St Philip's Marsh, page 4: What are the opportunities for St Philip's Marsh?

The information below sets out some of the possible opportunities for redevelopment at St Philip’s Marsh, the types of open space and green networks that could exist and the type of transport network, housing and business land use that may be possible. This is a flexible concept proposal to give an idea of the change that could happen. More detail will be developed through masterplanning and ongoing community engagement, starting in 2023. In addition to masterplanning, a cultural strategy will be produced to sit alongside this framework.

The map below shows the area covered by St Philip’s Marsh. It’s been split into three areas: North West St Philip’s Marsh, North East St Philip’s Marsh, and South St Philip’s Marsh.

Proposed St Philip's Marsh neighbourhood areas 

1. North West St Philip's Marsh: A knowledge based, employment led area focused on the proposed University of Bristol Enterprise Campus, Temple Island, and Silverthorne Lane developments.
2. South St Philip's Marsh: A sustainable, residential led mixed-use neighbourhood focused along the new riverside linear park, integrating leisure uses and potentially including a new sporting and leisure facility.
3. North East St Philip's Marsh: A mixed residential and employment area providing housing and supporting uses together, including small-scale manufacturing and maker-spaces.

North West St Philip’s Marsh 

The areas within North West St Philip's Marsh 

North West St Philip’s Marsh area could include a mixed neighbourhood which builds on the University of Bristol and Silverthorne Lane developments already taking place, to nurture a creative and knowledge based economy of small and medium sized businesses which thrive on proximity to the university and each other, and which contribute to a distinctive and vibrant place reflecting Bristol’s independent character.

Residential uses could be combined with employment uses and temporary uses where compatible. Vertical mixing of uses within new buildings (where each floor would provide a different type of use) could support the provision of a wide range of different accommodation, whilst supporting the needs of small and growing businesses across a wide range of sectors.

A number of developments are already proposed. These include University of Bristol Enterprise Campus, Silverthorne Lane and Temple Island. They do not form part of this consultation but are included here to give complete information.

Silverthorne Lane

Silverthorne Lane

Consent for new development at Silverthorne Lane was granted in April 2022. The proposals include delivery of:

• A new secondary school
• Student accommodation
• New homes
• Employment space
• A new building for the University of Bristol

Planning applications for student accommodation have also been submitted for sites on Avon Street (approved) and Freestone Road.

University of Bristol Enterprise Campus

University of Bristol's proposed new Enterprise Campus at Cattle Market Road.

The new University of Bristol Enterprise Campus will enhance Bristol’s reputation as a global destination for innovation and strengthen the city-region’s role as an economic powerhouse.

The University of Bristol’s proposals are an integral part of the Temple Quarter project, and its development sites are a key driver of regeneration in the area.

The new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus will focus on digital, business and social innovation. Bringing together world-class academic, industrial and entrepreneurial expertise, the university will innovate at scale and shape the skills the city-region needs for the future.

The new campus will provide an opportunity to create new partnerships and research collaborations that will have national and global significance. It will be a key venue for the UK digital economy, enhancing Bristol’s reputation as a global destination for innovation and strengthening the city-region’s role as an economic powerhouse.

The campus will be car free and the most sustainable part of the university’s estate, helping to achieve its ambition to become carbon neutral by 2030.

The public realm will be an open and welcoming space for everyone to enjoy. Connected to the new eastern entrance to Temple Meads Station, the campus will have new walking and cycling routes, enabling improved access from St Philip’s Marsh and its neighbouring communities to the station.

The university estimates that its new Enterprise Campus will deliver around £626m of employment and financial benefit to the regional economy over the next decade.

Temple Island

Proposals for Temple Island are for a mixed-use scheme of up-to 500 new homes, student flats linked to the University of Bristol’s new campus, office space, a 350-room hotel and conference facility, as well as bars, cafés and retail contributing to the creation of a vibrant place throughout the day and evening.


South St Philip's Marsh

The land south of the railway has the potential to become a new, residential-led neighbourhood capable of also accommodating a mixed-use commercial leisure development. Provision of enabling infrastructure (particularly flood infrastructure) is likely to require land assembly (this is where small parcels of land/property are acquired for the purpose of redevelopment of a larger area) and public investment.

Redevelopment of the area will be subject to future masterplanning, but has the potential to create:

• Affordable homes of mixed tenures.
• Energy efficient homes.
• A distinctive neighbourhood using waterfront sites.
• A comprehensive walking and cycling network to promote health and wellbeing, including greenways that integrate with flood defences.
• New footbridges along Bath Road and the south bank of the River Avon.
• Public transport routes providing access to the city centre and other neighbourhoods.
• A rejuvenated Sparke Evans Park to offer community facilities such as a play area, mixed use games area, café, seating, and planting.
• A new primary school.
• Community facilities to support the comprehensive redevelopment of the area, including a local centre, shops, cafés, restaurants, health centre etc.

South St Philip's Marsh - illustrative view of integrated flood defence and River Avon greenway concept, showing potential bridge link to Paintworks

 

North-East St Philip’s Marsh

North-East St Philip’s Marsh has the potential over the medium to longer term to create more intensive employment-led, mixed-use development. As with other areas, flood defences are needed to enable redevelopment, such as along the Feeder Canal corridor.

Redevelopment of the area will be subject to future masterplanning, but has the potential to include:

• New employment, such as green businesses, digitally enabled advanced manufacturing, science and technology and creative industries.
• Retention of existing light industrial and manufacturing businesses relocated from elsewhere in St Philip's Marsh.
• A residential community to bring vibrancy and activity, including supporting community facilities and open space.
• A new pattern of streets to improve links to the north-west St Philip’s Marsh area and Avonmeads Retail Park.

However, significant factors that will influence land use and phasing include:

• The future of St Philip’s Rail Depot, not currently considered for redevelopment.
• The relationship with the elevated St Philips Causeway dual carriageway.
• Land ownership, with limited Bristol City Council-owned sites, and the future of existing uses by Avon and Somerset Police and National Grid (formally Western Power Distribution).
• Rationalisation and realignment of electricity distribution infrastructure, including utility bridge crossings of the Feeder Canal.
• Potential for selective repurposing of existing buildings to accommodate new uses.