The ‘Temple Island’ development concept (Image credit : Legal & General / Zaha-Hadid Architects)

A well-placed source in former Mayor George Ferguson’s administration has revealed that investment firm Legal and General (L&G) had approached him and his office during his time as mayor with plans to build on the ‘Arena Island’ site (now dubbed ‘Temple Island’). One of most valuable pieces of land in the UK outside of London.

This contradicts a claim made by the Council that Legal and General first approached the authority on 24 January 2018 when asked by Freyja Handy the legal counsel for Arena Island Ltd who are the company behind the original, city center arena bid.The source said that the mixed-use plans presented at that time by the firm were quickly dismissed as it was deemed an “inappropriate use” for the land that had already been earmarked for an arena.

This new information follows on from revelations in August last year that the Council lied about when YTL’s arena bid first came about. The article was published as a result of freedom of information requests by yours truly.

Freedom of information requests to release copies of emails between Bristol City Council and Legal and General have been refused.

The source further went on to dub *Wessex Water CEO, Colin Skellett “duplicitous” for using his position of chair of the West of England LEP to set aside public money for the cancelled city center bid only to re-purpose the same funds for planned public transport infrastructure for the new site in Filton built by Malaysian conglomerate YTL when their bid publicly emerged in March 2018.

YTL have said they will only build the arena after the demanded infrastructure (Metrobus phase 2 and Metrowest phase 2) are completed at the taxpayers expense.

At the time of writing neither YTL or Legal and General have planning permission for either of their respective developments.

*Wessex Water is owned by YTL.