The West of England Combined Authority Committee met for an extraordinary session last week to discuss the Bristol Temple Quarter Regeneration Project, as well as Business Cases for the Investment Fund.
Bristol Temple Quarter Regeneration Programme
The Bristol Temple Quarter Regeneration Programme is one of the largest of its kind in the UK, bringing £94.7million of government funding from Homes England into the region. The Committee approved flowdown and collaboration agreements from this grant funding between the project partners - the Combined Authority, Bristol City Council, Network Rail, and Homes England, as part of the delivery of the programme. The Committee also agreed to using additional Investment Funding to fully resource the Joint Delivery Team until 2026/27. During the meeting, Committee members discussed how this long-awaited programme would bring vital economic growth into both Bristol and the region as a whole, and that the Overview & Scrutiny Committee had broadly welcomed the proposals while noting the need to consult robustly with businesses during the course of the programme.
Hydrogen Sustainable Transport Economy Accelerator (HSTEA)
The Committee discussed and approved the Full Business Case for the Hydrogen Sustainable Transport Economy Accelerator (HSTEA); and the Outline Business Case for the Arena Infrastructure Package.
The HSTEA will create a green hydrogen production, storage and research facility within the Institute of Advanced Automotive Prolusion Systems at the Bristol & Bath Science Park. The Committee agreed the Full Business Case for the HSTEA and awarded the project a total of £2.5m of funding from the Green Recovery Fund, the Future Transport Zone and the Innovation for Renewal and Opportunity Influence Fund. Committee members noted the importance of hydrogen research and application in reaching our net-zero goals.
Arena Infrastructure Package
The Brabazon Arena on the former Filton Airfield will deliver a 17,000-capacity venue to create the third largest arena in the UK, and put Bristol on the world stage for live music and entertainment. The Arena Infrastructure Package was awarded a total of £6.6m from the Investment Fund to deliver a package of transport improvements to the area, including improved walking and cycling routes, to facilitate growth and sustainable travel. At the meeting, Committee members noted the enormous regional and national significance the Arena will have once complete, as well as the need to ensure that people can access such an asset using sustainable transport modes.
You can read the papers from the meeting online, or watch the livestream on our YouTube channel if you'd like to find out more.
