A pair of new houses in Kingswood have stirred controversy over their location and appearance.
The detached properties, built in a narrow lane beside the Golden Kebab on Two Mile Hill Road, have been described as “vile” and “ridiculous” on social media.
One Facebook user wrote: “Unbelievable that this was allowed.”
Bristol City Council originally rejected the planning application for the homes, but they were approved following appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.
Estate agent Nexa Bristol had been advertising the three-bedroom properties for sale, but they are currently off the market until new carpets are laid.
Pictures of the exterior of one of the houses were posted on Facebook group ‘Kingswood As It Was’ last month, prompting more than 140 comments.
Some negative comments took aim at the appearance of the houses, with some suggesting they do not complement nearby buildings.
One person wrote: “That’s really in-keeping with the historic look of the buildings either side of it, not! Looks very odd.”
Yet some people were more sympathetic to the properties. One poster suggested “sometimes it’s good to be different”, while another noted they “don’t see a problem”.
Nexa Bristol managing director Jake Grady told Bristol Live he views the houses as “high-quality, detached homes” with generous bedrooms.
He also praised their location, pointing out they are near the high street and “fairly close” to the Avon Ring Road.
However, he said he understood why some people were scratching their heads over the houses’ location.
“They’re probably not similar to the surrounding buildings but, at the end of the day, they’re surrounded by period buildings and we just don’t build that type of property anymore,” he said.
The house next to the kebab shop was previously advertised with an asking price of £275,000, while the one behind it - next to an old church car park - had a price of £295,000.
The Planning Inspectorate did not wish to comment when approached by Bristol Live. Bristol City Council was contacted for comment.
