Work to officially start on new stadium and arena at Ashton Gate Sporting Quarter

  • Watch a fly-through of what the new convention centre will look like.

Work on a new 5,000 seater stadium and indoor arena will officially start in early 2025 bringing forward plans for a multi-million pound redevelopment at Ashton Gate Sporting Quarter.

Plans to build the sport and convention centre were officially unveiled back in 2018 but a number of legal challenges threatened to derail the project.

Now though they have been given the final green light with the High Court ruling with no right of appeal.

It marks a significant step for the area and for Bristol Sport, with the stadium set to become the new home of the Bristol Flyers basketball team.

“This has been a long-time coming and Flyers cannot wait for it get started," Bristol Flyers CEO Lisa Knights said.

"Since 2018, when these plans were first unveiled, the sport of basketball has grown massively in the UK. With sell-out crowds consistently at our current home of SGS College Arena, having a bigger, purpose-built venue will ensure the financial sustainability of the Flyers and an exciting future for basketball in Bristol and the SouthWest.”

The new proposed stadium and convention centre next to Ashton Gate. Credit: Bristol Flyers

Speaking on the ruling Martin Griffiths, chairman of Ashton Gate Stadium, said: “I’m delighted that the ruling in the High Court means that two very significant development projects for Bristol can finally be restarted.

“It has been hugely frustrating to have these multi-million-pound investments into south Bristol so delayed, but we are pleased that Justice Lavender dismissed the case, and we are now able to pick up where we left off a year ago.

“We have now re-started the project team for the Sporting Quarter and hope to break ground next year.”

The move will see all teams under the Bristol Sport umbrella move to the same area, with Bristol City's football teams and the Bristol Bears' rugby sides playing at Ashton Gate.

The new development will be next to Ashton Gate. Credit: Ashton Gate Stadium

The Sporting Quarter was linked with the planning permission approved for almost 500 homes at Longmoor, including more than 150 affordable homes, half-a-mile to the south-west of the stadium.

At a hearing in the High Court, the Honourable Mr Justice Lavender ruled that there were no special circumstances which would allow local waste company ETM, to have more time after the legal deadline to challenge the planning permission for Longmoor Village, so dismissed the case.

It has now been confirmed there is no further right to appeal, thus paving the way for the developments to progress.

Speaking in 2022, after a consultation on the plans with businesses Visit West wrote: "We have been following the development of the Ashton Gate Sporting Quarter closely as it will act as a catalyst for increasing the value of the visitor economy of the city, especially in the south of the city, providing new facilities that are desperately needed for both leisure and business visitors.

"The proposed facilities will support the elevation of Bristol to a tier one business events destination.

"For too long Bristol has lost out to other cities like Cardiff and Birmingham due to a lack of larger conferencing and events facilities with onsite hotels."

Andreas Kapoulas, Head Coach for the Bristol Flyers, said: "The proposed venue will rank Bristol third largest amongst the other British Basketball League venues and ensure our ability to achieve long term financial sustainability.

"Having our own home venue will mean we can compete at the highest possible level, attracting larger crowds and growing the sport.

"It will have a positive impact on the city too as we will be able to host major finals and European games - none of which are possible from our current home."