A 17,000 capacity venue will be built in Filton after the final planning hurdle was cleared.

The arena in Brabazon Hangar at the old Filton Airfield was given the green ligtht earlier this week when the Government decided not to call in developer YTL’s proposals, following approval by Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council planners.

YTL is now finalising design plans before starting building work in early 2021, with doors set to open in 2023.

Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, Toby Savage, welcomed the news. He said: “The Government’s decision is hugely welcome as it gives the green light to another wave of private sector investment from YTL into our area and the achievement, finally, of a world-class arena and entertainment complex.

“I would like to thank publicly council officers who have worked hard with YTL’s team to ensure that we have a new development that recognises the importance we attach to value for money, good transport links, sustainability and the climate emergency.

“In this week of all weeks, it’s a timely reminder that once we get through the COVID-19 outbreak – and we will – that we have got some hugely exciting things to look forward to coming to our region.

“This is already a part of South Gloucestershire that has changed enormously in recent years as new homes, jobs and leisure facilities have been built – and it will now also be home to the third largest arena in the country.”

Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees says the decision by the secretary of state has come at the right time to help the city get back on its feet once the pandemic is over.

Speaking during a weekly media briefing on Bristol’s response to Covid-19 on Wednesday (April 8), he said he did not expect any delay to the arena, which will be the UK’s third biggest.

Bristol’s mayor said: “It is a hugely, increasingly significant investment for Bristol, for jobs, as a sign of confidence in our economy.

“It brings a number of other benefits, with it being the most sustainable arena in the UK not least among them.

“At long last, after decades of indecision, prevarication and outright failure, Bristol is going to get its arena.

“It will be truly on the global stage and coming at the right time to support our economic recovery.

“I am not expecting a delay on the arena.”

“While we need to take on the immediacy of the health challenge that coronavirus brings us, we also need to recognise the devastating impact it’s having on businesses and the economy, which is impacting on jobs and livelihoods.

“Corovoniarus itself will have a health price to pay but so will joblessness and inequality and economic devastation.

“While we are putting in place the measures to tackle coronavirus we also need to be very aware of the economic consequences of those measures and be proactively thinking about economic survival and economic recovery."