About the strategy, the strategy area, connected projects, timeline, and how to get involved.
About the strategy
The Harbour Place Shaping Strategy (HPSS) was approved at Economy and Skills Policy Committee in February 2025
The HPSS is a 20 year strategy to make Bristol's harbour:
- welcoming to all of Bristol's communities
- able to adapt to climate change and better support nature
- thrive economically, so the docks can become financially self-sufficient
The strategy builds on regeneration successes over the past 40 years. It establishes an ambitious and compelling vision that encourages landowners and other stakeholders to work together to make the harbour an even better place than it is over the next 20 years.
Core to this will be the creation of a high quality harbourside and water space that can:
- better support Bristol's growing population
- comfortably cope with an increasing number of visitors
We know the harbour is a treasured part of the city with many visitors all year round.
The HPSS will help us identify the work we need to do over the next 20 years to make the harbour area a more enjoyable place to be, including improvements to the:
- harbourside
- water space
- activities and facilities available
There are three parts to the HPSS:
- Harbour Atlas: a detailed picture of the harbour as it is today
- Vision: ambitions for the future of the harbour
- Place Plans: how each of the six distinct areas around the harbour and the harbour's water space could play their part in achieving the Vision
The area of the city covered by the strategy
The HPSS focuses on Bristol's Floating Harbour from Junction Lock Bridge (near Underfall Yard) to Totterdown Basin (behind Temple Meads Station).
It includes the water space, harbourside, facilities and activities that take place within the area and contribute to the harbour being a much-loved place at the heart of our city.
The New Cut (River Avon), Feeder Canal or Cumberland Basin are not included in the strategy.
The harbour connects the central area's 3 main regeneration areas: Western Harbour, City Centre and Temple Quarter.
Priority projects for progression 2025 to 2030
The HPSS identifies and describes more than 100 recommended interventions within the harbour for delivery over the next 20 years.
These range from large capital projects to smaller placemaking and public realm projects. The interventions encompass water space, public realm, development, and transport projects.
The Committee approved several priority projects for further development and investment over the next 1 to 5 years.
Projects have been identified that meet the following criteria:
- Significantly contribute to the vision and its three pillars (Active and Accessible, Resilient and Sustainable, and Industrious and Creative)
- Have a good probability of being funded, including potentially through development
- Make a positive impact to the Harbour Authority's financial position (or at least are cost-neutral to the Harbour Authority)
Timeline
- February 2025: approved by the Economy and Skills Committee
- Autumn 2024: the draft report goes out for public consultation
- Spring and Summer 2024: Place Plan preparation
- Autumn and winter 2023: Community engagement to inform the preparation of Harbour Atlas and Vision
- Summer 2023: Procurement of design team
More information
To find out more, visit the Harbour Place Shaping Strategy website.
If you have questions or want more information, email harbourplaceshaping@bristol.gov.uk