The arena is the focal point of the Brabazon Hangars scheme to transform the city’s historic former Filton Airfield into a live entertainment and cultural hub for the South West.

The initial phase of work is now underway with decontamination of the site being carried out by Omega Environmental Services for Malaysian developer YTL Group.

This will be followed by demolition of non-essential structures before starting the main construction programme.

YTL Construction UK, a new company that will be part of the international YTL Group, will be responsible for main construction work on the site.

Andrew Billingham, CEO of YTL Arena Bristol said: “We’re pleased with the progress and are pushing forward, albeit slower than originally planned.”

“Handing over the Hangars to Omega represents a pivotal milestone. We have tackled challenges head-on making crucial decisions to expedite the opening while ensuring we deliver one of the premier arenas in Europe. Once main construction has started, we estimate it being a two-and-a-half-year build programme.

“It is well documented that construction companies are facing difficulties, and with the international experience the YTL Group has in construction and project management, it is a logical step for us to control the whole process through to operation.”