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City's long-awaited arena 'will open in 2028'

Paul Barltop
Political Editor, BBC Points West
Sarah Turnnidge
BBC News, Bristol
YTL A computer visualisation of the YTL arena site in Bristol. The arena is visible in the distance, and is a large curved silver building. In the foreground there is a large lake with fountains and there are people sat around the edges on benches and chairs. There are bars and restaurants, under high-rise buildings, with trees and flowers. YTL
The arena is planned to sit at the heart of a large housing development

Bristol's long-awaited arena "will open in 2028", the chief executive of the company behind it has said.

The 19,000-seater YTL Arena, initially announced in 2018, is planned to be the centre of the Brabazon development in Filton, which will also include 6,500 homes.

The huge scheme has been much delayed, with developers - Malaysian-owned YTL -initially saying it could be open by 2022.

But Colin Skellett, the chief executive of YTL UK, has now said the project is "ready to go", after "lots of pricing, lots of detail".

Asked how confident the firm was about this date, he said: "It's the best guarantee I can give you."

Colin Skellett, pictures while talking on site. He has light grey hair and light eyebrows, and is wearing a collared shirt with an orange high-vis jacket and a white hard hat with the words 'YTL Construction UK' on it.
Mr Skellett said the major project was now "ready to go"

The Brabazon arena has been promoted as a more affordable alternative to a previously council-backed site next to Bristol Temple Meads railway station.

That was first been proposed in 2003, but building work never started.

Since the project moved to the Filton site there have been delays, and from the outside the giant existing aircraft hangers look unchanged.

YTL say some internal preparatory work has been done, but Mr Skellet explained that that the Covid-19 pandemic had set progress back.

YTL A visualisation of the centre of the YTL site. There are lots of high rise buildings of a distinctive visual style, and in the centre there is a shopping and hospitality district, with strings of lights running above. YTL
The Brabazon site is planned to also include shops and restaurants

While construction is yet to begin on the arena, work on a railway station to bring concert-goers to the venue is under way.

The brand new station, North Filton, is set open as an unstaffed station in late 2026, though this is set to be enlarged later when the arena nears completion.

Elsewhere, hundreds of people have already bought and moved into new homes as part of the development, and there are plans for schools, student accommodation and sports facilities.

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