Filton & Bradley Stoke: Why this is one to watch

As the general election inches ever closer, we're taking a look at some of the key battlegrounds here in the West.

Filton and Bradley Stoke was created as a constituency in 2010 and has been won by one party only, The Conservatives, and one man, Jack Lopresti.

However last year the Tories lost control of South Gloucestershire Council and the seat is a target for a resurgent Labour.

Here are a few things to know about Filton and Bradley Stoke.

Where is it?

The constituency is in South Gloucestershire, and part of the greater Bristol conurbation.

As the name suggests, it includes the towns of Filton, famous for its airfield, and Bradley Stoke, built in the late 80s and 1990s.

In fact, much of the housing in the constituency was built in the last 20 years, including areas such as Charlton Hayes and Lyde Green, with many more planned over the coming years.

The area is also home to some major employers from the aerospace industry, including Airbus, BAE systems and Rolls Royce, as well as the Cribbs Causeway shopping mall. It's also where the Ministry of Defence's largest UK site is based - at Filton Abbey Wood.

Who are the main employers?

Filton is synonymous with the aerospace industry, still a major employer here and a sector that is also very much part of the region's identity.

Rolls Royce and Airbus make vital parts for modern aviation and employ more than 8,000 people between them on their sites.

Whilst Concordes are no longer built here, you can still see one at the Aerospace Bristol museum as well as other planes, helicopters and aviation projects built locally.

The businesses were based next to Filton Airfield, which after being sold in 2015 to YTL, is slowly being turned into one of the biggest new housing developments in the region.

What are the issues?

People in Bradley Stoke know only too well the effect a faltering economy can have on a new development. A lack of town planning and a national recession in the early 90s meant the area was built without proper public amenities, whilst many homeowners suffered negative equity problems, leading to its nickname "Sadly Broke."

Decades on, and YTL are at the beginning of a development nearby called "Brabazon" that it is hoped will eventually consist of 6,500 new homes. Whilst the volatility of the housing market has also been evident in recent times, the plans for Brabazon also include a new concert arena and a new public park.

However, with the new homes comes concern over schools, access to a GP, and the effect on local transport. Parents in Lyde Green will finally welcome two new schools in 2026 after years of delays, while a new train station is planned to serve Filton's new concert arena.

Meanwhile, in Filton's traditional residential streets, the proliferation of large town houses being turned into Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs), continues to cause friction between landlords and residents concerned about overcrowding.

What's the impact of the strikes?

With so many large employers in the constituency, the area found itself at the heart of a series of strikes in 2022 and 2023. As inflation rose, concerns over working conditions and pay led to several walk outs.

This included Royal Mail staff at their huge sorting office in Patchway, as well as ambulance staff based at the North Bristol operations base in Filton. Unhappy with a lack of recruitment and the growing demands of the job, it led to claims from some that, "the NHS is broken".

Many of the disputes have since been resolved, although not the one involving junior doctors, which has been a recurring issue during this general election campaign. Southmead Hospital - the region's biggest - is just next to the constituency in neighbouring Bristol North West.

Whilst Filton and Bradley Stoke has only ever elected one person to represent them in Parliament, it is Labour which is targeting the seat and hoping to capitalise on any unhappiness over the state of the economy or the NHS.

Who can I vote for?

Use the tool below to find out who you can vote for, including in Filton and Bradley Stoke.