In its unique location at the entrance to Bristol’s historic harbour, the aspiration for Western Harbour is to create a vibrant neighbourhood which responds to the needs of the city and local communities. The area has the potential to feature new homes, retail, leisure and high-quality public open spaces it will maintain and celebrate links to the water and its unique setting. Following an open tender, which ran until 22 December 2023, the council has appointed architects, design consultants and urban planners, Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, to develop a masterplan for Western Harbour. The team will work across the whole city, including with the refreshed Western Harbour Advisory Group, to deliver the Western Harbour vision.
Development of our city’s places must consider longer-term place-based interventions and areas of regeneration, as well as physical and digital connectivity, parks and open spaces, the impact on the city centre, high streets and local centres, and how unlocking potential opportunities will support recovery and renewal.
By doing so we will reduce poverty and inequality, increase the city’s resilience and environmental sustainability, and to enhance the economic and social wellbeing of every community.
Western Harbour supports Bristol’s city council corporate strategy key commitments of being fair and inclusive, well connected, and prioritising wellbeing.
Strategic Alignments
To ensure regeneration is values led the Western Harbour plans sit within wider strategic aims including the One City Economic Recovery and Renewal Strategy. This should focus public policy, action and the delivery of place change that works for all.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) alignments include: 11.3, 17.3
Western Harbour is central to the continuing regeneration of Bristol’s city centre and the floating harbour. A significant gateway to the city, with its spectacular setting, it has the potential to grow.
The harbourside has become arguably one of the city’s best loved destinations – a place where people increasingly want to live, work, and spend their leisure time. Western Harbour represents an opportunity to further expand and enhance the harbourside offer, deliver affordable housing, celebrate maritime heritage, and ensure flood defences are fit for the 21st century.
We have the opportunity to unlock space for sustainable and affordable homes close to the city centre, create new jobs, provide sustainable travel options, create good-quality public space and improve access to the water. This will support Bristol’s economy by improving connections between homes, jobs and the rest of the city.
Western Harbour has been identified as one of the growth and regeneration areas in the Local Plan Review (2019). This sets out the intention to develop Western Harbour:
