The new Brabazon development on the site of the old Filton Airfield will become a new ‘15-minute neighbourhood’ of 6,500 new homes in a project inspired by Copenhagen, the Prime Minister of Malaysia has announced.
On a visit to the UK, the Malaysian PM met with senior members of the Government, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and the development on the northern edge of Bristol – that is being created by Malaysian firm YTL – was at the top of the agenda.
Work to build 6,500 and the new Brabazon development has been taking place for years, and has sparked some controversy, with the UK taxpayer investing tens of millions in bringing public transport links to the new suburb, amid lengthy delays to YTL’s conversion of the Brabazon Hangar into a 19,000 capacity indoor arena.
But Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim has now formally launched the development, which will be called ‘Brabazon New Town’, and it is now being touted as ‘the most sustainable new town in the UK’.
“The award-winning Brabazon Bristol development is set to transform the historic Filton Airfield site into a vibrant new ‘15-minute neighbourhood’,” a spokesperson for YTL said. “The Copenhagen-inspired project will allow people to access the essential services they need – workplaces, schools, shops, public transport, healthcare and green spaces – within a 15-minute radius of their home. The new development boasts 6,500 high-quality sustainable homes, three new schools and a new urban park, the largest to be built in the South West for more than 50 years.”
“Central to plans are the YTL Arena Bristol, a 19,500-capacity state-of-the-art arena, conferencing and exhibition space designed to be the most sustainable arena in Europe,” they added.
The conversion of the old Filton Airfield has been a long time in the planning, with the first new homes built back in the mid-2010s. In 2017 and 2018, the then Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, met with YTL bosses in Malaysia and returned to scrap Bristol City Council ’s plans for an arena next to Temple Meads Station, and instead backed YTL’s plans for a bigger arena on the edge of the city, as part of the Brabazon redevelopment.
Tens of millions of pounds of investment from transport bodies like the West of England Combined Authority and Network Rail then went to creating a new station and new line to the new arena and the Brabazon development, which will begin to open in the next couple of years.
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The UK’s Minister for Investment, Baroness Gustafsson, said: “Increasing investment is a mission at the heart of this government and will help us deliver long-term, stable growth that supports skilled jobs and raises living standards across the country.
“YTL’s commitment is a huge vote of confidence in the UK. Seeing global investors put billions in the UK economy shows we are an investment destination of choice,” she added.
The Brabazon New Town is part of a £4 billion investment in the UK by YTL and Malaysia, around half of which will be at Filton. Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “This investment is incredible news for the UK and will create a generational transformation for North Bristol, delivering infrastructure, new schools and creating thousands of new homes and jobs in the region.
“By creating the right conditions and giving investors the confidence they need to make big investments in Britain, our Plan for Change is delivering economic growth and showing the power of investment to transform our cities, and give working people the security they deserve,” he added.
Last month, the UK joined a Trans-Pacific trade partnership called the CPTPP, joining the likes of Japan, Peru, Canada and Mexico, as well as Malaysia, and investments like YTL’s are just the start, the Prime Minister of Malaysia said, adding that it was a ‘golden opportunity’ to enhance Malaysian-UK trade relations.
““As Chair of ASEAN, this year, Malaysia is uniquely positioned to promote regional economic integration, using YTL’s success as a shining example of ASEAN-UK collaboration, the Honourable Dato’ Seri Anwar Bin Ibrahim said. “Investments by Malaysian businesses into the UK are not just about economic growth, they reflect our commitment to nurturing partnerships that drive innovation, foster prosperity, and contribute to a better world for all,” he added.
A CGI street scene from ‘phase 2’ of the Brabazon New Town project, called ‘the Heritage District’
(Image: YTL)
The executive chairman of YTL, which has owned Wessex Water since 2002, is Francis Yeoh Sock Ping. “Our UK businesses are committing to invest £4bn into the country over the next five years. Brabazon is a rare opportunity to re-imagine how best to live, work and play in today’s world whilst ensuring that sustainability is built into the development from conceptualisation. Our expertise in our 70 years as a builder of Malaysia’s infrastructure will inform our strategies and methodologies in building this ambitious project.
“The strengthened trade agreements and cooperation between Malaysia and the UK will undoubtedly catalyse new partnerships with our supply chains and spur greater investments between the two countries,” he added.