• Swindon & Wiltshire Property
• Wednesday August 6 2025

First commercial office building at Brabazon gets planning approval

The first landmark Grade A office building at Bristol’s Brabazon will be built after YTL Developments was granted planning permission for the project.

The building will include a ticket office for the new rail station that is currently under construction. Work on the building will begin before the end of the year.

Initial construction work on the new train station started in Spring this year and is expected to complete in 2026, connecting through to Bristol Temple Meads in less than 15 minutes.

Located on the east side of a landscaped civic square, the new office building will be a gateway to the New Town at Brabazon for all rail passengers arriving at the station.

The building is set out over eight storeys and designed to meet modern best-in-class sustainability standards, targeting an EPC A rating, BREEAM Outstanding and NABERS 5* ratings as well as WiredScore Platinum certification for connectivity.

Designed by AHR Architects, the new landmark 123,330 sq ft building will bring new Grade A office space to the heart of North Bristol’s world-leading commercial cluster, where approximately 48,000 people work in high-value manufacturing, life science and technology industries.

Up to 800 people are expected to work in the building when it is fully occupied, making it an ideal option for a national or regional headquarters.

Typical floor plates measure 13,190 sq ft of net useable space, with the ability to subdivide space into a number of different combinations starting from as little as 5,000 sq ft.

The building has all the amenities and connectivity that high-skilled staff would want and expect from a prime urban location. There will be a statement entranceway and lobby, as well as showers and changing areas for those choosing to walk, run or cycle to work.

A retail dining space on the ground floor will spill out onto a new civic square. The external landscaping will include mature trees, native shrubs and bulbs and shaded public seating, designed by Bath-based Grant Associates to create a welcoming space for everybody to relax and enjoy.

The new gym at The Hangar, the new Waitrose coming soon at Brabazon and of course the new Arena for Bristol, will all be just a short walk away. The building will also house a ticket office making it just the third station in the region after Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway to be staffed.

At a time when there is a shortage of new commercial buildings in Bristol city centre, YTL says this first commercial space at Brabazon will offer all the Grade A office space and facilities that businesses need.

Seb Loyn, planning & development director at YTL Developments said: “There is now real momentum at Brabazon. It is already established as one of the best new residential addresses in Bristol.

“With the station on the way, Waitrose confirmed and now planning approval granted for our first office building, it is fast becoming a business address like no other in the city, offering the space, connectivity and opportunity for local firms to grow and expand.

“Central Bristol is struggling to meet demand for top-quality commercial space. Now city centre occupiers have a genuine and sustainable alternative at Brabazon.

“Hundreds of new homes are already completed and occupied at Brabazon. The new train station is under construction. New student accommodation and a dedicated community hub – The Hangar – in the former aircraft hangar 16U are both set to be completed in 2026. Waitrose has confirmed that its first new flagship supermarket in seven years should open its doors at Brabazon in 2027.”

The new commercial building is part of YTL Developments’s approved masterplan for Brabazon, which includes up to 6,500 new homes, 2,000 beds of student accommodation, and 86 acres of public squares, parks and playing fields.

Over 3.7 million square feet of commercial and space will support up to 30,000 jobs, while over £100 million is being invested in sustainable transport infrastructure.