More than £3.1m will be invested into improvements to the local transport infrastructure in north Bristol and South Gloucestershire as part of the plans for the YTL Arena Complex on the former Filton Airfield site.
The money, being paid by YTL Arena Complex, is earmarked for specific schemes in Filton and the surrounding area and will help support sustainable transport and drive down car dependency.
The investment is being made as part of a Section 106 agreement, which sets out measures that a developer must take to reduce a scheme’s impact on the local community.
The £3.1m includes funding for park & ride enhancements and dedicated city centre shuttle bus facilities, junction and traffic light improvements, cycling facilities, and funding for the creation of residents’ car parking schemes in nearby neighbourhoods, agreed in consultation with local residents, to protect street parking in their areas.
Managing director of YTL Arena Complex, Andrew Billingham said:
“We have reached another key milestone in our journey to delivering an arena for Bristol and the South West. As part of the Section 106 agreement, we have signed up to investing £3.1m to improve the local transport infrastructure. This demonstrates our commitment and determination to not only create one of the leading arenas in Europe, but to make sure that we have a positive impact on our local communities.”
“We’re putting sustainability centre stage, making it our goal to create the most responsible and sustainable arena in Europe, and to be carbon neutral from day one.”
“As well as solar panelling, battery storage and rainwater harvesting, we will encourage our staff and visitors to travel by sustainable transport methods and drive down car dependency. We’ll be at the forefront of the touring industry’s shift towards greener practices.”
“Once operational, YTL Arena Complex will create more than 500 jobs with a living wage policy, and additional jobs during construction.”
“Not only will the arena bring new business and an economic boost to the region, but through our community programme we will also support local groups and organisations, harnessing the power of music for the greater good.”
“Completing the Section 106 agreement has been an enormous effort from all of those involved and is a remarkable achievement in such a challenging year. The past year has been hugely frustrating and inevitably our programme has slipped, but we are still on track to open our next generation, state-of-the-art arena which we can all be proud of, in 2024.”
The infrastructure improvements and the funding have been agreed as part of YTL Arena Complex’s section 106 agreement with Bristol City and South Gloucestershire Councils, as well as other key stakeholders including Highways England.
Cllr Toby Savage, leader of South Gloucestershire Council, said:
“I am delighted that this vital funding has been secured to further enhance sustainable transport infrastructure for the new arena, supporting our goals around connectivity and protecting our environment in South Gloucestershire.”
“This multimillion-pound investment will go a significant way to integrating the arena with the wider Filton and Cribbs Causeway area, which is fast becoming one of the most popular tourism, retail and leisure hubs for the region and I want to thank council officers for their work in getting this over the line.”
S106 agreement details
The £3.1m investment in local transport infrastructure includes:
- More than £1m to improve bus services to YTL Arena Complex, including:
- £562,000 to expand Portway Park & Ride
- 420,000 for dedicated city centre shuttle bus facilities
- Electric vehicle charging at Portway Park & Ride
- £1.1m Filton A38 corridor Filton/Southmead funding
- £750,000 to support event day parking schemes in neighbourhoods close to the arena site, in consultation with local residents. *
* Note: While consultation will be funded by YTL Arena Complex, it will be managed by the relevant councils.
An abridged version of this article originally appeared in the June 2021 issue of the Stoke Gifford Journal magazine (on page 29). The magazine is delivered FREE, nine times a year, to over 5,000 homes in Stoke Gifford, Little Stoke and Harry Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
I don’t want an “event day parking scheme in my local area”. I don’t want event attendees anywhere near my local area!