Five major changes planned for 2026

Some major projects are expected to be completed this year, which could have dramatic impacts on our city.

From the opening of a £11m youth zone to possible reforms to how vehicles move around Bristol, 2026 is set to bring some significant changes.

Below, we take a look at five of Bristol's biggest schemes for the year ahead - some definitely happening, others potential controversies to watch.

If you have been along Hartcliffe Way recently, you will have almost certainly noticed the construction of a huge new £11m youth facility.

It has been talked about since 2021 and is expected to open with a soft launch in the spring, with a full service due to start in the summer.

On-site there is a recording studio, football pitch, boxing and climbing facilities, arts and crafts room, and a media and technology suite.

The council said the new centre, called 224 Youth Zone, will cost £5 for an annual membership, or 50p per visit.

Aiming to reach 5,000 young people a year, the centre will be open every day for young people aged eight to 19, or up to 25 for those with special educational needs and disabilities.

Hot meals will be available, and the council said the hub will also be used to provide employment and mental health support.

There have been concerns about whether the location in Knowle West will put off some young people from Hartcliffe, but it is hoped the centre will bring the two communities together.

At some point in the not-too-distant future, the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is going to have to respond to Bristol City Council's request for money that would stop cars driving through one of the main streets in the city.

In March 2025, Green Party councillors approved the £15m plan to limit Park Street to only buses, cyclists and pedestrians.

Under the new plans, vehicles will still be able to access the street via side roads but will not be able to drive from end to end.

However, the funding needs to come from WECA, which has a budget from the government for "sustainable transport" schemes.

WECA is yet to respond to the council's request, but Labour mayor Helen Godwin previously said she was "very unsure" about the proposal.

So will she give the council the money it wants?

Either way, there will still be plenty of roadworks and building going on around the city.

The Temple Quarter redevelopment covers an area roughly the size of a hundred football pitches - and while it will not be totally finished, parts of it are due to open towards the end of 2026.

A new eastern entrance to Temple Meads will change the way people access the train station, with predictions it could be used by more than two million people per year.

The £23m project will connect with the University of Bristol's new Enterprise Campus, which is due to open in September.

As well as providing a home for about 5,000 students and staff, the campus is expected to be a space for start-ups and community work, and will be open to everyone.

It is the first major piece of infrastructure delivered under the ambitious Temple Quarter regeneration programme, which is being administered by WECA.

It is an issue that has put Bristol under a national spotlight, with the city dubbed the "van-dweller capital" of the UK.

Council leaders have adopted a new policy, which from the spring will change the way the authority deals with people living in vehicles.

Under the plans, people will be given three months of support before enforcement action is taken.

The aim is to help people find permanent, secure accommodation. The council is also opening new 'meanwhile sites' to encourage people off the roadside.

But a consultation on the new policy found that half of vehicle-dwellers disagreed with the aim of significantly reducing the number of people living in vehicles.

Ultimately, the council cannot stop people living in vehicles if they choose to do so. But they hope to be able to bring the numbers down.

The East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood has been one of Bristol's most controversial stories of the past year.

People in Barton Hill came out in the early hours to stop contractors from installing a bus gate in their area.

The six-month trial eventually got officially started in April, and for now the road blocks remain in place.

The council said data shows that the trial is broadly meeting its objectives to reduce traffic cutting through the area, boosting active travel, and not significantly impacting nearby roads.

Despite this, council leaders have announced a number of changes being made to the layout of the scheme, with a decision on whether to make it permanent expected in spring.

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