Bristol Temple Quarter regeneration programme given green light on collaboration agreements

Bristol's Temple Quarter regeneration programme has been given the green light on collaboration agreements.

The West of England Combined Authority Committee met for an extraordinary session to discuss the Bristol Temple Quarter Regeneration Project, as well as Business Cases for the Investment Fund.

The Bristol Temple Quarter Regeneration Programme is one of the largest of its kind in the UK, bringing £94.7 million of government funding from Homes England into the region.

The Committee approved flowdown and collaboration agreements from this grant funding between the project partners - the Combined Authority, Bristol City Council, Network Rail, and Homes England, as part of the delivery of the programme.

The Committee also awarded £2.5 million in funding from the Green Recovery Fund for the Hydrogen Sustainable Transport Economy Accelerator (HSTEA). The HSTEA will create a green hydrogen production, storage and research facility within the Institute of Advanced Automotive Prolusion Systems at the Bristol & Bath Science Park.

It also approved the outline business case for the Arena Infrastructure Package.

The Brabazon Arena on the former Filton Airfield will deliver a 17,000-capacity venue to create the third largest arena in the UK, and put Bristol on the world stage for live music and entertainment. The Arena Infrastructure Package was awarded a total of £6.6m from the Investment Fund to deliver a package of transport improvements to the area, including improved walking and cycling routes, to facilitate growth and sustainable travel. At the meeting, Committee members noted the enormous regional and national significance the Arena will have once complete, as well as the need to ensure that people can access such an asset using sustainable transport modes.