Masterplan for Western Harbour to finally be drawn up

A “masterplan” for the Western Harbour redevelopment will finally start to be drawn up – but not until March 2024, more than six years since the plans were originally revealed.

Bristol City Council is recruiting consultants to turn a “vision” document into firm proposals for new roads and potentially thousands of homes around the Cumberland Basin.

The project has suffered a series of stop-starts since it first emerged in 2017 when mayor Marvin Rees went on a trade mission to China and it was mentioned in a brochure urging Chinese businesses to invest in Bristol.

Initial plans two years later that included radical changes to the road network at the western end of the Floating Harbour caused anger among locals.

Then, faced with a backlash, the city council decided in 2021 to rip up the ideas and go back to the drawing board.

But a 16-page “vision”, of which five pages were poetry, was criticised in 2022 for lacking details, such as housing numbers and the road layout. The council said at the time that these would come during a masterplanning phase to follow.

Now, almost 18 months later, in an email to residents and organisations who have signed up for updates, the council said it had begun the process of finding experts to put that together.

An early image of the proposed Western Harbour bore a striking similarity to Wapping Wharf – image: Bristol City Council

Regeneration manager Emily Price wrote: “It has been a while since we’ve been in touch as we’ve been busy working behind the scenes to secure project funding and various approvals to progress the project.

“I’m pleased to let you know that the council is now in the process of procuring the professional masterplanning team who will work with us to turn the vision for Western Harbour from broad principles into a tangible long-term plan, setting out a big-picture guide to future development.

“The masterplan will describe a long-term picture for Western Harbour and help define where housing, community spaces, walking and cycling networks, the road and greenspace will go.

“The future of the road network, creating a sustainable place to live and helping to combat the housing crisis are all issues that the masterplan will need to address.”

The Western Harbour covers an area including Bedminster, Spike Island and Hotwells – photo: Bristol City Council

Price said any professional team with the right experience could apply, with the best team selected based on quality, price and social value.

Price added: “We are hoping to find an excellent, experienced team who can work with the city on this unique project.

“To ensure we continue to work closely with the community as the project progresses, we will be recruiting new members to the Western Harbour Advisory Group in the new year.

“This will be done via an open call to groups across city and there will be an application form to complete.”

The latest timeframe on the council’s Harbour Hopes website is for the masterplan to be completed by summer 2025, Bristol City Council to seek further funding for “key infrastructure projects” by autumn 2025, planning approval granted by 2027 and work starting on the ground in 2028.

Main photo: Martin Booth

Read next:

• Council goes back to the drawing board on Western Harbour plans
• ‘Western Harbour is marred by a lack of transparency and a sham consultation’
  
• Confusion over ‘insufficient’ Western Harbour vision
• Roads could need £50m of repairs to avoid ‘catastrophic failures’

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