Bristol Arena: U-turns, rows and Covid lead to decades of delay
After more than 20 years of promises, bitter rows and tens of millions of pounds spent, the prospect of a music arena in Bristol is inching closer. The chief executive of the company behind the project has said The 19,000-seater YTL Arena "will open in 2028" after years of delays. First announced in 2018, the latest plans for the arena will place it at the centre of the Brabazon development in Filton, which will also include 6,500 homes.But with concert goers facing at least another three year wait until the music kicks in, many will be asking why has it taken so long?
The start of a long journey
Plans for an arena in Bristol were first mooted in 2003 as part of the city's bid to become the European Capital of Culture for 2008. Plans for a 10,000 capacity multi-purpose venue on a brownfield site near Temple Meads station formed part of the bid. Bristol's bid failed - and despite buying land earmarked for the arena, the city council shelved the plans in 2007, claiming it wasn't "viable" amid spiralling costs.
Back and forth to Temple Meads
In 2009, new plans for a 15,000-seater music and sport venue were floated at a site in Ashton Vale close to where Bristol City Football Club wanted to build a new stadium.But three years later, the city council said it wanted to revive the plans on the Temple Meads site - with the then Liberal Democrat council committing to funding it.In 2014, plans for a 12,000-capacity venue were approved by the authority, which was spearheaded by the then city mayor George Ferguson. But the £92.5m project was beset by delays and rising costs, with the opening date pushed back to 2018. In 2016, there was confusion over plans to build an eight-storey car park at the site, with councillors deferring a final decision on the plans due to a "lack of detail" around infrastructure.
In 2017, the arena became the battleground for bitter infighting at City Hall - with Mayor Marvin Rees claiming "nothing was off the table" when it came to its location.In January 2018, he confirmed he was considering a privately-funded offer from the Malaysian-owned construction company YTL to move the project to the Filton site - before scrapping plans at Temple Meads the following autumn.The decision, which went against council recommendations, showed "contempt for democracy", some councillors said. Following the mayor's announcement, the Labour MP for the Temple Meads area, Karyn Smyth claimed millions of pounds had been spent to "achieve precisely nothing" and that her constituents "deserved better".
Take off at Filton
In 2019, YTL revealed its plans for an arena on the former Filton airfield.The 17,000-capacity venue was then given the go-ahead by Bristol City Council, South Gloucestershire Council and the Government. In 2023, YTL admitted "challenges" brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic meant the arena wouldn't open until 2026 at the latest. The developer has now said the project is "ready to go" and is set to open in three years' time.
While construction is yet to begin on the arena, work on a railway station to bring concert-goers to the venue is under way.YTL this week revealed plans for a large public square next to the proposed new station, to be called called Station Square.Elsewhere, hundreds of people have already bought and moved into new homes as part of the development, and there are plans for schools, student accommodation and sports facilities.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Meghan's huge royal clash as new glitzy outing comes on same day as major event
While the royal family will be celebrating the King's official birthday with the Trooping the Colour procession on Saturday, Meghan Markle will be at an event of her own in California As the Royal Family prepares for Trooping the Colour, Meghan Markle is planning her own big night out in California. The Duchess of Sussex has been confirmed as the guest of honour at a museum's Night of Wonder black-tie event in California, on the same day as the King's official birthday celebrations in London. The diary clash will see Meghan be honoured for her charity work, which focuses on advancing community wellbeing and expanding opportunities for disadvantaged people, particularly those from underprivileged and minority communities. The event, where Meghan will give a speech about her work, will take place at the Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles, California, where the royal couple has called home for the past five years since stepping back from their royal duties. Meghan will be joined by other high-profile guests at the museum on June 14, with the space being transformed into an enchanted nocturnal garden. The exclusive event will feature live music and installations representing local ecosystems and the LA landscape, and guests will be treated to a farm-to-table dinner that uses ingredients from the museum's nature gardens. While it has not yet been confirmed if Prince Harry will also be attending the museum's charity night, he often accompanies his wife to public events where she gives speeches. Ahead of the event, Lori Bettison-Varga, the President and Director of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, said: "We are proud to honour Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, a native Angeleno, whose work to advance community wellbeing and expand opportunity – especially for underserved communities – aligns with our equity-focused approach to developing science literacy for the next generation." The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan added that Meghan's mission to advance community wellbeing and uplift young women 'dovetails with the museums' approach to connecting community and science by fostering meaningful educational experiences that empower young minds.' On the same day of the exclusive event at the Los Angeles museum, the Royal family will be taking to the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour to celebrate the King's birthday. The Trooping the Colour event, which takes place every year in June, has been held to mark the sovereign's official birthday since the accession of King George IV in 1820, except during the world wars and a national strike in 1955. In 2020, a scaled-back version of the celebration was held at Windsor Castle due to the Covid pandemic. Trooping the Colour 2025, officially known as The King's Birthday Parade, will take place on Saturday June 14 in London. Prince Harry and Meghan have not attended the event in an official capacity since 2019, although Meghan was seen watching the military procession from Horse Guards Parade during the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. Harry and Meghan announced they would be stepping back as senior members of the royal family in January 2020, and have been living in Montecito, California, with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, ever since.
Edinburgh Live
7 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
Moving reason Princess Eugenie left an empty seat at her wedding
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info When Princess Eugenie wed Jack Brooksbank, the joyous occasion saw the entire Royal family gather to celebrate their union. The couple exchanged vows at St George's Chapel in Windsor nearly seven years ago, with a guest list that included Queen Elizabeth II and other senior royals, as well as celebrity friends like singer Robbie Williams and supermodel Cara Delevingne. Despite over 850 guests witnessing Eugenie and Jack exchange vows and rings, one peculiar detail caught the attention of many Royal enthusiasts. Although the bustling chapel was packed with attendees, one prime seat directly in front of the Queen remained vacant, despite it being the best spot in the house. Speculation was rife about the reason for the unoccupied seat, with some suggesting it was due to a no-show on the day, while others believed it was left empty as a tribute to a deceased relative. However, the real reason was actually rooted in tradition - the seat in front of the Queen was kept vacant so her view of the altar was unobstructed. This particular seat is also said to be one that the late Queen "didn't find comfortable", explaining why she chose to sit in the second row of pews. Historically, the Queen and the Royal family would occupy the right-hand choir pews at St George's Chapel, with the Queen seated on the far-right as the rest of the senior royals sat to her left, reports the Mirror. For Eugenie's wedding, the then-Prince Charles, Prince William, Kate, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were seated in the second row. The bride's parents, Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, were positioned in the front row with Princess Beatrice and Zara and Mike Tindall, albeit further along the pew. This arrangement allowed the late Queen, who was only five foot three inches tall, a clear view of the ceremony. The same seat had been left vacant months earlier at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in the same chapel. The late monarch also notably occupied the same spot at Prince Philip's 2021 funeral, her husband of 73 years, sitting alone due to Covid social distancing measures. Buckingham Palace insiders reveal that the tradition of leaving the seat empty has continued since Charles ascended the throne. At Queen Elizabeth's committal service in 2022, shortly after her death, the chair in front of Charles was kept vacant. There have been instances where the Royal Family has paid tribute to the deceased by leaving a chair unoccupied. Since their glamorous 2018 wedding, Eugenie and Jack have become parents to two children. Their eldest son, August, was born in February 2021, and he became an older brother in May 2023 when Ernest was born. When Ernest was born, Eugenie revealed the meaning behind his full name: Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank, stating: "He is named after his great great great Grandfather George, his Grandpa George and my Grandpa Ronald."
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Eugenie left an empty seat at her wedding - and it was all down to late Queen
When Princess Eugenie married Jack Brooksbank, many were left puzzled by an empty seat in the front row of guests. As people speculated on the reason behind the unoccupied chair, it turns out the cause was a strict royal protocol from the Queen herself. When Princess Eugenie tied the knot with Jack Brooksbank, the joyous affair saw all the royal family in attendance to celebrate their union. Eugenie and Jack married in St. George's Chapel in Windsor almost seven years ago, with the guest list boasting Queen Elizabeth and other senior royals, as well as superstar royal friends such as singer Robbie Williams and supermodel Cara Delevingne. While more than 850 people were in attendance to watch Eugenie and Jack exchange vows and rings, one unusual detail caught the eye of many royal fans. Although the busy chapel was filled with guests, one prime seat directly in front of Queen Elizabeth was left empty, despite it being the best seat in the house. Many were quick to speculate on the reason behind the unoccupied seat, with some believing it was due to a no-show on the day, and others claiming it was left empty to pay respect to a deceased relative. However, it was actually due to tradition that the seat in front of her was kept empty so her view of the altar was not obstructed. This specific seat is also said to be one the late Queen 'didn't find comfortable', explaining why she opted to sit in the second row of pews. Historically, the Queen and the royal family would sit in the right hand choir pews at St George's Chapel, with the Queen sitting on the far-right as the rest of the senior royals sat to her left. For the occasion of Eugenie's nuptials, the then-Prince Charles, Prince William, Kate, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle joined her in the second row. The bride's parents, Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, sat in the front row alongside Princess Beatrice and Zara and Mike Tindall, but they all sat further along the pew. This gave the late Queen, who stood at a mere five foot and three inches, an unobstructed view of the wedding ceremony. The same seat was also left empty months earlier when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married in the same chapel. The late monarch also memorably sat in the same spot at the 2021 funeral of Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years, sitting alone in the pew due to Covid social distancing restrictions. According to sources at Buckingham Palace, the seat is still kept empty as the tradition has continued since Charles became King. At Queen Elizabeth's committal service in 2022 shortly after her passing, the chair in front of Charles was kept empty. There have also been occasions when the Royal Family has honoured the deceased by leaving a chair vacant. Since their star-studded wedding in 2018, Eugenie and Jack have welcomed two children. Their eldest son, August, was born in February 2021, and he became a big brother in May 2023 when Ernest was born. At the time of Ernest's birth, Eugenie explained the significance of his full name: Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank. She said: "He is named after his great great great Grandfather George, his Grandpa George and my Grandpa Ronald."
