Developers Urban Splash are being very coy about where their new luxury ‘Lake Shore’ residential development actually is.
The site of the former Imperial Tobacco factory, nestled charmingly between a dual carriageway and some out-of-town retail sheds, is usually described as being in Hartcliffe although it’s also very near to Hengrove and maybe even Whitchurch.
You’d not know this from the copious advertising the developers have plastered across Bristol recently though. Their preferred euphemism for the development’s whereabouts is “fifteen minutes south of Bristol City Centre”. What are Urban Splash trying to hide?
Nearby residents, meanwhile, are beginning to pick up on the marketing techniques at work here and are becoming concerned about what may be coming their way. Afterall the original Imperial factory, just a generation ago, was sold as a big business, long term “investment” in the area and look how that turned out. Here’s what a resident said to The Cancer recently:
I think it’s great that this site has finally been developed. However, what are the developers doing regarding offering locals (say, currently living within 3 miles of the site) the opportunity to buy any of the apartments? I think it’s great that prices are starting at under £100K but can see these being snapped up by investors and those who are first time buyers etc being left out of luck.
Claire, Bristol
I had to chuckle at this article as I’m one of the team behind Lake Shore marketing! the basic facts are if we put ‘Hartcliffe’ then only people from around the Bristol area will know where that area is (and it is Hartcliffe not Hengrove check BS13 7TJ in google) we are targeting our advertising across the whole of the SW and even London as well as locally so a clear message needs to be broadcast across all media. 15 minutes from the South of Bristol City Centre is 100% accurate so we’re not hiding anything, infact were proud that this project is in Hartcliffe and will serve as a catalyst for the area, hopefully the same as we have done in Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and many other areas across the country. We are launching our project from Bridewell (the old fire station which we have acquired) on 06.10.07, this is our open public sales where anyone can come see our models, plans, sales staff and purchase an apartment. I urge anyone who has any queries to come on down and have a chat with us and we can go through the scheme fully, there’s nothing to hide! infact it would be hard to hide a development the size of this and we are making a massive investment into this area ensuring it will be a success. Check our website to see what we have done in the past and how we have delivered similar schemes of this size and look forward to speaking to people on the launch day.
Sorry, I cannot agree with your poster John. I used to work in those offices in the late 1980s you’ve now converted: the site was always known as Wills’ Hartcliffe. Urban Splash’s description is nothing but obfuscation to hide from prospective punters where it is: stuck between what they would consider the less than desirable council estates of Knowle West, Hartcliffe and Withywood – places Urban Splash’s customers would not even venture into in daylight.
I dont want to get drawn into any debate about the site or anyones perception of what is an ‘urban splash customer’ is, i have my own views and truly believe that splash have never dodged the location of any of their schemes, time will tell and the site was officially known as Imperial House, but that was then… this is now and time to start and a new era for the site
John
It may be a new era and start for you, but a large proportion of Bristolians have very long memories indeed. What you are trying to do for marketing purposes is none other than a revision of history of which Stalin would have been proud. You can rename your developments to whatever you like, but to a large part of the Bristol population the site will always be associated with the whiff of tobacco and the W. D. & H. O. Wills.
cool! selling flats in hartcliffe to flash know-nothing londoners. Good Luck!
I think its brilliant that some upper class is being pumped into our area. I live in bishopsworth and cant stand some of the people and areas in hartcliffe, knowle west etc. We shouldnt be arguing against it but encouraging. There not destroying our heritage or memories, there all still there and always will be. My nan worked in the factory in its former glory and shes happy that the building will no longer be rotting with rust, being vandilised and graphiteed all over but finaly being used, and used well!
so stop all your moaning, and urban splash, continue to keep up the good work!
p.s. to all your comments about not putting hartcliffe or knowle west etc, like i said above the areas are going down the drain and only getting worse, everyone noes it and i wouldnt want to buy anything in those areas, so yea put hengrove, whitchurch or 15 minutes from town. when you sell something you put the pluses about it, no the MAJOR downfalls…
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