New details about shuttle buses that will take concert-goers to and from a planned new Bristol arena emerged this week.
The buses are part of a £4.9million package of transport measures linked to the huge stadium in Filton, the funding of which the city’s transport chief has been forced to defend.
The 17,000-capacity arena in the Brabazon Hangar in Filton Airfield is due open in 2024, after previous plans for an arena in Temple Island were scrapped by city mayor Marvin Rees.
READ MORE: Everything we know about Bristol Arena plans so far
Papers describing 'YTL Arena Bristol travel mitigations' came before Bristol’s ruling Labour administration this week, along with a request for £2.7million of public funding.
Bristol City Council has always insisted Malaysian investment firm YTL will pay for the arena, and the developer has promised to contribute £3.1million towards transport infrastructure in the area, where a number of large new housing developments are being built.
'Bespoke arena shuttle bus stops' in the city centre were among the measures listed in the papers to the cabinet meeting on Tuesday (January 18).
Others included expansion of the Portway Park and Ride, an event-day residents’ parking scheme for Brentry and Southmead, and a segregated cycle route along Charlton Road.
Deputy mayor Craig Cheney, who chaired the meeting in the absence of a reportedly ill Mr Rees, said: “The operator’s going to be putting on some shuttle buses from various locations and paying for them.”
No details about the exact number or location of the shuttle bus stops were presented, but the developer must pay for “two large bus stop facilities” in the city centre, according to one report.
Transport officers said the large bus stops were necessary to avoid “severe disruption to other services, risking the safety and convenience of all bus passengers in the city centre”, as happened when Massive Attack played at Filton Airfield in 2019 and long queues for shuttle buses caused chaos, the report shows.
YTL must put on the shuttle buses for every event with a capacity of 7,000 or more, it says.
The operator is planning 130 events of this size every year - up to three a week.
People going to a concert would have to choose their public transport option - rail, shuttle bus or MetroBus - when buying a ticket.
For a 17,000-capacity event, 37 city centre shuttle buses would be needed beforehand and 93 afterwards to ensure 16 per cent of people choose that option, as expected by the council.
£2.7m of public money sought
Officers sought and received cabinet approval for the council to join with South Gloucestershire Council in asking the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) for £2.7million towards the package of travel measures.
The report requesting the funding referred to “measures required to be delivered and operational by [the] summer/autumn 2024 opening date for the YTL Arena”.
It said: “The timely delivery of a package of sustainable transport and network management interventions is required in order to enhance the accessibility of the arena whilst minimising its impact on local communities in north Bristol as well as supporting delivery of various housing developments in the area.”
Introducing the report, cabinet member for transport Don Alexander said: “The arena is in a major development that includes several thousand homes, a park and a lake with excellent facilities.
“This paper provides a match of private and public funds to support the housing, from which the arena will benefit.
“This match of funds is in line with all substantial developments.”
Resident Suzanne Audrey queried the request for taxpayers’ money to help pay for the transport infrastructure, saying “it has been repeatedly stated that no public money is needed for the YTL arena”.
“I just wanted to know if you could explain the extent to which public money is needed for the arena to go ahead,” she asked.
Cllr Alexander said: “We haven’t really put any money in. Actually what we’ve done is we’ve saved money.
“The arena itself and the access roads to it are funded entirely by YTL. This has saved the city at least £165million and removed all the city’s liability to the private operator, YTL.
“There are also new housing and employment developments planned for this area. Like any major mixed-use regeneration project, the increased rail, bus and network management infrastructure to serve this area relies on a mixture of public and private money.
“I’m very happy to put public money into transport infrastructure in order that we create a sustainable neighbourhood."
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