The Bristol Temple Quarter regeneration scheme is the biggest redevelopment the city has seen in a generation or so. It will transform a vast area around Temple Meads station, St Philips Marsh and the Dings over a 25-year period.
Much of this land has been untouched for decades, and while it’s mostly current or former industrial sites, it also butts up against some of the city’s poorest communities around Lawrence Hill and Barton Hill.
This week on Bristol Unpacked, we talk to the woman overseeing the massive project. Lyn Garner is chair of the Temple Quarter partnership, which brings together the city council, Homes England, Network Rail, and the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
She’s a regeneration specialist who’s mostly worked in London and formerly been in charge of looking after the legacy of the 2012 Olympics – as well as leading the Haringey Development Vehicle. That was a highy controversial redevelopment partnership with developer Lendlease that collapsed – amid a legal battle and political storm – after allegations that residents who faced losing their homes had not been properly consulted.
So what impact will the Temple Quarter have on the lives of people in the city? What is it going to do for Bristol’s big issues – like housing, jobs, education and transport? And with the plans going big on words like equity and inclusivity, how can these kinds of schemes bring on board and deliver for the people most affected by them?
We’ll be asking Lyn all these questions and more on the final Unpacked of 2025.
We’re taking a short break but will return in January 2026 – so pop yourself somewhere warm and enjoy this episode, and we’ll see you on the other side…
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