Work has begun to build a number of assisted living properties on the site of the former Chief Trading Post cafe and shop in Oldland Common, with plans recently given the go-ahead for other 'affordable' family homes to be built on the development, too. The site was cleared of its old building structures, including the vast greenhouses that housed many of the Chief Trading Post's wares, in 2023.
Now the redevelopment is well underway, with Elim Housing building six bungalows at the location on Barry Road, for people with learning disabilities, autism and complex care needs who may currently be in hospital or at risk of hospital admission. It comes as social housing provider Alliance Homes, who is working alongside Countryside Partnerships, was officially granted planning permission by South Gloucestershire Council to build 48 'affordable' homes here.
The plans were changed in 2023 to make all properties on site affordable, and plans propose a mix of mainly two and three-bedroom homes, with a small number of one-bed and four-bed properties, too. According to the official Alliance Homes sales page, the "beautiful development on the edge of the countryside' will be named 'Trading Post Way'".
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Alliance Homes describes the development as being 'modern living in the country' and says: "Located in Oldland Common Village, close to both Bristol and Bath and just a short journey from Longwell Green retail complex, Alliance Homes is creating a mix of homes that will include apartments, bungalows and houses, all within close proximity to Keynsham Railway Station (a five-minute drive) and access to the Bristol/Bath cycle path a short distance away."
Prospective buyers are already being invited to register their interest via the website here.
The assisted living properties, for which there was recently a 'breaking ground ceremony' to mark the start of the build, are part of Elim Housing's first new-build 'Transforming Care' scheme. The project is being funded by NHS England and Homes England as part of what is being dubbed an 'innovative joint approach'.
South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet Member for Adults and Homes, Cllr John O’Neil, said: “I am delighted to be able to see this project getting underway. A safe and stable home with the wraparound support people here will need will make all the difference to so many futures.
"These homes represent the opportunity for a transition to independent lives and I look forward to seeing them complete and to the first residents moving in as part of their life’s journey.”
The scheme will house six individuals - one in each of the self-contained bungalows - and will feature solar panels, air source heat pumps and green roof, to make it as sustainable as possible. The interiors offer carefully designed rooms complete with rounded corners and muted colour palettes.
The site also includes space for separate staff units to allow for 24-hour support, in order to provide residents in the assisted living properties with a 'safe, stable and supportive' place to live.
What about proposed plans for a GP surgery and a new Chief Trading Post shop and cafe?
Developers at Deeley Freed told BristolLive back in 2023 that the Chief Trading Post retail shop and café will be delivered by the Chief's owner who, at the time, was "seeking to amend the design". Construction was initially expected to start on the new retail site last year, but the entire development has faced its fair share of delays beyond its control.
Speaking to BristolLive a spokesperson for Deeley Freed confirmed that the new retail premises "is being developed/operated by the existing owner of the Chief Trading Post" and so, with the rest of the plans being given the go ahead by the council - and with space still set aside for it on site - it seems likely that a new, albeit slightly smaller, Chief Trading Post would return to the area as part of the development.
BristolLive has made several attempts to contact the last-known owner of the Chief Trading Post to confirm this information.
Deeley Freed also told BristolLive that, with Alliance Homes and Countryside Partnerships taking on the main residential element of the site - and the assisted living properties being developed by Elim Housing - Deeley Freed are now only responsible for the remaining parcel of land.
This has outline planning permission for a health or community facility, but developers do not have any further updates on this part of the site at time of writing.
