The marketing of a new development of apartments in Bristol has been described as ‘wrong’ by the local councillor for the area, after those selling the properties highlighted the spiralling costs of rents, the ‘chronic shortage’ of homes, and how much money buy-to-let landlords would make, as plus points. A company called Alliance Investments has begun marketing apartments at the controversial Chocolate Factory development in Greenbank, targeting buy-to-let investors by promoting how much they will be able to charge in rent and earn from the properties. That sparked a fierce backlash among many in Bristol who are at the sharp end of the housing crisis, and the local councillor said the kind of thing being promoted by the agents is causing homelessness or forcing people to move out of their community.
Read more: Inside Bristol's biggest student halls with 900 rooms Read next: Labour mayor or Tory austerity - the blame game over Bristol council housing scandal The Chocolate Factory development in the Easton area of Bristol has been one of the city’s longest-running sagas, covering issues of urban renewal, gentrification, affordable housing and property prices and rents. Back in 2017 and 2018, the plans for the derelict former Elizabeth Shaw Chocolate Factory became a touchstone for the issues around the housing crisis. Developers won planning permission to turn the factory and the land around it into 140 new homes, despite none of them being classed as ‘affordable�.