News / Politics
Ferguson defends arena delays
Mayor George Ferguson has defended a delay to the Bristol arena completion, saying it was “inevitable” as the project has grown in size.
The opening date for the 12,000-capacity, multi-purpose arena behind Temple Meads has changed from late 2017 to early 2018.
A report to council also showed the cost of the project has risen by 2.5 per cent to £93.5m, which will be covered by the private operator.
At Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, Ferguson said the delays were due to new plans to develop the whole of Arena Island which had pushed back some of the work.
“This is a big project. It is inevitable that by being a bigger project we have a longer planning process than intended,” he said.
The new £200 million vision for the entire Arena Island will now include offices, retail space and a plaza.
Ferguson added: “It does mean that there’s a very small extension to the planning and construction period.”
A public consultation was launched after preliminary plans for the arena were released last month. The consultation is happening at various venues and comments can be left online.