Councillors approved a smaller £14.075m Tropicana scheme on 10 November, for outdoor events of about 5,000 people. Work should finish by November 2028.

The Tropicana will be rebuilt as a venue for outdoor events of around 5,000 people, not the 10,000 approved in the spring. North Somerset councillors approved the smaller scheme at Full Council on Tuesday night, 10 November.

The work is estimated to cost £14.075m and is due to be finished by November 2028. The council announced the decision on Wednesday morning (North Somerset Council, 11 November).

What the approved scheme includes

The council says the approved proposal is expected to deliver:

  • an outdoor events venue with a bigger capacity than the Tropicana had in its previous life
  • a refurbished indoor event and community space for up to 400 people, usable all year
  • better facilities and access, and upgraded utilities
  • a refurbished promenade building
  • strengthened sea defences

The outdoor capacity of around 5,000 compares with an operating capacity of 3,000 before the project, according to the report councillors considered (Council report, 10 November).

Why the bigger venue was dropped

The 10,000-capacity scheme approved in April and May would have needed about £6.6m more than the project budget, the council says. Cutting back means it avoids “significant additional borrowing”.

Our report before the vote set out all six options, from the full arena to a swimming pool or mothballing the building, and what each would cost the council over 28 years.

Councillor Mike Bell, Leader of the Council, said the decision “provides a clear and responsible way forward”.

“While the larger-scale proposal offered significant opportunities, we have to be realistic about the resources available to us and to make responsible decisions about public money,” he said.

He also said the council had “listened to concerns from some of our community about the scale of events”, including transport, parking and disruption on the seafront. Those issues “will continue to require careful consideration as the project progresses”, he added.

What happens next

The council has set out this timetable:

Stage When
Next stage of design From now
Planning application submitted New year (2027)
Construction starts Early autumn 2027, subject to approvals
Work complete November 2028

The council says it will now confirm “appropriate arrangements for the venue’s future operation”. Its announcement does not say whether Live Nation, which signed an agreement in July on the basis of a 10,000-capacity venue, will stay on as operator. The pre-vote report warned that the smaller scheme was not expected to satisfy that agreement. We will update this story when the operator is confirmed.

What it means for you

  • Nothing reopens before late 2028. The finish date is November 2028.
  • You get a say on the design when the planning application goes in early in 2027. It will be open for public comment like any other application.
  • Seafront residents were promised continued attention to traffic, parking and disruption. Smaller events help, but the pre-vote report said they would “reduce but not wholly remove” those concerns.
  • More detail is on the council’s Tropicana project page.