Plans in for university’s new £300m campus

An outline planning application has been lodged for the University of Bristol’s new £300m campus which is set to transform a derelict site next to Bristol Temple Meads in the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone.Seven new buildings will be constructed on the former Royal Mail sorting office and part of Arena Island, providing a mix of flexible research and teaching facilities, accommodation for up to 1,500 students and a range of commercial outlets.There will be a focus on digital technologies, with plans for the £43m Quantum Technologies Innovation Centre (QTIC) revealed earlier this month.The Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus will initially cater for 3,500 students, the majority of whom will be postgraduates, with about 800 members of staff set to be based there.Facilities will also be opened up for public use, including a training and skills centre and resources which can be used by community groups.The campus will be car free and aims to be carbon neutral by 2030. Dedicated bus routes will connect it with the existing Clifton campus and there will also be new walking and cycle routes.An economic statement submitted as part of the application added that the campus will “not only make a large contribution to the economy, but also improve the image of Bristol as a place to work, live and do business” once it opens in 2021.The outline planning application covers details of the proposed density and scale of the buildings, as well as access to the site. The appearance and layout of the new campus will be submitted at a later stage of the planning application process.The university is in the process of appointing a design team and, if outline planning consent is granted, it intends to run a public consultation on detailed plans in spring 2018.