Bristol: Ashton Gate Sporting Quarter construction to start in 2025

A sporting development that has faced years of delays, has been given the go-ahead after a legal challenge was dismissed.

Work on Bristol Sport's Ashton Gate Sporting Quarter, which will include a new basketball arena for Bristol Flyers and a hotel, will now start in 2025.

A legal row between a waste company and council planners which had held-up the start of the development has now been dismissed by the High Court, with no further right to appeal.

The multi-purpose 5,000-seater arena will be built next to Ashton Gate stadium, which is home to Bristol City Football Club and the Bristol Bears rugby union team.

Plans were first announced for the sporting quarter in 2018 but it has been plagued with delays and legal battles.

The development was linked to an approved application for 510 new homes at Longmoor but ETM Recycling launched a judicial review in 2023 over fears noise from its nearby plant would affect residents.

At a hearing in the High Court, the Honourable Mr Justice Lavender ruled that there were no special circumstances that would allow ETM to have more time after the legal deadline to challenge the planning permission for Longmoor Village, and dismissed the case.

Bristol Sport has confirmed that construction will start in 2025.

Bristol Flyers will have a much-improved stadium capacity at the new 5,000-seat arena.

They have played at SGS College, which has a capacity of 750, for the past decade.

Lisa Knights, the team's CEO, said: "This has been a long time coming and the Flyers cannot wait for it get started.

"With sell-out crowds consistently at our current home of SGS College Arena, having a bigger, purpose-built venue will ensure the financial sustainability of the Flyers and an exciting future for basketball in Bristol and the south west."