The Bristol Temple Quarter Limited Liability Partnership (BTQ LLP) has selected Muse as its preferred development partner for Temple Meads West and St Philip’s Marsh.
By selecting Muse as a single development partner to transform the area, the BTQ LLP and Muse can deliver coordinated and comprehensive change, including 10,000 new homes, commercial space and major public realm and connectivity improvements.
A competitive procurement process began in February 2025, as the BTQ LLP searched for a partner that shares its ambitions for inclusive, mixed-use development at Temple Quarter.
Muse’s Southern team’s proven track record of delivery – demonstrated through projects in Bournemouth, Plymouth, and London, and the hugely successful Wapping Wharf in Bristol – together with its vision for Temple Quarter, was clearly evidenced throughout its procurement response.
The placemaking specialist has initially been selected to transform the area to the West of Bristol Temple Meads railway station known as Temple Meads West.
Temple Meads West features several development sites on publicly owned land, including land next to the station at the Friary, the City Point building and multistorey car park at Temple Gate, vacant land at Lower Station Approach and the Portwall Lane car park.
Muse will develop an outline planning application for the area, with the application submission anticipated in early 2027.
In parallel to its work on Temple Meads West, Muse will support the BTQ LLP as it develops more detailed long-term proposals for new homes and jobs at St Philip’s Marsh.
Karen Mercer, CEO, Bristol Temple Quarter LLP, said:
“This is a major milestone for the transformation of Bristol Temple Quarter. Over the last decade the BTQ partners have worked closely on a shared vision for the area. Now, alongside significant infrastructure improvements already being made by the BTQ LLP, our ambitions will be accelerated by our new partner who can bring their expertise to bear to bring inclusive and sustainable growth to people in the city-region.”
Simon Harding-Roots, Regional Managing Director at Muse South said:
“Temple Meads West and St Philip’s Marsh represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a vibrant new community aligned with major transport investment. Realising that opportunity requires a long-term, partnership-led approach to regeneration, which sits at the core of how Muse works with the public sector.
“And, Bristol Temple Quarter is setting a new benchmark for truly collaborative regeneration, demonstrating what is possible when public, private and infrastructure partners unite behind a shared vision.
“As a committed partner in Bristol, having celebrated the 10-year anniversary of Wapping Wharf in 2025, we understand the scale of the opportunity Bristol represents – a place where culture, creativity, community and industry combine to drive sustainable growth.”
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said:
“This is an important step forward for Bristol Temple Quarter and for our whole region, as we look to kickstart the next phase of regeneration work to create new jobs, new homes, and better transport links around the West Country’s biggest station. Temple Quarter is a huge part of the Central Bristol and Bath Growth Zone, and our ten-year strategy to secure and accelerate investment in our part of the world. We can create a thriving place that people can be really proud of, another place where everyone can contribute to, and share in, the West’s success.”
Councillor Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council, said:
“Bristol Temple Quarter will be a new town in the heart of our city opening up new opportunities and new possibilities. Selecting a partner is a major step forward in realising our ambitions and adds further momentum towards delivering on our shared vision at pace for people across the city.”
Amy Rees CB, Chief Executive of Homes England, said:
“Selecting a development partner for Temple Quarter is a landmark moment in one of the most ambitious regeneration projects in Europe. This partnership will unlock thousands of new homes, create jobs, and deliver world-class public spaces in the heart of Bristol. Homes England is proud to play a central role in driving this transformation – working with local partners to turn shared ambition into reality and ensure Temple Quarter becomes a thriving, inclusive destination for generations to come.”
There is already significant investment underway at Bristol Temple Quarter, including the new £23m eastern entrance to the station, supported by a £95m government grant, which is set to open in September 2026 alongside the University of Bristol’s £500m Enterprise Campus, and Network Rail’s £130m station transformation programme.
In November, the BTQ LLP received a resolution to grant planning permission for the new Southern Gateway transport hub. The BTQ LLP will progress this development in 2026, with a contractor set to be announced in January and works expected to start on site in July.
Bristol Temple Quarter is being brought forward by a partnership of Homes England, Bristol City Council and the West of England Combined Authority, who came together in 2024 to form the BTQ LLP. The scheme aims to regenerate 135 hectares in central Bristol to deliver 10,000 homes, thousands of new jobs, and an estimate £1.6bn annual boost to the regional economy.