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 Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Ed Davey supports wife Emily as they candidly open up on caring for disabled son
This Morning hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley were joined by Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey and his wife Emily in the ITV studio, as they opened up on caring for their son This Morning was back on the telly on Tuesday (10 June), with Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard once again steering the ship for another jam-packed episode. The duo covered the latest news, fashion advice and health topics during the programme, which also featured a heartfelt interview with politician Ed Davey and his wife Emily. Ed, who is at the helm of the Liberal Democrat party, and Emily opened up about their experiences caring for their 17 year old son John, who has severe learning and physical disabilities due to an unidentified neurological condition. John requires constant care, which both Ed and Emily provide in conjunction with external carers. Their son still lacks an official diagnosis, with Ed noting that John struggles with walking and communication, adding: "Because he's undiagnosed, you're on a journey both with the people in the health service, and other carers." "He's our wonderful boy and we've tried to help him become as independent as possible," said Ed, who also has a daughter Ellie with his wife, reports Wales Online. Emily then shared the realities of being a carer for a loved one, expressing her belief that carers are simply "too tired" to campaign for their voices to be heard. "We're not different from anybody else, it's a very ordinary story in many ways of being a carer. "But, part of the issue about being a carer is that it's physically and emotionally exhausting, so by the end of the day, you just collapse into bed," Emily, who tied the knot with Ed in 2005, told Ben and Cat. Ed acknowledged that he and Emily are "very lucky," before stating: "Because I'm in politics, I want to make sure I can be the voice of many carers out there." The couple's appearance on This Morning was also to celebrate the launch of Ed's autobiography, titled Why I Care: And Why Care Matters, which hit the bookstores on 22 May. The book offers the politician's "a deeply personal account of life as a carer and a call to support those who care for others." It also includes stories from other carers, aiming to raise awareness. Ed has been a passionate advocate for carers for many years and also has an interest in speech therapy, as John has speech difficulties.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Ed Davey opens up on caring for disabled son in candid This Morning interview
This Morning hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard sat down for a chat with Ed Davey and his wife Emily as they discussed caring for their teenage son This Morning was back on TV on Tuesday (10 June), with Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard once again steering the ship for another jam-packed episode. The duo covered the latest news, fashion advice and health topics during the programme, which also featured a heartfelt interview with politician Ed Davey and his wife Emily. Ed, who is at the helm of the Liberal Democrat party, and Emily opened up about their experiences caring for their 17 year old son John, who has learning and physical disabilities due to an unidentified neurological condition. John requires constant care, which both Ed and Emily provide in conjunction with external carers. Their lad still doesn't have an official diagnosis, with Ed noting that John struggles with walking and communication, adding: "Because he's undiagnosed, you're on a journey both with the people in the health service, and other carers." "He's our wonderful boy and we've tried to help him become as independent as possible," said Ed, who also has a daughter Ellie with his wife, reports Wales Online. Emily then shared the realities of being a carer for a loved one, expressing her belief that carers are simply "too tired" to campaign for their voices to be heard. "We're not different from anybody else, it's a very ordinary story in many ways of being a carer," Emily, who tied the knot with Ed in 2005, told Ben and Cat. "But, part of the issue about being a carer is that it's physically and emotionally exhausting, so by the end of the day, you just collapse into bed." Ed confessed that he and Emily are "very lucky," before stating: "Because I'm in politics, I want to make sure I can be the voice of many carers out there." The couple's appearance on This Morning was also to celebrate the launch of Ed's autobiography, titled Why I Care: And Why Care Matters, which hit the bookshops on 22 May. The book allows the politician to share "a deeply personal account of life as a carer and a call to support those who care for others." It also includes stories from other carers, aiming to raise awareness. Ed has been a passionate supporter of carers for many years and also has an interest in speech therapy, as John has speech difficulties.
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
Ed Davey supports emotional wife as they open up on caring for disabled son
Ed Davey supports emotional wife as they open up on caring for disabled son Ed Davey and his wife Emily opened up about being a carer for their son during a candid interview on This Morning with Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley This Morning returned to TV screens on Tuesday (10 June) with Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard back at the helm of another packed show. The pair discussed the latest headlines, fashion tips and health issues during the show, which also saw Ben and Cat sit down with politician Ed Davey and his wife Emily for a candid interview. Ed, who is the leader of the Liberal Democrat party, and Emily spoke about caring for their son John, 17, who has severe learning and physical disabilities due to an undiagnosed neurological condition. John requires round-the-clock care, which both Ed and Emily provide alongside external carers. Their son remains without an official diagnosis, with Ed explaining that John finds walking and communicating difficult, adding: "Because he's undiagnosed, you're on a journey both with the people in the health service, and other carers." Ed Davey opened up about caring for his son on This Morning (Image: ITV ) Pulp on track to claim first number one album in 27 years READ MORE: "He's our wonderful boy and we've tried to help him become as independent as possible," Ed, who also shares daughter Ellie with his wife, said. Article continues below Emily went on to share the reality of being a carer for a loved one, and told how she thinks carers are simply "too tired" to campaign to make their voices to be heard. "We're not different from anybody else, it's a very ordinary story in many ways of being a carer. "But, part of the issue about being a carer is that it's physically and emotionally exhausting, so by the end of the day, you just collapse into bed," Emily, who married Ed back in 2005, told Ben and Cat. Ed admitted he and Emily are "very lucky," before adding: "Because I'm in politics, I want to make sure I can be the voice of many carers out there." Ed and Emily are parents to John and Ellie (Image: ITV ) The couple's appearance on This Morning was also to mark the release of Ed's autobiography, titled Why I Care: And Why Care Matters , which landed on shelves on 22 May. Article continues below The book sees the politican reveal "a deeply personal account of life as a carer and a call to support those who care for others." It also features accounts from other carers, in a bid to raise awareness. Ed has been a keen advocate for carers for many years and also has an interest in speech therapy, as John has speech difficulties. This Morning airs on weekdays from 10am on ITV1
