South Gloucestershire Council has today (January 24) granted planning permission for a new train station north of Bristol, which will improve transport links for communities living in developments on the former Filton Airfield site and visitors to the forthcoming YTL Arena.
Revised plans for North Filton Station were received by the council just before Christmas from Network Rail. The council says it fast-tracked its final assessment of the proposals to enable a decision to be made promptly so that work on the station could begin as soon as possible.
Delays have already hit the North Filton station. Initially, it was due to open next year. However, in October, YTL, the developer of the arena and thousands of new homes at the neighbouring Brabazon housing estate, said 'mid 2026' was now the target opening date.
Read More: Bristol Arena opening date delayed again, but it will be even bigger, say YTL
It was recently revealed that the 19,000-capacity arena, which the station will also serve, has also been delayed and is now scheduled to open at the end of 2025 or early 2026.
The council says services from the new station will run "regularly"; however previous plans indicated that trains to the new North Filton station would initially only run once an hour. In December, Bristol mayor Marvin Rees faced calls to support an increase in the frequency of trains on the line. At the time, he said future growth in passenger numbers could later lead to more frequent services.
As part of the Brabazon development, up to 6,000 new homes will be built in the next 20 years in the area around the new station, which will offer a direct connection to the Henbury Link, from Henbury to Temple Meads via Filton and Ashley Down. The project is part of MetroWest phase 2, which will see an old railway reopened with two and two further stations at Ashley Down and Henbury.
South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet Member responsible for planning and strategic infrastructure, Cllr Steve Reade, said: “This is a significant milestone, and I am pleased the council has been able to prioritise its efforts to accelerate the delivery of the planning permission for the new station.
“North Filton Station will support not only the growing resident population but the new and existing infrastructure, businesses and entertainment facilities, which will attract visitors from across the region and beyond to this part of South Gloucestershire. Having regular and reliable public transport links will be vital to make this area an attractive place to live, work and visit.
“This decision will now enable our delivery partners to take forward the new station without delay to serve the new arena, existing residents and businesses and the new community at Brabazon.”
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- Empty land behind Temple Meads station could become two hotels and 108 flats
