ABSTRACT
Ashley Vale is a unique place in Bristol. It has a city farm, allotments, a permaculture project in Boiling Wells and the farm cafe sells locally sourced foods – all surrounded by tiny smallholdings, light-industrial units and ‘glamping’ opportunities. Ashley Vale is unusual in that the whole development sits on a concrete slab in a deep valley surrounded by allotments. Formerly it was an industrial warehouse site. It was decided to build poured concrete foundations directly on top of the slab to save money, with blockwork piers on top. Bristol is home to a wide range of building types – and Ashley Vale simply supplies another, different building type. The ‘Homezone’ scheme in the street leading up to Ashley Vale has also considerably improved the appearance of the street by installing planters and organising parking all on one side.
