Plans to develop South Bristol into the city’s largest indoor sporting and cultural venue, part of the £200 million Ashton Gate Sporting Quarter project, could commence soon following a recent legal development.
A High Court judge has dismissed a challenge from waste firm ETM, which aimed to block Bristol City Council from granting planning permission for 510 new homes in the vicinity. The challenge was rejected because ETM’s legal team failed to submit the necessary documents correctly and on time.
With the ruling issued by Justice Lavender, there are now no legal obstacles preventing Ashton Gate owner Steve Lansdown from moving forward with the major development on two sites near the stadium.
A year ago, Bristol City Council approved two planning applications submitted by Steve Lansdown’s firm, Esteban. The first application was for 510 new homes in a development named Longmoor Village, situated between the Long Ashton park and ride and Ashton Vale. This area was once considered for a relocated stadium about 15 years ago.
The homes are intended to help fund the second phase of the project—a 5,000-capacity sports arena and conference center, along with a hotel, flats, offices, and a multi-storey car park, located on Winterstoke Road next to Ashton Gate stadium.
Work on the ‘Sporting Quarter’ was initially scheduled to begin in autumn 2023. However, a legal challenge from ETM, a neighboring waste treatment firm, delayed the project. ETM sought a judicial review of the council’s decision to approve the 510 new homes at Longmoor Village. The firm argued that new residents would complain about the noise from ETM’s operations, potentially jeopardizing its business.
The recent dismissal of ETM’s challenge now clears the way for Lansdown to proceed with the development.
The council said it wouldn’t, pointing out that the planners had done the noise tests and the nearest homes to ETM’s site were far enough away for it not to be an issue – as long as ETM stuck to its agreed legal noise level
The council said it would robustly defended its position, but the legal challenge was enough to put both projects on hold for a year until the legal wrangle was sorted.
But it turned out ETM had not properly submitted all its paperwork inside a six-week deadline after the moment the city council formally awarded planning permission.
So the firm’s lawyers first had to ask the High Court for special dispensation to start their challenge after the deadline.
Justice Lavender ruled against extending the deadline for ETM’s legal challenge, stating that there were no special circumstances to justify giving the firm more time to file their claim. As a result, ETM’s case was dismissed before it was even heard.
In his ruling, Justice Lavender noted the difficulties the court faced in obtaining legal papers from ETM’s lawyers and concluded that the reasons for extending the deadline were outweighed by the reasons against it.
With the dismissal of ETM’s challenge, planning permission for the Longmoor Village homes remains valid. This decision clears the way for Steve Lansdown’s Esteban company to proceed with selling the land to a developer and to commence work on the Ashton Gate Sporting Quarter.
The first visible sign of progress is expected to be the demolition of several buildings between the stadium and Winterstoke Road, including the now-closed Wickes DIY store. This will make way for the multi-storey car park and the new arena and conference center.
The multi-purpose venue will become the new home for the Bristol Flyers basketball team, joining Bristol City football and Bristol Bears rugby teams under the Bristol Sport umbrella at the same site.
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