Plans for the 12,000 capacity Bristol Arena are to be reconsidered by Bristol City Council’s Development Control Committee on 6 April.
Two applications will go back to councillors for consideration, a detailed planning application covering the arena building, public plaza and access and an outline application for the future development of Arena Island.
The applications will be accompanied by a new report that outlines further progress made on transport plans since they were submitted to the council as part of the planning application in November.
The report also addresses issues raised at Development Control Committee earlier this month when a decision was taken to defer the arena applications to allow for additional transport information to be provided.
The report includes detail on travel arrangements for the arena including approaches to Park and Ride, car parking, cycling and walking routes, bus, taxi and coach provision, public drop-off and pick-ups, wayfinding and stewarding.
Highlights of the report include:
- Use of three bus-based Park and Ride sites and commitment to providing additional buses at peak times and during the Christmas period
- Use of one rail-based Park & Ride service with GWR confirming its support for a shuttle service to Bristol Parkway station at the end of arena events
- Confirmation by First Group that additional buses and night buses can be provided to service arena events on the routes that they operate
- Cycle parking on Arena Island increased from 250 spaces to 440 spaces
- 35 taxi spaces, 9 coach drop-off bays and identified drop-off and pick-up zones, all with pavements and lighting improvements
- Stewards to direct visitors on-foot via safe, signposted routes along Cattle Market Road, the new floating Harbour Walkway from Temple Quay or via the new walkway from the Bath Road
- A way finding strategy to direct visitors from city car parks
- Commitment to consult on and implement parking controls in residential area
A budget of £7.75 million has been allocated to the transport measures from the project budget and a timetable provided to give confidence to committee members that all the plans will be in place for day one of arena opening.
Bristol Mayor, George Ferguson said:
“I’m pleased that we have managed to get the arena plans back to committee within a month. Officers have been pulling out all the stops to provide the additional transport information requested by councillors. I hope that this new report, along with conditions that will be attached to the application, will give them the confidence they require to approve the plans for this vitally important venue for the city region.”
The measures will also be supported by a number of other funded and committed schemes to improve the area around the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone including improvements to Temple Gate, new cycle paths and walkways from the station to the arena and the implementation of the new MetroBus service.
Pre-planning consultation demonstrated strong support for the Bristol Arena plans. The plans are designed to transform a derelict part of the city close to Temple Meads station whilst creating jobs and bringing millions of pounds of additional spend to the region.
