Merry Hill (Shaldon Road)

Merry Hill, Lockleaze

 Exemplar Community  Development

Formerly an over-grown area of old allotments, this 1.4 hectare site has been transferred from the Council to BCLT in order to build an exemplar development of highly energy efficient, 100% affordable homes. 

Community Vision

In 2013, Bristol City Council (BCC) identified the site as having potential for “ an exemplary sustainable custom build – market and affordable self- build housing scheme”. 

Since then, with our partners, Brighter Places (formerly United Communities), we have commissioned the design of fifty 1,2,3 and 4 bedrooms homes which will be built to 'passivhaus' standards, making them some of the most energy efficient in the UK. 

Community Values

The proposal has been designed to showcase the best in community development, including maximum use of solar energy,  and air source heat pumps. 

Car use will be minimised, with maximum shared space for children to play. Green space has been allocated for community growing, and there is space for two community buildings, one of which is intended to be used for communal meals.

The green corridor will be protected and biodiversity enhanced through natural habitats for bats and birds, with planting to support bees and other insects.  

Community Consultation

From the outset, we have endeavoured to ensure that the local community have been integral to the process, with consultations at every stage. Whilst not everyone supports the development, it has to the great credit of the local community that they have engaged so positively, offering valuable feedback throughout.
 

Welcome to Merry Hill!

Daniel Merry, pictured, was a BCLT member who was actively involved in the project, then known as 'Shaldon Road', from 2015. He worked alongside other members through the consultation and design process, and in 2017, he was matched with a home at the scheme.


However, in June 2021, Daniel tragically passed away. In honour of his commitment to the project, and the long-desired community aim to find a more suitable name for the scheme, the community of matched residents came together to suggest re-naming the site as Merry Hill. 


Daniel's widow, Cat, consulted with his parents and wider family and they were all unanimously delighted with the suggestion, and thought that he would have been too. 


BCLT is hugely supportive of this change, in honour of Daniel's commitment to the project. We also feel that it will be a fitting name for what we hope will be a community of happiness and merriment to those who live there, and for the wider community of Lockleaze. 

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Key Features:

  • 100% 'affordable' mixed tenure of shared ownership and affordable rent
  • Built to 'Passivhaus' principles
  • Ground source heat pumps
  • Roof-top solar PVs
  • 'Self-finish' enabling residents to tailor their kitchens, bathrooms and outside space
  • Priority given to local residents who are in housing need
  • Improved pedestrian & cycle access

The Nest

The scheme was originally designed with a Common House at the centre which was envisaged to have a large community room with attached catering kitchen, and additional workpace on the first floor. However, building this became impossible due to the rising costs of developing the homes, and the absence of funding for community assets.


The residents felt that it was hugely important to the scheme, and the wider community, that this original vision was realised. With support from BCLT, grant funding has been found to start this process. The building was named 'The Nest', and community consultations have been held to understand what is required of the space.


Find out more about this exciting part of the project here.


 Our development partners:

"We're an ambitious new housing association for Bristol and surrounding areas. We'll play an important role in driving forward the agenda for affordable housing and stronger communities in the city and beyond."

Through the pre-development stage, BCLT worked in partnership with United Communities, and prospective residents, to bring the scheme to the start on site milestone. 

BCLT was not able to raise finance to fund the development of the homes it had planned. Fortunately, Brighter Places was able to step in and the development phase was handed over to them to complete. 


For this project we chose to work with architects who are experts in 'passivhaus' design. 

As the UK’s leading architects for sustainable buildings, we design with an energy and commitment that changes lives for the better, by creating places and spaces that have a positive impact on the people who use them, and on the immediate and wider environment.

We aim to achieve tangible economic and environmental benefits to our clients, contractors, buildings users, and society.

Every element of design matters to us. Every detail of a building. Every piece of a drawing package. Every line of data in a schedule. Everything. And it doesn’t matter just some of the time. It matters all of the time. That’s how we d o things at Architype.
We've chosen to work with United Living as our design & build' partner. 

United Living is one of the UK’s leading providers of refurbished and new build living solutions.

With almost 110 years of experience, United Living provides planned maintenance and new build services to clients throughout the country through its United Living North and United Living South divisions.

With a passion to deliver a sustainable legacy, United Living work with their registered provider partners, local authorities and private developers to deliver not just high quality homes but wider benefits including training, local employment and community initiatives.

Ecomotive supported the completion of Bristol Community Land Trust’s Fishponds Road development by the residents, who self-finished their homes and apartments and collaborated to undertake landscaping of the grounds and constructing external structures.


They know that building your own home is a major undertaking even for the most skilled builders. However, through collaboration, training, and collective working practices, the process can be significantly demystified, allowing far more people to consider playing an active role in building all or part of their new home themselves. 


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