This week we had the pleasure of Bristol’s Mayor, Marvin Rees, visiting our new Brooks Dye Works development in St. Werburghs, where Bristol City Council are purchasing 24 affordable homes.  As part of a joint venture with Galliard Homes and construction by Halsall Construction Ltd., we are delivering a total of 113 homes on the site of the historic dye works, bringing new life into the disused site which will complement the surrounding area of St. Werburghs and bring much needed new homes to Bristol.

This is the first time Bristol City Council has purchased properties from private developers in Bristol, however this is proven to be a cost-effective and scalable way of contributing to the council’s aspirations to significantly increase the delivery of new council owned homes in the city.

The affordable homes are a contemporary mix of 17 one- and two-bedroom apartments and 7 two-bedroom houses. The homes will have much sought after access to communal open space on the development as well as new pedestrian routes linking to surrounding areas and Mina Road Park.

Mayor Rees said: “Building homes and developing communities remains one of our top priorities, and I am pleased to see that this site has paid tribute to the historic factory that has stood here for many years.

“We are committed to delivering affordable homes through whatever route is available to us. Where possible we are building directly, both adding to our council home stock and building for the wider market.

“Alongside this we are securing affordable homes by buying them directly from the developer, as well as supporting our housing association partners to bring forward their own land-led housing sites and releasing council land for affordable housing delivery by community–led groups and housing associations.

“We know that we cannot solve the housing crisis alone. We need to work with a range of partners and the Brooks Dye Works site is a fantastic example of this partnership work in action.”

Councillor Tom Renhard, Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery and Homes said: “We are delighted to be taking on 24 new council houses, which will provide much needed additional homes for families on the waiting list. We know the difference a stable housing situation can make, and we will continue to do what we can to get more affordable homes built in the city.”

Brooks Dye Works is our fantastic redevelopment of a historic dye and laundry works, a Victorian family-owned factory that operated for 135 years – a perfect example of giving life to old buildings as part of our Acorn Green initiative – the four-acre industrial site had been vacant for over a decade after the factory closed in 1997. Our design is sympathetic to the main historic feature; the iconic nineteenth-century original dye works chimney, which remains a central iconic and striking focus.

Our sustainability features don’t stop there, the new houses have been constructed using renewable timber frame, and include smart meters, a sustainable drainage system, triple glazed windows to maximise each home’s insulation, along with secure cycle storage.

Robin Squire, Regional Managing Director at Acorn Property Group’s Bristol Office commented: “We are pleased that our 24 affordable homes at Brooks Dye Works have been purchased by Bristol City Council and will contribute towards the council’s much-needed affordable housing stock. New homes on this scale within the city has been rare in recent times, therefore we are delighted that we are able to deliver a scheme like Brooks Dye Works which not only has great environmental credentials, but is designed to integrate with the existing St Werburghs community by opening up access from the development to Mina Road Park, as well as new pedestrian routes linking to the surrounding areas.”

Don O’Sullivan, CEO of Galliard Homes commented: “It is wonderful to see this new residential area being brought to life at Brooks Dye Works. The provision of high-quality, modern affordable homes is essential for every city and we are proud to be working with Bristol City Council to deliver these homes.”

Click here for further information on the homes at Brooks Dye Works