New Bristol University campus opening delayed by a year

The opening of a new £300m campus for the University of Bristol has been delayed by a year.

The development near Temple Meads station will house a digital innovation centre, a business school and student residential village.

Three tower blocks of flats which will house nearly 1,000 students at the site received planning approval last month.

A spokeswoman confirmed the target date for opening the campus has now moved from 2022 to September 2023.

She said: "A project of this scale and ambition comes with a range of complexities and we have taken the decision to move the target opening date in order to responsibly manage the programme of works and to ensure we realise the full benefits of the campus."

She added a further planning application for the academic buildings is due to be submitted later this month.

The university is hopeful the next phase of site preparation work will begin soon with the tender process for the main construction contract now in progress.

A derelict former Royal Mail sorting office and adjoining 1970s office building was demolished to make way for the new Temple Quarter Campus.