Ashton Gateway (Bristol City Football Stadium) (2)

Bristol

A 30,000 seat stadium together with up to 253 new homes. Designed by Populous.

We also reviewed this scheme on 3 September 2009.

We note the amendments to the planning application. We feel, however, that our concerns expressed previously for the proposal not realising its vision of benefitting the community still stands. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to develop a new stadium for Bristol. It is also a wonderful chance to embed the stadium into a new community given the likelihood of growth around the site including an urban extension to the south west. We agree, therefore, with the vision to develop a new regional stadium for Bristol that will also bring opportunities to benefit the community. It is with regret, however, that our concerns for the planning application lead us to believe that the development in its current form does not yet realise this vision. We appreciate that a large amount of time and money has been committed to the project to date, but nevertheless feel that it would be imprudent not to develop the site with a proposal that improves the facilities available to existing and future residents and helps to raise the profile of Bristol as a city. We recommend, therefore, that the design team and the local authority are proactive in using the comments in this letter to help move forward and to achieve a consensus on a revised masterplan.

Relationship of the stadium to its surroundings

The masterplan drawings make little reference to the relationship between the stadium and the long term plans for the land to the south west and north east of the site in particular. At the very least, the proposal should show how it could connect with the urban extension proposed to the south west of the site, that we understand is currently the subject of a separate planning application. Football is a popular sport that engenders community spirit, indeed its central role within the community is evident at the existing Ashton Gate site. This is a great starting point from which a residential community could grow. It is also a good opportunity to use the stadium as a catalyst for urban regeneration. The stadium could help to address some of the existing social, environmental and economic problems within the surrounding residential areas. It is important, therefore, that the new stadium supports the future growth of the land outside the red line boundary. We appreciate that the stadium and the urban extension are now the subject of planning applications, however, given the incomparable nature of this opportunity, Bristol City Council must be proactive in working closely with North Somerset Council to champion a closely connected redevelopment plan for this area of Bristol. We worry that failure to do so may not only create urban problems in the long term, but miss the unique opportunity to develop a stadium that creates a focal point for the whole region.

The masterplan, in tandem with the urban extension proposal, needs to demonstrate that this will be a great place to live and visit on match days as well as non match days. It is particularly important that the site remains publicly accessible and avoids deserted and inactive spaces on non-match days. There is the potential for the stadium and the land around to be a focal point within the community that provides a number of functions at different times of the day and throughout the year. The planning application should set out what the long term strategy is for sustaining activity in this area.

A fundamental part of the stadium’s success is its relationship with its immediate surroundings. We do not think that the access strategy makes this connection satisfactorily, particularly now the access to the north has been removed. We understand that the majority of football fans will come from the north east of the site. Pedestrian access from this direction is limited to two access points and via an industrial estate which is not an inviting environment to walk through. Furthermore, there appears to be a conflict between the majority of football fans coming from the north east and the main entrance orientated west to address vehicular movements. We recommend that the access strategy is looked at again to ensure that the masterplan responds appropriately to local patterns of movement. We note that the access from the north-east is the subject of a planning application that is separate to the stadium. This access is fundamental to the stadium’s success in giving supporters the option to walk to matches. It is essential, therefore, that consent is not given for the stadium without a planning condition or legal agreement that secures the delivery of the access mentioned. Furthermore, the environmental quality of this route is key to its success. It is important that the outline planning application commits to a route that is a well defined street and not a route that skirts the back of industrial units and the edge of the stadium.

We think the current parking strategy does not deal realistically with traffic on match days. Some fans will arrive by coach and car and use the access points and parking facilities provided. We expect that many more fans will arrive from the local area, on foot. Furthermore, given that the site is less accessible from Bristol Temple Meads Railway Station than the existing stadium, it is possible that local fans will drive, arriving from the north east and parking in and around the industrial estates. This could cause severe traffic congestion and be a nuisance to local residents. A more joined up approach to parking is needed whereby the client and the local authority devise a more comprehensive solution. It could be possible, for example, that the industrial areas are used as managed overflow car parks on match days, with any revenue from this used to improve the environmental quality of the industrial areas, and the employment space on offer.

When revising the parking strategy it is important that greater attention is given to the landscaping of the car park. We are concerned that a significant proportion of the site is dedicated to hardsurfacing with only an occasional tree planted between spaces. While we are encouraged by the landscape strategy for the site overall, we think the landscape needs to be more integral to structuring the car park design and help break down the inevitable ‘sea of car parking.’

Architecture

This is a wonderful opportunity to give Bristol a building that it can be proud of. We think the technical design of the stadium is commendable; the bowl layout and the expansion strategy are particularly innovative. Equally, we think the stadium sits well within the landscape, respecting the changes in levels across the site. We wonder, however, if the building could make a more compelling statement as an important civic building. We think the polycarbonate cladding, for example, might communicate a ‘flimsy’ building that does not express the stadium’s lasting importance within Bristol and the region as a whole. Details on materials and how the façade will be constructed should be considered as a fundamental part of the planning application and not left to be considered via a planning condition.

Conclusion

In light of the points raised we hope that the client, design team and local authority can collaborate to address our comments. We feel that further work is needed to embed the proposal into its wider strategic context to achieve the vision that is commensurate with Bristol’s status as a city.