It’s rare that a week goes by where I’m not talking about Temple Quarter. Bristol’s biggest ever regeneration project – one of Europe’s biggest – is progressing rapidly as we look to deliver the new homes, jobs and inclusive opportunities that Bristol needs.
This week marks another major milestone for the project, as my Cabinet colleagues and I signed off the Temple Quarter Development Framework following an eight-week public consultation.
The framework sets out the long-term vision for Temple Quarter and will now help to guide change as it comes forward across 130 hectares from Temple Gate to St Philip’s Causeway.
The public consultation showed there was strong support for our proposals. 87% of respondents agreed with the Guiding Principles for change and many respondents also supported ideas in the framework around delivering housing, jobs, improved accessibility, sustainable travel, community infrastructure, and public greenspaces.
As I wrote in January when the consultation launched, there is no denying that the Development Framework is a detailed document. It covers the breadth of our vision and ambition for the world-class gateway to our city that Temple Quarter can become. Because of this, we took a multi-pronged approach to consultation, commissioning creative groups to reach new audiences, including communities in Barton Hill.
Barton Hill is right next to Temple Quarter, and we want to make sure that communities here have the chance to give their views on proposals throughout the life of the project, to make sure the new development benefits them and creates a space that they feel welcome and part of.
We also focused on young people. Temple Quarter will be going on for the next 20 years, and today’s teenagers are tomorrow’s residents and employees. Working with Screenology, a film school based in the heart of Temple Quarter at Silverthorne Lane, we explored what the future of St Philip’s Marsh could look like through the eyes of first year film students studying there. You can watch the films they produced and find out about our creative approach to consultation here.
We had an incredibly positive response to the way in which we ran the consultation, focusing on engaging activities rather than just a traditional online survey. I was reassured to see and hear at a recent roundtable that businesses in the area feel they have been engaged with so far. There will be plenty of further opportunities to have your say on the project, and we’ll be taking this open approach forward as we get into detailed planning for different aspects of the project.
Momentum around the project is growing, and 2023 will be another landmark year for Temple Quarter. Anticipated progress will include more detailed design work for the new Northern Entrance and Southern Gateway, two key sites that will transform Bristol Temple Meads into a world-class gateway to Bristol. Construction work will begin on the new Eastern Entrance to the station in late summer, due to open alongside the University of Bristol’s Enterprise Campus – which is now under construction – in autumn 2026. Later this year, Legal & General also expect to publish more detail on plans for around 500 new homes, including affordable homes, new office space and a hotel and conference centre on Temple Island.
Even more exciting news comes at the Fruit Market where thousands of new homes will be delivered in a mixed use site including a market and a potential home for Bristol Rovers football club. My office has been working closely with both the developer and the club.
None of this will happen without the input and expertise of the communities and businesses in and around Temple Quarter. We’re committed to working with you throughout this project to create the change that will bring long-term benefits to Bristol. Keep an eye on BristolTempleQuarter.com for all the latest news and events.