Welcome to Timber Mills
Urban regeneration in the heart of Fishponds
Welcome to Timber Mills
Urban regeneration in the heart of Fishponds
Welcome to Timber Mills
Urban regeneration in the heart of Fishponds
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Castel Developments is excited to share our vision for Timber Mills – a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform an underused brownfield site into a vibrant new neighbourhood with homes, jobs, green spaces, and community facilities.

Our project is positioned to unlock millions in private investment to elevate Bristol’s Fishponds and Hillfields area. This is our chance to create a model urban development for Bristol – one that goes above and beyond to meet the needs of tomorrow while setting a new standard for future development citywide.

Where is Timber Mills?

The Timber Mills location on Goodneston Road offers excellent transport links, just a short cycle from Stapleton Road Station, with connections to Bristol. It creates a walkable extension of Fishponds, promoting active travel. Positioned by the Bristol and Bath Railway Path, it supports a greener, more connected community and boosts local jobs and businesses. 

Find out how our proposals will rejuvenate this part of Fishponds and Hillfields into a new thriving neighbourhood to live, work and play. 

FAQ: Timber Mills benefits from excellent transport links, but how will the local network cope with new residents?

Timber Mills is well-connected to buses, cycle routes, shops, and community facilities

About Castel

We are a company rooted in the community. For over fifty years, the family behind Castel has been an active part of Fishponds and Hillfields, historically running a timber business on Fishponds Road, the inspiration behind the site name Timber Mills.

We were instrumental in bringing forward sites for Morrisons supermarket, Buzz Bingo, and Oakwood Park in Fishponds. In the 2000s, they acquired the land at Goodneston Road with an ambition to regenerate the former industrial site into a sustainable development to benefit the Fishponds and Hillfields community.

Help shape Timber Mills

We want Timber Mills to reflect the needs and priorities of Fishponds – and that starts with your feedback. Our public consultation ran from 17 March to 11 April 2025, and the input received during this time will shape our final plans before we submit a planning application to Bristol City Council later this year.

During our consultation, we held two in-person drop-in events on Friday 21 March 2025 and Saturday 22 March 2025 at Fishponds Old Library, Fishponds Road.

For those who couldn’t attend our events in person, you can view our consultation event information boards at the link below.

View information boards

Get updates and stay connected

We are a company rooted in the community. For over fifty years, the family behind Castel has been an active part of Fishponds and Hillfields, historically running a timber business on Fishponds Road, the inspiration behind the site name Timber Mills.

Contact information

NEW NEIGHBOURHOOD

2091

Building for the Future 

Fishponds currently has mostly lower-density housing (30-40 homes per hectare), which increases car dependency, congestion, and limits public transport options. To create better-connected communities, Bristol City Council is planning for new developments with around 100 homes per hectare—helping to improve transport links and support local services. 

With limited land for new housing, it’s important to build efficiently. The Atlas Place Framework carefully balances density across three development sites, ensuring a mix of housing types and green spaces. 

Timber Mills will play a key role in this vision, delivering a well-designed, higher-density neighbourhood at 260 homes per hectare. While this may seem high in isolation, it forms part of a broader plan that creates a diverse and well-balanced community. 

Why higher-density, well-planned developments work 

 

  • Maximising brownfield land – Supports regeneration in Fishponds and Hillfields while freeing up space for parks, community hubs, and recreational areas.
  • Better sustainability – Compact, energy-efficient buildings reduce urban sprawl and environmental impact.
  • Improved transport & mobility – Higher density encourages walking, cycling, and public transport use, reducing car dependency.

How Timber Mills delivers balanced density 

Key activities at BWT which could be supported include:

  • Marshalling & Integration of turbine components
  • Assembly of steel sub-structures
  • Construction of concrete sub-structures
  • Wet Storage
  • Station Keeping System (SKS) – Anchors and mooring lines
  • Inter Array Cable (IAC) and
    Operations and Maintenance (O&M)

As part of the development, BPC will also create over 400 acres of habitat compensation – equivalent to about 250 football pitches – at its site on the Steart Peninsula.

BPC will play a pivotal role in the construction of BWT which will span over 125 acres of land, together with additional land for storage and supporting activities in Avonmouth Dock and Royal Portbury Dock.

The new deep-water terminal will include a 750m quay wall, slipway and breakwater and will have wet storage facilities for both integrated and unintegrated sub-structures.

2024
Consenting commenced
2027
Construction due to start
2030
Operations due to commence