Park development given go-ahead

Hengrove Park spans 200 acres (81 hectares)

Planning permission to help transform a disadvantaged area of Bristol has been granted by the city council.

Funding partners for the Hengrove Park development include the city council, the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) and the government.

The scheme includes new road access, services, landscaping, open spaces and parking facilities.

A £45m NHS community hospital, a leisure centre and a skills academy will also be built.

Peter Holloway, development manager at the South West of England Regional Development Agency, said: "The implications of this development on south Bristol, and the whole region, are significant.

"Hengrove Park is the centrepiece of a major regeneration programme that will lead a local, sustainable economy, creating a thriving living and working environment."