The woman in charge of Bristol's strategic planning has written to a Yorkshire brewery firm demanding to know what their plans are - if any - for two abandoned city centre sites that could be huge development opportunities.
The two sites are both owned by Tadcaster-based Samuel Smith Brewery, but while the harbourside area has been regenerated around them, have been left empty and unkempt for decades.
Now Cllr Nicola Beech, the council cabinet member for strategic planning, has written to the family-owned brewery which owns the Old Seamen's Mission Church in Prince Street and the plot of land next to the Arnolfini on Narrow Quay, asking to know what their plans are.
Read more: Story of the Bristol harbourside wasteland next to the Arnolfini
In the letter, Cllr Beech said they were key central locations. "We are keen to understand if there is a long-term vision for building on your presence here, bringing back to life a long-underinvested heritage and complementing our hospitality scene," she wrote.
She told Humphrey Smith, the boss of the brewery, that she would like to meet in September so he could 'share your vision for both these spaces'. "Bristol centre and its harbour is treasured by Bristolians and the city's visitors.
"I'm sure we can agree that in their current state, these two sites and absolutely crying out to be brought back to life for the benefit of the city. We are keen to discuss your plans for these spaces and their potential to bring investment, jobs and a cultural benefit to Bristol," she added.
"These locations represent prime development land, and I would therefore like to understand what the barriers to regeneration are, and how we could work together to overcome them," she added.
Cllr Beech said action was needed on both sites, but especially the Old Seamen's Mission Church, because it's a listed building that is at risk.
"The heritage at risk at the Old Seamen's Mission Church is serious yet, managed well, a great opportunity to bring this asset to life," she said, adding that she was 'looking forward to hopefully the start of something new'.
The Old Seamen's Mission Church was partially destroyed in a bombing raid in 1940, and a concrete façade hides what's left of the interior. It was most recently proposed as one of the potential locations for a Slavery and Abolition centre by campaigners who are calling for Bristol to better acknowledge, remember and educate about the city's role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Abolition Movement.
The plot of land on Narrow Quay has long baffled Bristolians and visitors alike - it's in a prime spot next to the Arnolfini, but lies like a wasteland behind a high metal fence. It's overgrown, full of brambles and on windy days collects and traps litter.
While it's owned by Samuel Smith Brewery, another brewery - Greene King - have been keen to buy it. The back of the Shakespeare pub on Prince Street backs on to this plot of land, and they were keen to buy it to convert into a beer garden for the pub, after buying the pub around 18 years ago.
But Greene King’s bids were reportedly rejected by Samuel Smith Old Brewery, which is said to have refused to sell. A look back through Bristol City Council’s planning portal shows Samuel Smith has owned the yard for at least 33 years.
In 1989, it secured planning permission to use the fence for advertising, before unsuccessfully applying to use the land for “storage of stone” in 1991. The brewery, which has a historic pub in nearby King Street, also submitted plans for a four-storey development of a pub, restaurant and staff accommodation, but withdrew them in 1997.
That was the last time the site was subject to a planning application and it is not known if negotiations between Greene King and Samuel Smith over a potential purchase of the land have ever resumed. Bristol Live has reached out to Samuel Smith Brewery for comment on the future of the two sites.
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