Bristol City Council has resolved to grant planning permission and listed building consent for a mixed workspace, new homes and a new retail and food offering within a 2.25 acre site in the Old Market area.

The new district will comprise two new buildings alongside the sensitive restoration of the Grade II listed Soapworks building, originally a soap factory dating back to the 1860s, set within an enhanced public realm.

It will deliver 140,000 sq ft of flexible workspace, up to 243 build-to-rent homes and space for independent shops, including Bristol’s first purpose-built food hall.

Lucinda Mitchell, Project Director at First Base, said: “We are excited to move forward with the regeneration of the Soapworks site, which will restore one of Bristol’s landmark buildings and create a new green mixed-use district in the heart of the city.

“The scheme will help drive Bristol’s economic recovery from Covid-19 by delivering the modern flexible workspace needed in the city, where demand in the past twelve months has been strong as corporates shift to a decentralised ‘hub and spoke’ office model.

“We are already seeing strong demand for the workspace and homes and look forward to working with Bristol City Council and the local community to deliver this exciting project.”