emerge to introduce floating homes on the harbour, all interested parties would be welcome to bid for a contract by an open and transparent tender process.
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