The original plan to build the 12,000 seat arena next to Temple Meads station, on land which Bristol Council owns, have been paused for nearly two years and a decision is due this month.
However, now proposals to move the arena to the Brabazon hanger next to Filton Airfield are being considered. South Gloucestershire Greens hit out at the proposals for potentially creating additional pollution and congestion in Filton surrounding areas and especially impacting on the already congested A38 from the M4/M5 junction at Almondsbury. All this when the original location, that millions of pounds has been spent on, is walking distance from a mainline station offering connections to the whole country. Matt Furey-King, who stood for the Greens in 2017, added:
“This arena needs to be in Bristol itself to make it a real Bristol attraction. I can imagine if it’s in Filton, with few nearby hotels, many will come by car and leave without experiencing the other great things Bristol and South Glos has to offer. By virtue of its short distance from us down in the centre, we should still expect to gain economically from it cementing the West of England region as a place to visit.”