Work to ‘unlock’ the site of Bristol’s Arena with a new bridge over the River Avon started this afternoon yesterday with communities minister and Bristol West MP Stephen Williams taking the controls of a digger to mark the start of the £11.5m infrastructure work on the former diesel depot next to Temple Meads station.
The 13-acre site, part of Bristol’s Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone, will house the long-awaited 12,000-capacity arena along with a new creative quarter for the city, which will be ‘edgy and cool’ in fitting with Bristol’s image, according to the regional head of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), the landowners. 
David Warburton said: “Development of this site has been constrained for many years because of a lack of access and infrastructure which has effectively cut it off from the rest of the city.
Pictured: Concept drawing of the 'green' bridge over the Avon
“This work will help address this and support the council and LEP’s (Local Enterprise Partnership) vision for an arena on the site, which has the potential to generate a huge number of jobs.”
Access to the site will be via a pioneering ‘green’ bridge across the Avon, linking it with Cattle Market Road. The 60-metre tubular steel bridge, which will cost £11m, will be assembled on site before being swung into place. The remainder of the funding, which will come from the HCA and the LEP, will be spent on a new road into the site and improvements at the junction of Cattle Market Road and Feeder Road.
The bridge’s original design was for three lanes of traffic but this has been reduced to two to make space for trees and climbing plants across its structure. It will be the first bridge to be built across the Avon in Bristol for 100 years.
Mr Williams said: “Bristol city centre has already been transformed through the Government and local enterprise zone’s support for the area, with rundown buildings redeveloped and turned into thriving businesses.
“Part of the ongoing transformation of the city centre is the planned building of Bristol Arena, giving the city its first world-class entertainment venue, supported by the council, LEP and Government. The work on this new bridge over the Avon will vastly improve access to the arena, and I’m very proud to take the first step towards its construction, albeit a very small one.”
West of England LEP chairman Colin Skellett said: “It is great to see actual physical work starting on the arena site.
“This new bridge is a vital piece of infrastructure, opening up the site and improving access to and from the station and with the rest of the city.
“It brings us another step closer to the arena – something that is much needed for the city region, not just in giving us a first-class entertainment venue, but as a catalyst to investment here, creating future jobs and growth.”
Owen Sisk, director of contractors Sisk Group, said work on the bridge and road link would generate building jobs for local people and boost the construction supply chain in the area.
Meanwhile the enterprise zone received a second boost with a £6m injection of funding from the Government. It was selected as one of four across England to get additional funding to kick-start groundwork that will encourage building on the site, much of it derelict.
The investment takes the total funding to date for the 173-acre enterprise zone to £17m. The money will be used to help redevelop underused and derelict land and encourage more businesses to open on the site. 
Deputy Mayor of Bristol Geoff Gollop, who attended the HCA event, said: “This £6m Government capital funding is in response to a specific request to Government and is extremely good news.
“It is yet another example of Bristol being recognised nationally as making solid progress with its regeneration plans. This particular funding will enable us to bring forward development and jobs in the enterprise zone which in turn will bring further investment to the city.”
Pictured: Stephen Williams, centre, with Owen Sisk, left, and Geoff Gollop
Some 80 businesses have already started up in or moved to enterprise zone in new developments such as the Engine Shed innovation hub, Temple Studios, the expansion of Paintworks on Bath Road and the office development at 2 Glass Wharf at Temple Quay. Several other sites are now ready for development.
