South Bristol, which has been given Housing Zone status and £300,000 to support development is one of the city’s future growth areas for employment and housing, with plans for 8,000 new homes. The completion of the South Bristol link road next year will improve access to the area. Here are some other areas to watch:

DEVELOPMENT HOTSPOTS FOR THE NEXT DECADE

■ BRISTOL TEMPLE QUARTER

With Bristol Temple Meads station at its core, this 70 hectare site is among the biggest regeneration projects in the country. It opened as an enterprise zone in 2012 offering incentives to businesses such as streamlined planning, reduced business rates and superfast broadband. It is expected to attract 17,000 jobs over the 25 year lifespan of the project.

There are already more than 300 businesses in the area including creative and digital start-ups. Across the River Avon, there are plans for a new cultural offering with the regeneration of Arena Island, the former diesel depot site, to include the Bristol Arena, an entertainment venue with capacity for 12,000. The Council is currently consulting on a new Masterplan for Temple Quarter.

■ FINZELS REACH

The city centre mixed use scheme known as Finzels Reach, has already attracted a number of professional firms and residential buyers.

The 115,000 sq ft Grade A Bridgewater House is now fully let to Barclays, BDO and EDF Energy. EDF Energy took 81,000 sq ft at £28.50 per sq ft during Q1 2016, in line with the 2015 peak. Due to limited new developments in the city, we expect the next phase of the scheme, Aurora (95,000 sq ft), set to complete during Q3 2017, to let quickly. There is also planning consent for 200 apartments on the scheme. Construction is about to commence on Finzels Bridge, which will link Finzels Reach to Castle Park.

■ PAINTWORKS

Situated on the Bath Road to the south east of the city centre, Paintworks is the regeneration of a former Victorian paint factory. Four phases of work have been planned to develop the site.

Over 500 jobs have already been attracted by the site, and this is expected to rise to about 1,000 jobs when the work is completed in 2018. The scheme has been particularly attractive to TMT firms given its relatively affordable rent and clusters of creative companies nearby. Small, warehouse-like workspaces, let for around £18 per sq ft.

The third phase is now currently under construction. It is the largest residential phase with planning permission for 221 homes and approximately 72,000 sq ft of commercial space across five acres. Crest Nicholson is currently on site with an average residential asking prices of £370 per sq ft for the first phase.

■ FILTON & SURROUNDING AREA

The urban area of Bristol extends into neighbouring district councils. To the north of the city in South Gloucestershire, the arch between Cribbs Causeway and Filton, including the airfield and Charlton Hayes in Patchway, provides opportunity for larger scale development with the potential to create new neighbourhoods and employment.

The 65 acre former site of the Rolls-Royce East Works is set to become a new business park having secured planning consent for 1.2 million sq ft of commercial space, warehousing and industrial uses.

The £120m development, to be known as Horizon38, will provide major employment with car dealerships, trade counters, self storage and a major hotel and is set to complete next year.

Residential and retail is being planned on the opposite side of the A38. There are plans for at least 2,675 new homes on the former Filton airfield. Local advantages include access to M5, M4 and Bristol Parkway station which takes you directly to London in 1hr and 20 minutes. The area is also adjacent to Cribbs Causeway shopping centre. Nearby large employers include Rolls Royce, BAE Systems and Airbus UK.

▲ Finzels Bridge will link Finzels Reach to Castle Park

HOW WILL BRISTOL EXPAND?

Cooperation between neighbouring local authorities is key

Bristol needs to grow in order to accommodate its rising population and to continue to attract investment as its economy flourishes. Hence the city must seek to intensify development within its urban areas as well as to co-operate with surrounding local authorities. Release of suitable sites on the Green Belt could provide opportunities for much needed urban extensions.

Bristol City Council, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, drew up the West of England Joint Spatial Plan which estimates the need to build at least 84,364 homes over the next 20 years. Around 56,000 homes are already planned for, with planning permission or sites already allocated. Different scenarios to increase housing include: urban intensification and repurposing sites for housing, expansion of urban areas into adjacent countryside, expansion of other towns in the area and the potential to bring together cluster of sites for strategic purposes.

Critics have questioned whether more is needed, with some estimating housing need of more than 100,000 homes by 2036.

Our map below provides a snap shot of the current pipeline of larger developments in Bristol’s surrounding area with over 30,000 homes planned for and under construction.

^{Source: Glenigans, Savills Research}