In April 2017, the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone will have been in operation for five years. Last month, Bristol City Council’s Cabinet approved plans to expand its area and its lifespan. Both of these things are causes for celebration – and the latter a vote of confidence in the project’s progress to date. In light of this, we thought that now would be a good time to reflect on some of the zone’s successes to date.

Sunny day at Temple Quay

  • We are acknowledged as one of the most successful Enterprise Zones in the country. Approximately 3,000 jobs have been attracted to the area since 2012, and several landmark developments have been completed.
2 Glass Wharf

In early 2015, an iconic development was completed at 2 Glass Wharf. The offices are now home to PwC, Ultrahaptics and Arcadis UK

A series of timelapse videos showing significant developments and changes that have taken place in the area since 2012

  • The area is fast becoming a hub for small and start-up businesses, particularly in the creative, digital and hi-tech sectors. SETsquared, the Bristol branch of which is based at Engine Shed, was recently named the best university business incubator in the world. Workspaces such as Temple Studios, Bristol and Exeter House, Paintworks, Entrepreneurial Spark and Engine Shed contribute immensely to this thriving scene.
The entrance to Temple Studios

The entrance to Temple Studios

  • Strategic property acquisitions by Bristol City Council mean that the quality and speed of regeneration in the Temple Quarter will be improved. Key examples are the Former Sorting Office on Cattle Market Road and the CityPoint building on Temple Gate. The former could accommodate around 50,000 square metres of new commercial, residential and leisure space.
An artist’s impression of how the area around Temple Meads could look in the future

An artist’s impression of how the area around Temple Meads could look in the future. Image copyright Richard Carman.

  • The Bristol Temple Quarter Engagement Hub will be starting work soon, connecting businesses and educators with young people, helping prepare a future generation of potential employees in the zone’s high growth industries.
  • Finally, the expansion of the Enterprise Zone is one of the first steps in the journey towards a redevelopment of Temple Meads station, transforming it into a twenty-first century integrated regional transport hub.
Spatial Framework model example

A visualisation of how the area could look in the future. Image copyright Bristol City Council City Design Group.

If you’d like to know more about how the Temple Quarter might look further down the line, have a look at our Spatial Framework. If you’d like to know more about everything that’s been achieved to date, have a play with our interactive timeline. Any questions? Then email btqez@bristol.gov.uk.