Bristol Development Corporation
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The corporation was established as part of an initiative by the future Deputy Prime Minister, Michael Heseltine, in 1988 during the Third Thatcher ministry.[1] Board members were directly appointed by the minister and overrode local authority planning controls to spend government money on infrastructure. This was a controversial measure in Labour strongholds such as East London, Merseyside and North East England.[2][3]
The formation of the corporation was delayed for 18 months as a result of a petition from Bristol City Council to the House of Lords.[4] Its flagship developments included the Bristol Spine Road linking the M32 and the A4,[5][6] which allowed developments such as the Avonmeads Retail Park and the Castle Court Retail Park to proceed.[7][8] During its lifetime 1,300,000 square feet (120,000 m2) of non-housing development and 676 housing units were built. Around 4,825 jobs were created and some £235m of private finance was leveraged in. Circa 180 acres (0.73 km2) of derelict land was reclaimed and 4.1 miles (6.6 km) of new road and footpaths put in place.[9]
The Chairman was Christopher Thomas and the Chief Executive was Miles Collinge.[10] It was dissolved in 1995.[11]
References
- ↑ "The Bristol Development Corporation (Area and Constitution) Order 1988". Legislation.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ↑ Parkinson, Michael; Duffy, James (1984). Government's Response to Inner-City Riots: The Minister for Merseyside and the Task Force. Vol. 37. Parliamentary Affairs. pp. 76–96.
- ↑ Crick, Michael (1997). Michael Heseltine: A Biography. Hamish Hamilton. p. 238. ISBN 978-0241136911.
- ↑ "The Bristol Development Corporation is now in business". Evening Post. 2 March 1990.
- ↑ "Bristol Development Corporation unveils £500 million regeneration scheme". Construction News. 12 July 1990. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
The key element to the success of Bristol Development Corporation's plans is the £55 million spine road
- ↑ "Spine Road vital to success of Bristol's regeneration". 31 May 1991. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ↑ Imrie, Rob; Thomas, Huw; Oatley, Nick; May, Andrew. "'Out of Touch, out of Place, out of Time': A Valediction for Bristol Development Corporation". British Urban Policy: An Evaluation of the Urban Development Corporations. doi:10.4135/9781446218907.n8.
- ↑ "Wilson Connolly gets nod in Bristol – leisure development approved. The Bristol Development Corporation has approved a £15 million leisure development on Avon Meads and Castle Court". Construction News. 19 August 1993. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ↑ "Impact of Urban Development Corporations in Leeds, Bristol & Central Manchester". Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. 18 November 1998. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
- ↑ "Hard sell to lure £1 billion; Bristol". The Times. 29 May 1991. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ↑ "The Bristol Development Corporation (Dissolution) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2018.