Mixed-use neighbourhood to replace Bristol’s Galleries Shopping Centre
Bristol City Council’s Planning Committee approved a major outline planning application for mixed-use redevelopment of the Galleries Shopping Centre on 3 February 2025.
The masterplan retains the existing basement structure and works with the changes in levels across the site to create a new public realm, with a series of lanes and courts that connect into the surrounding streets and Castle Park. It also creates a new, enhanced setting for the Grade II* listed Merchant Taylors’ Almshouses. The mixed-use development will include new homes, student housing, offices and a possible hotel – all with retail, food and drink and other active ground floor uses.
Tibbalds, with Lindsey Wilkinson, acted as BCC’s urban and landscape design advisors throughout the planning application process for this significant site. Our role was to make sure that the masterplan and illustrative proposals met the City’s design ambition to transform a failing shopping centre into a vibrant mixed-use City Centre neighbourhood for people to enjoy.
Extensive pre-application workshops and reviews of the emerging proposals focused on key design themes and objectives such as the masterplan’s relationship to its context; its connections and accessibility; quality of public realm; active frontages; greening including biodiversity; and quality of residential environment.
The outline planning application included parameter plans together with a design code. We worked with the applicant to make sure these would secure the design aspirations, and be practical tools for future detailed design and planning assessments.
AHMM led the design team, with LT Studio as landscape architects.
More information can be found here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyj7k5dee0o
https://www.ahmm.co.uk/news/2025/the-galleries-receives-planning/
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