Award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group and Goram Homes, Bristol City Council's housebuilding company, have officially broken ground at Baltic Wharf, marking the start of construction on a major new harbourside neighbourhood that will deliver 166 new homes, including 40% affordable housing, on Bristol's harbourside.

The event was attended by Councillor Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council, and Councillor Barry Parsons, Chair of the Homes and Housing Delivery Committee, alongside colleagues from Bristol City Council and representatives from Hill, Goram Homes, SNG (Sovereign Network Group), and Homes England.

Delivered through a joint venture between Hill and Goram Homes, the development will provide 66 affordable homes, owned and managed by SNG. Of these, 50 will be for social rent, the most affordable form of housing, and 16 will be available for shared ownership.

Cllr Barry Parsons, Chair of the Homes and Housing Delivery Committee, said: “I was delighted to attend the groundbreaking at Baltic Wharf. These will be homes for everyone, not just the wealthy, giving people the chance to build their lives together right in the heart of Bristol. And this is only happening because we're working together to build affordable and social rent homes.

“The groundbreaking brings us a step closer to delivering much-needed new and affordable homes that Bristol urgently requires. This milestone is a great example of what can be achieved through strong collaboration. Together, the council, Goram Homes, and The Hill Group are transforming a challenging brownfield site into a vibrant new neighbourhood, right in the heart of our city.

“This development reflects the council's ongoing commitment to tackling Bristol's housing crisis by creating high-quality, sustainable homes that genuinely meet local need.”

Andy Hill OBE, Founder and Group Chief Executive of The Hill Group, comments: “We are delighted to mark the start of construction at Baltic Wharf, a development that will transform this prominent brownfield site into a sustainable and inclusive new neighbourhood. Working in partnership with Goram Homes and Bristol City Council, we are creating publicly accessible landscaped open spaces in the area that was previously closed off. We look forward to delivering high-quality homes and vibrant public spaces that will enrich Bristol's harbourside for generations to come.”

Stephen Baker, Managing Director of Goram Homes, said: “Breaking ground at Baltic Wharf is a significant milestone for our partnership with The Hill Group and for Bristol. Together, we're unlocking a complex site to deliver much-needed homes, 40% of which will be affordable. These homes are also beautifully designed and energy efficient. Baltic Wharf demonstrates that with an innovative approach, there are solutions for addressing Bristol's housing crisis even in the very heart of the city.”

James Gibson, Regional Managing Director at SNG (Sovereign Network Group), said: “It's fantastic to see work starting on this important development at Baltic Wharf. SNG is proud to be providing 66 affordable homes of which 50 will be available for social rent and 16 through shared ownership, helping more people access quality housing in a highly desirable location. Through our partnership with The Hill Group and Goram Homes, we're supporting Bristol's long-term housing goals and creating homes that people can be proud of.”

A new neighbourhood for Spike Island

Located on Spike Island, this new neighbourhood will feature one, two and three-bedroom apartments, flexible commercial spaces, and beautifully landscaped public areas. The development will transform a previously restricted section of the harbourside into a publicly accessible open space with new social and community areas. Plans include a café and flexible commercial spaces, creating a vibrant destination for residents and visitors alike. The development will reconnect the River Avon with the Floating Harbour, establishing new pedestrian links and outdoor spaces for the wider community to enjoy.

Designed with sustainability in mind, the development will feature energy-efficient measures such as green roofs, air-source heat pumps, solar PV panels, and extensive cycle storage.

Centrally located, homes at Baltic Wharf will offer excellent connectivity to public transport, local amenities, and employment opportunities, being just a 10-minute cycle from Temple Meads station and close to a Metrobus link, encouraging reduced car use.

Baltic Wharf has been supported by a £2.4 million grant from HM Government's Brownfield Land Release Fund, delivered by the One Public Estate (OPE) programme. This national initiative helps councils unlock and regenerate brownfield land to kickstart the delivery of new homes.

The first homes at Baltic Wharf will be available from spring 2027.

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Image caption: Cllr. Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council (third from left), alongside members of the Council's housing team and representatives of the core project delivery team for Baltic Wharf.

About The Hill Group

The Hill Group is a top 10 housebuilder* and one of the leading developers in London, the home counties, and the South. The company is renowned for its partnership ethos, specialising in the building of distinctive new places and communities where people want to live, work, and socialise.

In its 26th year, this family-run company has grown to establish itself as the UK's second-largest privately-owned housebuilder, with an impressive and diverse portfolio of projects ranging from landmark, mixed-use regenerations, and inner-city apartment developments to homes in rural communities.

Employing over 950 people, the company operates from five strategically located regional offices including Bristol and Abingdon to help facilitate growth in the South West and the Midlands, with its head office based in Waltham Abbey, Essex.

Hill completed more than 2,800 homes in the last financial year and has a development pipeline of over 32,000 homes, including 10,200 with planning consent. Around half of its portfolio is in joint ventures to deliver a range of mixed-tenure developments, reflecting Hill's commitment to partnerships with government, local authorities, housing associations, and private clients.

Since the company was founded in 1999, Hill has won over 500 industry awards, including the esteemed title of WhatHouse? Housebuilder of the Year in 2015, 2020 and 2023. Most recently in 2024, Millside Grange in Croxley Green won The Standard's Homes & Property Award for Best Commuter Home.

Hill's dedication to delivering the highest quality homes and exceptional customer service has earned the housebuilder its 5-star status in the Home Builders Federation's annual Customer Satisfaction Survey for the past eight years. Hill is a registered developer with the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) and follows the New Homes Quality Code (NHQC), a new industry standard to ensure high-quality homes and an exceptional customer experience. With a score of 4.8 out of 5, Hill is also ranked as the number one housebuilder on Trustpilot.

In addition, Hill is donating 200 fully equipped modular homes to local authorities and homeless charities as part of a £15 million pledge through its Foundation 200 programme, launched in 2019 to mark Hill's 20th anniversary.

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For more information, contact The Oracle Group PR Agency on Tel: 020 8394 2821 or hill@oraclepr.co.uk

*The Hill Group was listed within the top 10 of the Top 150 UK Contractors and Housebuilders published by Building.co.uk in December 2024