This month, Bristol’s Labour mayor Marvin Rees made the decision to scrap the planned Populous-designed city centre arena amid local controversy surrounding an expenses-paid overseas trip with the plans’ commercial rivals. 

Rees says the £156m scheme, pushed by his independent predecessor in the role, former RIBA president George Ferguson, had to be scrapped given rising costs, big risks and the huge public sector financial commitment involved. But opponents say the move, which potentially clears the way for a largely privately funded arena to proceed on the northern fringe of the city, is a huge potential blow to the centre’s regeneration efforts. 

“To put in more luxury apartments, offices and a ‘blind’ conference centre with no public engagement is a waste of a great site”

Rob Gregory, Purcell

Rob Gregory, associate at the Bristol office of architect Purcell, which is not directly involved in the schemes, says: “It’s really disappointing and a missed opportunity. It feels like we’ll have had eight years of a mayor in this city and it has added up to nothing.”

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