Your say / Bristol Arena
‘A Filton arena could accommodate big acts, whilst keeping the city gridlock-free’
Bristol is a fast-paced, vibrant, successful city. As we approach a crucial decision point in our city’s history, with the mayor’s much-anticipated announcement on the arena, we reflect on the events that have occurred over the past few months that will influence that decision.
Last year, there was only one serious option for the arena, Arena Island at Temple Meads.
After many years of false starts and endless debates over the need and location, the arena project at Temple Meads is now readily deliverable at a known, if fluctuating, cost to the city. Due to site restrictions, the arena would be limited to a capacity of 10-12,000 with, in effect, zero parking spaces.
is needed now More than ever
Good transport links would go some way to alleviating this issue, but the larger concerts would put considerable pressure on Bristol’s already grid-locked rush hour traffic and supply of parking spaces both before and after the event.
Since the ‘original decision’ was made on the Arena Island location, there have been at least three significant events which have implications on the ‘new decision’.
The Arena Island site could play host to a conference centre if the arena is not built there.
Firstly, and most significantly, a development company, YTL, purchased the Filton Airfield site for redevelopment, principally as housing. The airfield lies within the boundary of South Gloucestershire Council. Part of the site, however, including the iconic Brabazon Hangers, falls within Bristol’s city boundary.
The hangars are vast, and vacant, and can easily accommodate a 16-17,000-capacity arena with associated servicing, food outlets, and, crucially, parking space for up to 3,500 cars.
There is a railway line passing directly in front of the building with proposals for a new station and MetroBus hub, and there are good road links to the motorway system.
YTL have to find a use for the hangars or demolish them. The developers have produced exciting, functional plans for the conversion, fully utilising the form of the existing buildings to provide a serviced venue capable of accommodating the largest international acts, whilst potentially keeping the city gridlock-free. They propose to provide and operate the arena at minimal cost to the city.
…………………………
Read more: Bristol Uni gain outline planning permission for new campus
…………………………
Secondly, Bristol University has acquired the old Royal Mail Sorting Office site at Temple Meads and is building a new university campus there, including a business school. This will be a much needed upgrade for this eyesore site, which is directly connected to Temple Meads and Arena Island, and will attract links with businesses locally, nationally and internationally.
This investment by Bristol University has led to significant event number three, a proposal by L&G for a bespoke conference centre, which would include a hotel complex, housing and services. This would be located on Arena Island, if the arena went to Filton.
The city currently has a number of conference facilities for up to 1,000 people, but no facility for accommodating larger conferences to which the city should aspire. A conference centre would provide a good fit with the new university campus. The majority of conference guests tend to stay over, so they would provide custom to city centre hotels and businesses, whereas the majority of concert goers are day trippers.
The new conference centre would also be provided and operated by the developer at minimal cost to the city.
We strongly support the arena, and we also support the idea of a full-size conference centre. Is this the right time to take the decision to get both, and really put the city of Bristol on the map?
As the mayor contemplates the public, financial and political ramifications of making ‘The’ decision, he can take some comfort from the opportunities afforded to him by recent developments.
Perhaps most importantly, these proposals come at minimal cost to the public purse, giving the opportunity to reinvest the funds originally allocated to the arena into essential infrastructure projects, including road improvements, transport links, new housing and flood alleviation works.
Steve Davis RIBA
Stephen Davis is senior director at NOMA Architects and has been involved in many projects across the city, working previously as an attraction designer at Legoland Windsor. He has been a president of Bristol Round Table and is currently a member of the Bristol and Bath branch of the RIBA, Bristol DAC and the Bristol Heritage Forum.
Read more: ‘This is an instance where Bristol may be able to have its cake and eat it too’
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
