The Bristol Arena: a timeline

Will the Bristol Arena ever be built? The multi-million project to deliver a 12,000 capacity arena for the city has been fraught with postponements, planning mishaps, financing worries and location difficulties. 

Below is a timeline of all the developments since the original idea was first conceived in 2003.

2003: The Bristol Arena was proposed to be built next to Temple Meads. The 10,000-seater proposal was intended to host music events, conferences and sports events. The arena was expected to be open by 2008, and coincide with a bid to be named European Capital of Culture.

2004: Bristol City Council purchased the land needed for the arena, next to Bristol Temple Meads railway station, for £15m.

June 2007: Work was yet to begin, and plans were eventually shelved after the site developers announced that an additional £40m would be required for the arena, in addition to the council’s £46m commitment.

George Ferguson drew up plans for the arena by Temple Meads in 2009

2009: Two new plans were put forward. One was for a similar arena to be built next to Temple Meads, supported by George Ferguson; an architect and the future mayor of Bristol. The other, supported by the city council, was for a new 15,000 capacity stadium in Ashton Vale, next to Bristol City’s existing stadium.

2010: After a number of legal challenges, Bristol City Council pulled support for the Ashton Vale Stadium.

2012: Focus shifted back to the Temple Meads site. The site, previously the Bristol Bath Road Depot, was owned by the Homes and Communities Agency, and represented the biggest undeveloped site in the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone.

Plans for the bridge to connect the site with Temple Meads were drawn up in 2013

2013: The Homes and Communities Agency agreed to fund plans for an £11m bridge over the Avon River. This bridge would link the stadium with the railway station. A competition was announced to find an architect for the site.

February 2014: A funding package for the arena was approved by Bristol city council. The total cost then was expected to be £91m, funded by a £38m injection from the council, and £53m from the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership.

November 2014: Five shortlisted architects for the design were announced. The winner was Populous, whose design allowed the arena to convert quickly and easily for the layout required, with capacity ranging from 4,000 to 12,000.

December 2014: SMG Europe and Live Nation were announced as preferred operators of the project. The estimated completion date was 2017.

The entrance foyer as proposed by designer Populous.

2015: As the price went up, the estimated completion date was pushed to 2018.

February 2016: Bristol City Council denied a u-turn on plans for on-site parking, as it emerged that a 480 space car park was being planned for the site, despite the council originally announcing that there would only be 245 spaces on site.

March 2016: The planning committee described the plans as ‘defective’ and decided not to make a decision on approving them until considerably more supporting information could be supplied.

The public raised more concerns over a lack of parking and surrounding infrastructure, such as transport. George Ferguson, now the mayor, said the entire planning committee had placed politics above planning.

A new £11.3m bridge, installed to link to Arena Island. was officially named.

April 2016: The arena was finally granted planning permission as the committee unanimously voted in favour of the new and improved plans.

The concept of the Bristol arena as seen from above

January 2017: The projected opening of the arena was pushed back to 2020, as the preferred construction company, Bouygues UK, and the council failed to agree construction costs.

March 2017: A new construction company was approved, Buckingham Group. Mayor Marvin Rees commissioned an independent review into the project’s value for money.

Papers released from Bristol City Council called for action on one of three options; either re-draw the plans, reduce the capacity or shelve the project altogether. The total cost now stood at £123m.

November 2017: Rees called a halt to plans and announced a value for money assessment would be extended to include alternative locations. £9m has already been ploughed into the project at this stage.

January 2018: The Brabazon Hangar was officially named as a possible alternative site for the arena and the mayor delayed a final decision on the project’s location until Spring 2018, saying the council has to be absolutely certain on the final cost.

He said he remains 100 per cent committed to delivering an arena for the city.

Read more: Will the long-awaited Bristol arena ever be built?