Restoration Work Underway To Create A New Community Hub For North Bristol At Brabazon

YTL Developments has started construction on Hangar 16U, a new local, social hub for the community in North Bristol, housed in an historic listed aircraft hangar.

Construction work on Hangar 16U at Brabazon – the new neighbourhood being built on the former Filton Airfield – is the latest evidence of the ambition to put people and communities at the heart of this new city district.

YTL Developments has started the project as early as possible as part of a strategy to ensure community facilities and infrastructure are delivered alongside the growth of the neighbourhood.

The news comes hot on the heels of the approval for the revised masterplan for Brabazon at the end of February.

It also comes after YTL Developments announced plans to make Brabazon the first heart-safe neighbourhood in the South West in conjunction with the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC), one of a trio of charity partnerships supporting mental health, physical safety and social wellbeing for Brabazon and the wider community in North Bristol.

Hangar 16U was once a hive of activity, assembling and maintaining aircraft in the Airfield’s aviation heyday. Beneath its Belfast trusses, a community of engineers and designers were driven by a common purpose, creating new technologies that shaped the future of flight.

Now this beautiful brick-built structure will have a new lease of life as a local, sociable community hub at Brabazon that will serve residents from across North Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

Downstairs there will be a bustling open-plan café to catch up with friends for coffee or enjoy a family lunch.

There will be quiet spots for studying, activity rooms hosting a busy social calendar of events, and a community-focused fitness centre with both cardio machines and weight-training facilities for those wanting to work out.

Upstairs will feature dedicated youth spaces, more activity rooms and a large social space, the perfect venue for multi-faith groups, public meetings or family events.

Visitors will spill out onto the 15-acre Brabazon Park to the West, with its exercise areas, children’s playgrounds and public lawns that will be perfect for picnicking. To the East, Hangar 16U will open onto a vibrant new public square that will be a focal point for The Hangar District, the first phase of new homes at Brabazon. 

Designed by renowned Bristol-based architects Ferguson Mann, the restoration plans ensure the preservation of the hangar's unique features, including its iconic Belfast trusses and intricate red brickwork.

Construction work is now well underway, with the hangar's original doors having been removed ready to be restored and rehung. Construction is expected to last approximately 18 months, meaning Hangar 16U should open to the public in Summer / Autumn 2025.

Sebastian Loyn, Planning and Development Director at YTL Developments, expressed excitement about Hangar 16U's restoration, stating:

"Hangar 16U's restoration embodies the vision for Brabazon.
“As the birthplace of Concorde, this former Airfield was the centre of a community that changed the world. Our aim is to live up to that legacy by reimagining this historic hangar as a vibrant social hub, returning it to the heart of the community once again.

“Hangar 16U will provide something for everyone; a place for all ages and for all interests, for this generation and the next.

“The restoration of Hangar 16U is another sign of our commitment to the local community and to creating a truly sustainable neighbourhood at Brabazon. Our vision is to create the space, connectivity and opportunities that will drive local prosperity for the next 100 years.”

Cllr Chris Willmore, Cabinet member responsible for planning at South Gloucestershire Council, said:

“It is fantastic to see work is underway to preserve Hangar 16U at Brabazon and convert it into a facility to serve both the new community and the surrounding areas.

“It is important to have the community infrastructure in place up-front with new developments, so they are ready-to-go when residents move in. This is an example for other developers to follow in understanding how community centres and public spaces create the social fabric of our neighbourhoods.

“It is particularly special that this community hub will be in such an historically important, listed aircraft hangar. It will be a prominent reminder about the heritage of the area for generations.”

For more information about the plans, please visit www.hangar16u.co.uk