How can Bristol Harbour be transformed over the next two decades?

Above: Bristol City Hall (courtesy Bristol City Hall)

A consultation on a vision for how Bristol’s Harbour could be transformed over the next 20 years has been launched by Bristol City Council.

The Harbour Place Shaping Strategy (HPSS) sets out a broad and ambitious long term vision for the future of Bristol’s Floating Harbour. ​The vision seeks to capture the city’s hopes and aspirations, describing a harbour for Bristol that would be: 

• Accessible and welcoming to all Bristol's communities and visitors

• Able to adapt to climate change and better support wildlife and nature

• Thriving economically

• A place for recreation, and to experience the rich maritime heritage and culture of the city.

  
  

As well as seeking views on the HPSS’s draft vision, the consultation aims to gather feedback on a Waterspace Plan and six Place Plans. These plans describe how improvements to the harbour's waterspace and the six distinct areas that surround it could help achieve the vision. These documents have been informed by extensive engagement with people who live, work in and visit Bristol Harbour, including residents who very rarely visit the harbour.​

Councillor Andrew Brown, Chair of the Economy and Skills Committee, and the Harbour Committee said: “The Harbour Place Shaping Strategy provides us with an opportunity to guide and coordinate future development of the areas around the harbour and the water space itself.

“We want to create a strategy that will encourage residents, businesses and our communities to work together to rejuvenate our historic harbourside and make sure Bristol has a thriving and accessible destination that can be enjoyed by our city’s growing population and an increasing number of visitors. This is why it’s so important for us to hear from each of these key groups on what you think about the long-term vision for Bristol Harbour and the principles that will guide the approach to future development. Our vision needs to be a shared one and will only be achieved by working together.”

Over 100 interventions and projects are recommended within the Waterspace and Place Plans that could be delivered over a period of 20 years to enhance the harbour and the experience for people who live in, work in and visit the area. These projects vary in size and complexity and the majority are still in the very early stages needing further work to explore feasibility. The feedback from this consultation will be used to inform if and how these projects progress.

The consultation runs until 4 November 2024. Once all responses have been considered the HPSS will be reviewed in light of the feedback received and an updated version will be presented to the Economy and Skills Committee. If approved by the Committee, the HPSS will help guide decision making on development of Bristol Harbour over the next 20 years. The Council says it will also be able to begin to prioritise projects, further explore feasibility and carry out more detailed engagement and consultation.

The area covered by the HPSS includes the harbour’s water space, and the land immediately surrounding it from Junction Lock Bridge near Underfall Yard to Totterdown Basin behind Temple Meads Station. It connects the city’s three major regeneration projects being progressed by the council in partnership with stakeholders across the city: Western Harbour, City Centre and Temple Quarter.

The Western Harbour project area extends from Hotwells to Greville Smyth Park, and includes Cumberland Basin and the New Cut.

Western Harbour presents an opportunity to create an inclusive neighbourhood with much-needed affordable housing, jobs and recreational space whilst also responding to the challenges of a changing climate, aging infrastructure, and the increasing threat of flooding faced by the city.

Commitments set out in the vision for Western Harbour, that was approved by Cabinet in July 2022 following extensive public engagement and consultation, are helping to guide a long-term masterplan for the area. The master plan will set out in detail where the new homes, community spaces, businesses, walking and cycling routes, roads and greenspaces that the city needs could go.

During October and November the council will be seeking feedback on emerging ideas for the masterplan for Western Harbour.

Find out more and signup to receive the latest information, including updates on opportunities to get involved and have your say at https://harbourhopes.co.uk.

The Temple Quarter regeneration area covers 130 hectares of brownfield land around Temple Meads station and St Philip’s Marsh to the east. Over the next 25 years the area will be transformed into a series of thriving, well-connected mixed-use communities. To find out more and signup to receive the Temple Quarter newsletter, visit https://www.bristoltemplequarter.com

The Bristol City Centre Regeneration Project covers an area focused around Broadmead, Castle Park and the Old City.

The City Centre Development and Delivery Plan, that will guide redevelopment and improvement in the centre of Bristol, went out for consultation in the Summer of 2023 and was endorsed by Bristol City Council’s Cabinet in December 2023.

The document is a ‘material consideration’ for assessing planning applications, as well as Bristol City Council investment decisions in the area.