W9 Totterdown Basin

A waterfront hub for students, socialising and activity.

The opportunity

An exciting opportunity exists here to activate the quayside next to the new Bristol University Temple Campus, opening September 2026 alongside student housing on Temple Island. As a flagship of the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone, the site could host commercial moorings for food and beverage, cultural, or watersports uses. Proposals should integrate sensitively with the basin’s wet woodlands.

A graphic map showing the location of Totterdown Basin in relation to the rest of the city.

Technical information

Size: The site on Feeder Road Quay wall site is 60m. Any vessels/floating structure should be no more than 6m in width (the width of Totterdown Lock)
Lease Length: Term of lease for discussion with interested parties.
Vessel requirements: High quay walls so low freeboard vessels not appropriate. 1.5m step down is required. No floating installation/vessel shall be constructed in a manner that renderers it not readily moveable should the need arise. Where the location lies upstream of fixed bridges or narrow sections of the harbour, the dimensions should not prevent movement downstream through constraints. Floating installations/vessels should either be capable of self-propulsion or constructed in such a way that facilitates towage when necessary. This is to respond to any future requests from the Harbour Master for the vessel to be temporarily relocated and to allow transit through the harbour to areas where repair, maintenance and survey works can be carried out.
Access: Directly from the quay wall. Discussions are currently underway with the University to understand the extent of public realm improvements in the area and if there are further opportunities for commercial moorings in Totterdown Basin.
Power & Utilities: See Resources section. Vattenfall are currently installing a low carbon heat network along Cattle Market Road.
Notes: There is a need for some upfront investment to provide mooring posts and upgrade the quayside path to provide access.

See Resources Section

Current and past uses

Totterdown Basin has been in a dilapidated condition for a couple of decades since the closure of the Post Office Sorting Depot. It is currently a construction site with the new Bristol University Temple Campus due to open in September 2026 alongside new student accommodation. The Council’s City Leap partner, Vattenfall, is currently installing a low carbon heat network along Cattle Market Road. There is area of wet woodland within Totterdown Basin which is designated as Important Open Space in the Local Plan.

The wider area

Temple Quarter is one of the UK’s largest regeneration areas. With £95m government support and delivery already underway, Bristol Temple Quarter is being led by a public sector partnership between Bristol City Council, Homes England, the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, and Network Rail.
The University of Bristol Temple Campus has space for around 4500 students, researchers and staff. In the nearby area, there are over 5000 student beds either consented, in development or in planning. On opening, this will transform the area into a thriving hub of activity.
A new pontoon walkway is under construction and will open access to the area underneath the rail bridge and a new eastern access to Temple Meads Station.

Read Bristol Harbour Place Shaping Strategy – Waterspace Plan