Bristol moves ahead with innovative transport vision
- Feb 23
- 5 min read
Future Cities Forum has been watching transport developments in the West of England, following its forum in Bristol last October with the West of England Combined Authority's Chief Executive Stephen Peacock contributing alongside Karen Mercer, the CEO of Bristol Temple Quarter LLP.
News has been released this month that government, transport, and business leaders have welcomed the West’s ambition for an interconnected transport network and investment in buses, rail, mass transit, active travel, and streets and places.
The New Transport Vision published this month by the Mayor and council leaders sets out the direction of travel for a better-connected West of England:
Better buses: reliable, affordable services with one ticket and one timetable
More trains: new stations and more frequent services with low-emission trains
Mass transit: a high-capacity system that links the region's key economic centres
Active travel: better walking and cycling routes, with e-bikes/e-scooters there for short trips
Improved streets: smoother roads and pavements, more electric vehicle chargers, Park & Rides and travel hubs linking transport options
The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority explains:
'Transport improvements are a big part of the 10 year growth strategy for the UK's fastest growing regional economy Last year alone, just in Bath and Bristol, congestion cost our economy over £150 million. Better transport will help unlock more investment, create jobs, boost productivity, and drive further economic growth. In recent interviews, the Mayor highlighted the importance of securing both public and private investment in transport infrastructure.
'The region’s political leaders have set out a shared commitment to deliver the work needed to be able to start building mass transit within four or five years. The report also contains the first potential concepts of mass transit for the West, picturing Redcliffe Way and Bristol Airport, which is currently the country’s only regional airport without a mass transit link.
Heidi Alexander, Transport Secretary, commented:
“The West of England is a fantastic place to live and work, and local people deserve a transport network that gets them where they need to be quickly and easily.
"This vision lays out a clear plan for faster, greener, and more reliable journeys. We’re investing over £752 million in the West of England Combined Authority on buses, roads, and rail, and I look forward to working with local councils to make this vision a reality.”
At Future Cities Forum in Bristol last October, Stephen Peacock, Chief Executive of the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority commented on the importance of growing the brand of the region and launching the Growth Strategy:
'Don't get hung up on the geography as the investors don't care about that. We are in a much better place now. The competitive streak is important. You need to know your strengths and have humility. Having worked in Whitehall in central government, you are sceptical of every city claiming to be 'biotech capital of the UK'.
Stephen was asked which areas should the south west focus on?
'You need to understand what you are selling and what the buyers want. Otherwise it's an empty gesture, one just designed for local media. You need to lobby for more money for new roads, new housing and so on from a blended mix of public private investment but you need to frame it correctly. You need to be clear what you want to deliver.
'I was heavily involved in the new towns conversation and we got Sir Michael Lyons, Chair of the government's New Towns Taskforce - down here in the summer, and we - the combined and local authorities including South Gloucestershire - were able to speak with one voice. We showed him Temple Quarter, and the development at Brabazon with YTL bringing £4bn into the region and so we are now 'on the list'. It was a proposition with a concrete delivery plan.'
YTL Live, the operating company for the new live entertainment complex in Bristol, has just announced Aviva, the UK’s leading diversified insurer, as the new partner of Bristol’s 20,000 capacity indoor arena, marking a major milestone in the delivery of one of Europe’s most ambitious live entertainment venues.
The West of England Combined Authority says:
'The landmark and long-term multi-million-pound sponsorship agreement secures naming rights for the venue, which will be known as Aviva Arena when it opens in late 2028. It will be one of the largest venues in the country and a first of its kind for the West of England. An estimated 1.4 million people are expected to attend live music, sports and entertainment at Aviva Arena each year.
'Work has commenced to transform the iconic Brabazon Hangars, birthplace of all the UK’s Concorde supersonic jets, into a live entertainment destination. The entire complex, called YTL Live, will house Aviva Arena in the central and largest of the three Brabazon Hangars, as well as a conference and exhibition space, and is expected to contribute an estimated £1 billion to the wider Bristol economy over the first decade of operation.
'Located in Brabazon New Town, north Bristol, with a new train station on its doorstep due to open later this year, Aviva Arena is set to become a global destination for live music, sport and entertainment. The Aviva Arena is expected to host more than 120 major events every year, establishing the venue as a leading international ‘must play arena’ for artists.
The project will create more than 2,000 jobs during construction, with up to a further 500 permanent roles once the arena is operational, delivering long-term economic and social benefits for the region.'
At our autumn FUTURE CITIES FORUM hosted at Deloitte in the Halo Building, YTL Developments Senior Planning Manager Ryan Curran said:
'The Brabazon development has made great steps with its partners by bringing in a new station, and the new town designation from the New Towns Task Force will help supercharge the development, and we hope to hear more about mass transit in the city and region which will help.
When asked if new town development will lead to 'sprawl' across Bristol and south Gloucestershire, Ryan responded:
'I'd like to turn that round and say that Brabazon has the opportunity to connect a lot of the growth clusters around the region. It is much better when people collaborate rather than just compete. We are riding on the coat tails of some great employment clusters and great cultural venues and districts so it is our role to harness that and create places where people want to live - our development mantra is 'homes for everyone'. We have all types of tenures to suit different life stages and that includes affordable housing through different levels of rental properties so that everyone can live here.
'It is the same with our employment spaces which include flexible and co-working up to a large company wanting to create a new campus. Our master plan needs to remain as flexible as possible and keep an open door for all sorts of businesses so we can be a launch pad for growth.'
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