New vision released for Temple Quarter & St Philip’s Marsh by Mott MacDonald led partnership

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The Bristol Temple Quarter and St Philip’s Marsh regeneration programme ambitions have been revealed in a new vision with sustainable homes, jobs, and a refurbished Bristol Temple Meads station at its heart. 

Station square illustration

Mott MacDonald, with Weston Williamson + Partners, Deloitte and a number of other partners, developed the vision to deliver positive outcomes for the city through the creation of new infrastructure and development with an emphasis on sustainability. The consultancy team was appointed in 2018 on behalf of a strategic partnership of Bristol City Council, Network Rail, Homes England and West of England Combined Authority. The work represents over two years of consultant led data gathering, engagement design and assessment; working closely with the client group to produce a comprehensive evidence base.

This once in a generation opportunity will create a well-connected new urban area that provides jobs, homes and sustainability outcomes for the city and wider West of England area. It is one of the UK’s largest regeneration sites. The revival of 130 hectares of brownfield land over the next 25 years is expected to create up to 10,000 new homes, 22,000 jobs and bring £1.6 billion to the city economy each year. The first phase of development will focus on the area around Temple Meads and a second future phase will focus on St Philip’s Marsh.

The ambitions are set out in the new document – Temple Quarter and St Philip’s Marsh: A Vision for the Future

The vision for the regeneration has been developed by multi-disciplinary consultancy team led by Mott MacDonald and including Weston Williamson + Partners architects, Deloitte, AWW Architects, Alan Baxter associates, GVA, Turley, TLT and Pragma.

The Temple Quarter development proposals centre on the refurbishment of Temple Meads station which is undergoing a programme of investment in station infrastructure. This is planned to include public sector funded investment in extensive new placemaking worth over £90 million. This will include the introduction of new station entrances and enable the surrounding development of much needed homes and jobs.

The ambition to reinstate Temple Meads station and the surrounding areas as a gateway the city can be proud of and create new public spaces around the station that enable a vibrant and engaging 18-hour economy and support pedestrian and cycle movement. Proposals also focus on creating mixed-use residential-led developments at Temple Gate and Temple Island, the Mead Street area of the city; the University of Bristol’s Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus; and multiple development sites across Silverthorne Island, Temple Square and Engine Shed 2.

The long-term regeneration of St Philip’s Marsh will create climate adapted neighbourhoods and new community facilities which will are going to serve the wider East Bristol communities. The developments will be based on the guiding principles of creativity and high-tech innovation, sustainable neighbourhoods, and green infrastructure, with inbuilt flood defences along the Avon Greenway and Feeder Canal.

The project partners are preparing next steps of the Temple Quarter and St Philip’s Development Framework that details how the regeneration can achieve this vision. This will be informed by further engaging with local communities, businesses and other stakeholders to help deliver this framework. Evidence-based engagement will contribute to how the Development Framework can inform the new Bristol Local Plan and other development ambitions of the project partners.

Mott MacDonald’s planning director, Simon Power, said: “We are delighted to share this vision for a positively transformed Temple Quarter & St Philip’s Marsh. It has been a major undertaking over the last two years to achieve a deliverable set of outcomes fully endorsed by the client group and supported by stakeholders. We’re committed to creating positive social outcomes for the area through the creation of 22,000 jobs and 10,000 homes, as well as contributing to enhanced biodiversity, flood resilience and community health. The vision has been designed through community-based consultation with sustainability in mind.”

Councillor Nicola Beech, Bristol City Council’s Cabinet lead for strategic planning and urban design, said: “We know that Temple Quarter and St Philip’s will experience significant change in the coming years as the city grows, but this will only be successful if we work with residents and businesses in the area. We’re looking forward to working with the local community and using their views and ideas to help us make the most of this opportunity.”

“We want the area to become a blueprint for city regeneration that is done in the right way, by meeting the needs of our growing city, as well as those of local people, businesses and the environment. This transformative project will help us to tackle the challenges posed by climate change, the housing crisis, and a changing employment landscape head-on.”

Weston Williamson + Partners’ head of masterplanning, Simon Catton, said: “With a revitalised Temple Meads railway station at the heart of the Development Framework proposals, this principal gateway to Bristol will herald change for the new city quarter at St Philip’s Marsh. Improved accessibility, more efficient and attractive onward-travel options, together with new complimentary user facilities, will transform Temple Meads into a world-class transport hub, central to the Temple Quarter vision. The integrated project team have applied knowledge, creativity and listened carefully to develop a regeneration vision to compliment the uniqueness of Bristol.”

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