Skip to content

Bristol arena site decision 'call-in' rejected by scrutiny committee

Populous Artist's impressionPopulous
Mayor Marvin Rees said the land next to Temple Meads railway station would be better used for "mixed development"

A decision by Bristol's elected mayor not to build an arena at a site in the city centre has been upheld.

Marvin Rees' suggestion to use the land at Temple Island for a hotel and housing was "called-in" by opposition councillors.

However, after considering the decision made by Bristol City Council's cabinet on 4 September, the scrutiny committee voted to take no further action.

Mr Rees said he was "delighted" by the outcome.

"I am confident that we have made the right decision about what to do on Temple Island and it's now time to move on," he said.

"If we hold our nerve, we could have an arena, a conference centre and thousands of new homes and jobs for the people of Bristol."

YTL# Artist's impressionYTL#
YTL has proposed a 16,000-seat arena at the former Brabazon hangar at Filton, five miles from Temple Meads

Two locations had been considered; one by Buckingham Group on council-owned land near Temple Meads station, the other at an airport hangar in Filton, five miles away.

Fifty councillors had voted that Temple Island was the best site for an arena, however Mr Rees favours the Filton option.

Liberal Democrat councillor Tim Kent said he is "very disappointed that the [committee] were not willing to look further into the issues that were raised".

The project, first mooted in 2003, has been dogged by delays and rising costs.