Key Points
- 100% Affordable Delivery: All 130 homes in Phase One of The Fosseway estate in Hengrove, South Bristol, will now be delivered as 100 per cent affordable housing.
- Major Housing Association Acquisition: Housing association Abri has stepped in to acquire the complete first phase of the development from council-owned housing company Goram Homes and private developer partner Vistry.
- Focus on Social Rents: Almost three-quarters of the Phase One properties will be made available at ‘social rent’ levels to local residents currently on the Bristol City Council housing waiting list.
- Shared Ownership Provision: The remaining properties within Phase One will be offered under shared ownership schemes to assist local first-time buyers.
- Former School Brownfield Site: The development is situated on the site of the former New Fosseway School, which has lain vacant since the institution relocated to the Bridge Learning Campus in Hartcliffe in 2009.
- Broader Masterplan Scale: The full site masterplan will deliver 200 homes across two phases, creating a multi-generational neighbourhood.
- Extra-Care Specialist Phase Two: Phase Two of the scheme will feature 70 affordable extra-care units dedicated to older residents, to be managed by specialist housing provider Anchor.
South Bristol (Bristol Express News) August 24, 2026 — A landmark agreement has been officially struck between council-owned developer Goram Homes, housebuilder Vistry, and housing association Abri, ensuring that every single property being constructed on the site of a former South Bristol school will now be delivered as affordable housing. Under the terms of the newly negotiated deal, all 130 properties comprising Phase One of The Fosseway housing development in Hengrove have been acquired by Abri. The vast majority of these homes—nearly three-quarters of the total—will be made available at social rent levels, aimed directly at rehousing local residents who are currently registered on Bristol City Council’s housing waiting list. The land, which was historically occupied by the New Fosseway School prior to its closure in 2009, was initially transferred to Goram Homes, which secured planning consent before entering into a joint venture partnership with developer Vistry to undertake construction.
What is the full scope of the revised Hengrove housing agreement?
The original strategy for The Fosseway development anticipated a split-tenure model. Under early joint venture arrangements between Goram Homes and Vistry, half of the 130 Phase One homes were scheduled for open-market sale, while the remaining 50 per cent were earmarked for affordable tenures. However, following the intervention and full acquisition by Abri, the entirety of Phase One has been converted to non-market tenures.
As reported by Bristol24/7 news desk, the first wave of properties within Phase One is now nearing structural completion. Once both development phases are fully handed over, the site off New Fosseway Road will feature a diversified mix of accommodation, ranging from one- and two-bedroom apartments to two-, three-, and four-bedroom family houses.
The second phase of the development will add another 70 affordable extra-care units, specifically designed to support older residents. These specialized units are being brought forward by Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for older people. As detailed in project planning documents, Phase Two will also integrate public communal facilities, including landscaped gardens and a dedicated community restaurant accessible to the wider public. Combined across both phases, the entire 200-home estate will operate as a 100 per cent affordable housing scheme.
How have project stakeholders and civic leaders reacted to the deal?
Civic leaders and housing officials have publicly welcomed the deal as a significant intervention in South Bristol’s ongoing housing affordability crisis.
As reported by Bristol24/7, Councillor Barry Parsons, Chair of Bristol City Council’s Homes and Housing Delivery Committee, emphasised the severity of the local situation, stating:
“We need to do everything we can to increase the supply of genuinely affordable homes.”
Parsons further noted that:
“This agreement is excellent news for the city and demonstrates what can be achieved when the council, housing associations and the private sector work together with a shared purpose.”
He highlighted that the final scheme would successfully establish a “truly multi-generational neighbourhood” bringing together young families, first-time buyers, and elderly citizens within a single sustainable community.
Speaking on behalf of the council’s housing arm, Stephen Baker, Managing Director of Goram Homes, reinforced the strategic objective of the company. As reported by Bristol24/7, Baker stated:
“Our ambition has always been to maximise the contribution this development can make to meeting Bristol’s housing needs.”
Baker added:
“Thanks to this agreement with Abri, every home across The Fosseway will now be affordable, helping to meet the high demand for these homes in south Bristol.”
Political representatives have also engaged directly with the site’s transformation. As documented by Goram Homes, Karin Smyth, the Labour Member of Parliament for Bristol South, recently conducted a site visit to inspect construction progress and evaluate the delivery of much-needed affordable units in her constituency.
What is the history and background of the New Fosseway site?
The development site carries significant historical context within Hengrove’s civic infrastructure. For several decades, the parcel of land situated just off Wells Road housed the New Fosseway School, a special educational needs institution serving pupils across South Bristol. In 2009, as part of a broader reorganisation of local educational provisions by Bristol City Council, the school closed its doors at the Hengrove site and relocated its operations to join the newly established Bridge Learning Campus in nearby uk/local/hartcliffe/">Hartcliffe.
Following the departure of the school, the land sat disused and vacant for over a decade, representing a substantial brownfield plot amidst a residential area. To bring the site back into active use, the land was formally transferred from council control into the portfolio of Goram Homes—the arms-length municipal housing company established by Bristol City Council to accelerate residential construction on public land. Goram Homes navigated the site through the statutory planning process, securing outline approval for a residential masterplan designed to replace the derelict school buildings with high-density, energy-efficient housing.
To execute the physical build, Goram Homes entered into a joint venture partnership with national housebuilder Vistry, which assumed the role of development manager and main building contractor. The initial financial structure required a portion of open-market sales to cross-subsidise the required affordable elements. However, the strategic partnership secured with Abri in 2026 successfully removed the necessity for private market sales, re-orienting the entire site output towards social housing and affordable shared ownership tenures.
What is the future prediction for local residents and the housing market?
The complete conversion of The Fosseway into a 100 per cent affordable estate is projected to have immediate and long-term socio-economic effects on the South Bristol community and the broader local housing landscape.
For households currently on Bristol’s housing register, this development will deliver a direct influx of social-rented homes. With nearly three-quarters of Phase One allocated specifically for council waiting list applicants, dozens of local families facing housing insecurity, overcrowding, or temporary accommodation will secure long-term, secure tenancies at sub-market rents. Furthermore, the inclusion of shared ownership options through Abri provides a realistic pathway onto the property ladder for local first-time buyers who have been priced out of the private market due to elevated interest rates and high local house prices.
From a community demographics perspective, pairing Phase One’s family homes with Phase Two’s 70 extra-care older adult units will create an integrated, multi-generational neighborhood. Elderly residents will gain access to modern, supported living environments that enable them to downsize within their local area, potentially freeing up under-occupied family housing elsewhere in South Bristol.
Finally, the project serves as a practical model for municipal housing delivery in Bristol. By combining public land assets (Goram Homes), private construction delivery (Vistry), and registered provider capital (Abri and Anchor), local authorities can maximize affordable output on public brownfield land. As nearby mega-projects like Hengrove Park progress, the financial model applied at The Fosseway is likely to influence future joint-venture arrangements across the city.
