Construction work to begin on Bristol’s controversial Temple Island
Work is finally set to start on Bristol’s controversial Temple Island.
The land was previously earmarked for an arena but some of it will now be used for a new university campus.
Preliminary work by contractors from the University of Bristol - who are planning to build a new £300million campus - is expected to start soon.
The main site will be situated in Cattlemarket Road, while some student accommodation will be built on the north-west corner of Temple Island.
The work will mark the start of a multi-million-pound masterplan to reinvigorate the east central part of the city, which also includes the building of a new entrance to Temple Meads train station.
Overall, the regeneration of Temple Quarter and St Philip’s Marsh is expected to create 22,000 jobs, a minimum of 10,000 homes and an economic boost of £1.6 billion per annum to the region from 2041.
Transport campaigner Dave Redgewell welcomed the work at Bristol Temple Meads but said there was still a lot to do to integrate bus-rail links and improve passenger facilities.
“It’s still one of the poorest mainline stations in South West England and probably one of the poorest stations on the national rail network,” he said.
“We need a station fit for purpose.”
Bristol Temple Meads will eventually have more and better platforms and improved access routes and connections.
As well as the new eastern entrance, which will be from the new university campus in Cattlemarket Road, the station will also get a new northern entrance and gateway by the Friary.
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