A disused car repair workshop in south Bristol is set to be given a new lease of life.
The team behind Towed Town Camping, a quirky camping-inspired hotel in St Philips, have secured planning permission to transform the building formerly home MJJ Autos Ltd in Southville into an 11-bedroom hostel.
Tucked away on Booth Road just off North Street, the warehouse has been derelict for years after the closure of the garage, but work on turning the space into new accommodation is due to begin in spring 2021.
When the conversion is complete the site will be home to 11 bedroom suites with a total of 22 bed spaces, including bathroom facilities, shared communal space, shared kitchenette and cycle storage.
Architects Childs Sulzmann, writing to Bristol City Council on behalf of the operators, said: "Towed Town aim to introduce quirky and interesting accommodation offerings within disused or undervalued buildings in a way that breathes new life into not only the buildings, but the surrounding area.
"Their ambition is to provide affordable accommodation, in interesting locations and in interesting ways.
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"Where others would tend to demolish buildings, Towed Town Camping seek to retain them, helping to reduce their carbon footprint and retain local character.
"Globally, there is a growing trend of alternative and quirky accommodation. Towed Town Camping is helping bring that trend to Bristol in a way that, unlike many Airbnbs, does not put pressure on the local housing supply."
The plans, which were approved by Bristol City Council earlier this year, say the aim for the site is to provide a "slightly more formalised option to guests" than that offered at St Philips, which sees five caravans in a warehouse each kitted out with a double bed, TV, wifi and an en-suite with a private shower.
Bedroom suites at Booth Road will be "more typical of a hostel but constructed out of low-cost timber partitions and decorated in a similar quirky, informal style to that of Towed Town Camping".
The accommodation will be self-catered and will centre around a large communal area at ground floor.
Sustainability consultants Eight Associates added that the aspiration for the scheme is to "significantly improve the existing site and its immediate environment by providing an efficient and inclusive development".
Towed Town Camping was launched by Emma Reynolds and Fred Wyatt three years ago, after the couple noticed a lack of affordable short-term accommodation in Bristol city centre.
Buoyed by the success of their debut venture, they hope to open their new accommodation in autumn next year.
Emma said: "We're really excited to start work on the project next year and hope to welcome our first guests in September 2021.
"It's such a fantastic location between North Street and East Street and we think it will be a really exciting addition for the BS3 community, at a site which has been derelict for years."
