The West of England Mayor recently welcomed the government’s Investment Minister to the region, highlighting two of the West’s new growth zones.

Lord Jason Stockwood visited Brabazon, where senior figures from YTL and local MPs opened the new Spitfire Hangar community hub. He also toured Bristol Temple Quarter, including the cutting-edge Bristol Digital Futures Institute, which hosted the launch of the region’s new Growth Strategy in September.

Brabazon is at the heart of the new West Innovation Arc growth zone, a world-leading hub for advanced engineering on the former Filton Airfield. YTL’s £4 billion investment in the UK is centred on Brabazon, with planning permission already for 6,500 new homes, three new schools, and new parks, and construction due to start soon on a new 20,000-capacity arena, exhibition, and conferencing complex. 500 new homes there have already been built and moved into. This part of the West has been recommended by an independent task force to become one of the government’s new towns, with the potential for up to 40,000 new homes and 40,000 new jobs. The regional authority is investing in two new train stations, North Filton (under construction) and Henbury, to serve the wider area, something celebrated by the Chancellor in her speech at last month’s Regional Investment Summit.

The West Innovation Arc is already home to major technology companies, as well as the UK’s largest supercomputer, Isambard-AI, which is also the fastest one based at any university in the world. The growth zone is located mainly in South Gloucestershire, which research from the Brunel Centre ranked among the UK’s most productive areas – outperforming all outer London boroughs, with an economy more than 25% larger than any of them. Measured by GVA per hour against inner London boroughs, this council area would be in the top five most productive (with two of the other four being the City of London and Tower Hamlets, home to Canary Wharf).

Bristol Temple Quarter, backed by £95 million from government, is part of the Central Bath and Bristol growth zone and a key plank of the West’s new Growth Strategy. Centred around an upgraded Temple Meads station, plans for the brownfield site aim to build over 10,000 new homes and at least 22,000 new jobs. The University of Bristol’s new £500 million Enterprise Campus, including the regional authority-funded Quantum Technologies Innovation Centre, and the new Eastern Entrance to the station, are set to open next year. The Bristol Temple Quarter partnership, made up of the regional authority, city council, Homes England, and Network Rail, is set to appoint a development partner in the new year to bring forward comprehensive regeneration of publicly owned sites.

The new Growth Strategy includes an ambition for a £500 million Future Places Fund, using public funding to leverage private investment to unlock land for regeneration and economic development to help deliver our ambitious housing and growth targets.

Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said:

“From Brabazon to Bristol Temple Quarter, like much more across the West, Jason saw that our region is open for business and primed for investment. As the Minister heard from partners and I, the West is the best place to invest. The same message landed well with Great British Energy and Homes England during their recent visits too.

“Our regional economy has recently grown by four times the national rate, and we have ambitious plans to build the homes we need and create 72,000 new jobs over the coming ten years. Working with Jason and the government, I am determined to secure more investment to make a difference that people can see and feel here in the West of England.”

Lord Jason Stockwood, Investment Minister in the Department for Business and Trade and HM Treasury, said:

“The investments taking place in Brabazon and Bristol Temple Quarter are creating thousands of new jobs and unlocking exciting opportunities for local communities.

“My visit to Bristol shows how powerful transformative investment can be in driving forward innovation and supporting our aim to deliver 1.5 million new homes, cementing the UK as a top investment destination.”

Colin Skellett, Chief Executive of YTL UK, said

“Restoring and repurposing the Spitfire Hangar honours the rich aviation heritage of the Brabazon site and creates a new community hub for residents and the wider neighbourhood. With Mokoko Coffee and Bakery, a state-of-the-art gym, and flexible event spaces for up to 300 people, the Spitfire Hangar is the first publicly accessible facility at Brabazon New Town which is the heart of the proposed Western Innovation Arc.”

Karen Mercer, CEO of Bristol Temple Quarter LLP, said:

“It was great to welcome Lord Stockwood to Bristol Temple Quarter and show him the progress which is already underway in the area. With a renewed Temple Meads at the centre of the project, and major developments such as the University of Bristol’s Enterprise Campus already underway, we are creating one of the most exciting investment opportunities in the country.

“Temple Quarter is a major pillar of the West of England Growth Strategy and will drive long-term growth for the city and the wider region by delivering new homes, jobs and modern workspaces.”