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Bristol News: Ashton Gate area set to be transformed after the green light from planners will see a huge new development by the football ground

By Harry Mottram: Plans to develop the area around the football ground in Bedminster at Ashton Gate have the green light for work to begin in 2025. The so-called Ashton Gate Sporting Quarter will when completed include a hotel, an indoor arena for sports like basket ball, a multi-storey car park, a convention centre and homes in the shape of flats.

It’s been some time in coming to fruition having been held up due to a number of challenges and objections including a waste firm. Writing in Bristol 24/7 Martin Booth wrote: “A legal challenge from waste company ETM whose recycling plant overlooks the proposed Longmoor Village site had delayed the start of the projects but their opposition – related to any newly built homes close to the plant being inconvenienced by noise which it generates – has now been dismissed by the High Court with no further right to appeal. The ruling means that the project team behind the Sporting Quarter has been reconvened, with bosses at Bristol Sport – the umbrella group behind Bristol City, Bristol Bears, Bristol Flyers and Ashton Gate Stadium – hopeful to be able to break ground soon. Planning permission was granted in August 2023 for the 5,000-seater sports and convention centre and hotel to be built next door to Ashton Gate Stadium the other side of Marina Dolman Way from the Lansdown Stand. It would become a new permanent home for the Bristol Flyers basketball team as well as being able to host numerous other sporting and non-sporting events.”

This will come as ironic news for Team Bath Netball who were dropped from the new professional league as their arena only holds 1,500 spectators and was ruled too small. At 5,000 capacity the new arena in Bristol will be able to stage a number of sports and events.

Writing for Bristol Live Tristan Cork noted: “The first thing that will happen will be the demolition of the closed down Wickes DIY store and the other industrial buildings between Winterstoke Road and the stadium. The DIY store was recently taken over for a controversial and illegal rave, and the empty building will remain as it is well into next year, as preparations are made for its demolition. In its place will be a multi-purpose arena, which will be home to the Bristol Flyers, bringing all three sports under the Bristol Sport banner into one place. At the field next to Ashton Vale – which 15 years ago was the site of a proposed new stadium – a new development of around 500 new homes in a development called Longmoor Village, including more than 150 affordable homes.”