Plans for a viewing platform that would lift visitors 69 metres above the streets of Bristol have been recommended for rejection at a planning meeting next week.
We The Curious, an educational charity that runs a science and arts venue in the city, lodged proposals last year for the Arc, a viewing platform that would operate from its building near Millennium Square by Bristol’s harbourside.
The scheme would see a 42-passenger cabin lifted by two carbon fibre masts, with a “pilot” giving visitors information on the history of Bristol as it ascends. Funding partner Trevor Osborne said in the scheme’s planning statement that the Arc would be “equally original and accessible” as the London Eye.
We The Curious said the Arc could attract 250,000 visitors a year to the harbourside, with a total annual spend of £13.3m.
Council planning officers acknowledged in their report that the Arc would provide public, educational and cultural benefits and would add to the city’s tourist destinations. Nonetheless, they said that the plans would cause harm to heritage assets in the City Docks Conservation Area and have recommended refusal.
The council’s City Design Group objected to the plan, arguing that it “fails to meet policies relating to good quality inclusive design, public realm and designated heritage assets”. Historic England also objected on heritage grounds.
Local parties, however, have spoken in support of the plans, including Bristol Cathedral which said the Arc would offer “a fabulous new view of the cathedral to visitors and the people of Bristol”.
Bristol Chamber of Commerce & Initiative also supports the scheme, as do Destination Bristol and the city centre’s business improvement district.
We The Curious chief executive Donna Speed said: “As we move towards reopening, we’re starting to look to the future, and as part of that, Arc will be an important part of our financial recovery after the difficult year we have just faced.
“Closing for a full year has had a major impact on us, with significant redundancies and a loss of £3.4m revenue. We have faced some real challenges. We now need a really robust and sustainable way out of this difficult situation, and Arc is key to that.”
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