Waitrose has confirmed that its first new flagship full-line supermarket in seven years will be built at Brabazon in North Bristol.
The 30,000 sq ft store at Brabazon will create around 150 new jobs and is expected to open in 2027. It will be located approximately 500m from a new train station which is under construction and which will benefit from higher frequency services as part of the Government’s £800m investment in the region’s transport network, announced earlier this month.
The multi-million pound deal agreed with YTL Developments is the first major commercial partnership announced at Brabazon, which is already established as one of Bristol’s most desirable residential neighbourhoods. The arrival of Waitrose follows the YTL UK Group’s commitment to invest £4bn over the next five years and marks the next stage in the transformation of Brabazon, demonstrating its attractiveness not only to new homebuyers, but now also for commercial investment.
James Bailey, Executive Director for Waitrose, said:
“We are moving up a gear in store investment as we open in new locations and modernise our existing estate to bring the quality, service and value that customers love about Waitrose closer to more people.
“Brabazon is one of the most exciting new city districts in the UK, driving the growth of one of the UK’s most vibrant and successful regional economies. Partnering with YTL Developments at Brabazon underlines our ambition and the opportunity we believe we have to grow our reach.”
The new Waitrose supermarket will be located in a prime position on the A38 Gloucester Road at the gateway to Brabazon. It will occupy the ground floor of a seven storey office building, designed by AHR architects and be served by an adjacent multi-storey car park with space for over 1,500 vehicles.
The office accommodation – located between GKN’s Global Technology Centre and the Bristol campus of Airbus UK – is set out over floorplates of 18,800 sq ft and is targeting a BREEAM Outstanding rating.
Brabazon: The most exciting new urban district in the South West
Brabazon is the new town for North Bristol, being built on the historic former Filton Airfield, where every UK Concorde was built. YTL Developments is now transforming this historic landmark, located at the heart of Bristol’s world-leading aerospace, engineering and technology business cluster, into a new urban community.
Hundreds of award-winning new homes at Brabazon are already completed and occupied. Hundreds more are currently under construction, as well as over 1,500 beds of purpose-built student accommodation and a new community hub in a historic listed aircraft hangar.
Designed to live up to the legacy of this former Airfield’s pioneering past, the approved plans for Brabazon include thousands of new homes, creative workplaces to support up to 30,000 jobs, as well as the largest new urban public park in the South West for over 50 years and a supersonic new 20,000-capacity Arena for Bristol. Brabazon will also be home to the city’s newest train station which is expected to open in September 2026.
Seb Loyn, Planning & Development Director at YTL Developments said:
“The arrival of Waitrose in 2027 is not only great news for the thriving community of new residents at Brabazon: It shows that this new city district is now firmly established as one of the most attractive destinations for both homebuyers and commercial investment in the South West.
“In the past year, YTL Developments has announced a multi-billion pound investment package, seen work start on a new train station, and welcomed hundreds of new residents to the community. Welcoming Waitrose – one of the best-loved retailers in the UK – to Brabazon as our first commercial partnership is a signal of our intent to create a new town for North Bristol that works for people and for businesses, now and for years to come.”
Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
