Proposals to build a 3,600-seater sports arena and convention centre next to Ashton Gate Stadium, along with 510 new homes nearby, look likely to get the greenlight next week after receiving the backing of Mayor Marvin Rees and city council planners.

The £200 million Ashton Gate Sporting Quarter will consist of a sports and convention centre, hotel, block of 125 flats, new offices and shops, a multi-storey car park and a club museum.

510 new homes will also be built nearby, with150 classified as ‘affordable’.

Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said: “The plans have my full support. Worth in the region of around £200m the proposals include more community facilities, greater pedestrianisation, and hundreds of new homes, whilst retaining green space and aiming for a biodiversity net gain. This investment meets a need that’s been identified and talked about for some time, and will further strengthen Bristol’s role as the cultural, sporting, and economic centre of our region.”

The ‘Sporting Quarter’ will be constructed on land between the existing stadium and Winterstoke Road.