Revised plans revealed for major Bristol Harbourside development
There's proposals for 245 new homes at Wapping Wharf
Last updated 15th Aug 2023
Revised plans have been revealed for a major development on Bristol's Harbourside.
Umberslade, the company that owns the Wapping Wharf site, wants to create several new apartment blocks behind the M Shed museum including a 10 storey building which will act as "a focal point" of the development.
In all they will provide 245 new homes boasting shared rooftop gardens and terraces, 20 per cent of which they say will be affordable, while a two storey "podium" building will provide a new home for independent shops, restaurants and takeaways, which are currently housed in the CARGO shipping containers.
Space for a new "continental-style" produce and groceries market will also be created on the bottom two levels of the 10 storey building, which would be called CARGO Hall.
More details on the idea can be found via this link, but those behind the scheme say it would be developed in two phases.
The first would see the creation of the 10-storey building and two other blocks, while the second phase would see the creation of the remaining two blocks.
These plans are a revised version of an idea first brought forward several years ago and come following two years of consultation with Wapping Wharf traders, local residents and the wider public.
Stuart Hatton, managing director of Umberslade, owners and developers of Wapping Wharf, said: “We have listened very carefully to the feedback from all parties and worked over a considerable period of time to ensure we respond and make changes where possible, whilst maintaining the overall integrity of the design and our vision for these final phases of Wapping Wharf.
“We’ve sat down with practically all the traders at CARGO, who we all have strong relationships with, to understand how they want to develop their businesses within the new building to make sure it really meets their individual needs.
"We have agreed with most of them exactly where they would be located and although they understand that major development like this takes time, they’re very excited about the prospect of moving into a permanent home where they can flourish.”
Umberslade add they wish to take the development to "a whole new level" by creating a space where people can live, work, shop and socialise.
"At the same time, we want to build on the harbourside’s reputation as a leisure destination by creating something fresh and exciting that will draw people to the area, with more green public spaces for them to enjoy when they get here," Hatton said.
Tessa Lidstone, co-owner of Box-E restaurant says: “Wapping Wharf is more than just a physical building, it’s the community here.
"The shipping containers were a surprise hit and an important stepping-stone for many of us starting businesses for the first time but we knew they were only ever a meanwhile use while the site got developed.”
“There have been a lot of opportunities for our views to be incorporated into the new plans.
"Umberslade and the design team have taken the essence of who we are and put it into a new building.
"There’s still that strong connection between the businesses, the lovely walkways to encourage people to wander, the greenery, the pedestrianisation and the views south towards Southville and over the docks, which makes Wapping Wharf what it is.
"If you look at how the plans have changed, they’ve now got a lot of the CARGO personality in them.”
Commenting on the social media website X (formally Twitter), Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees called the plans "exciting", but his predecessor George Ferguson has labelled them "dire", suggesting the development would damage the historic significance of the Harbourside site.
The planning applications with a full suite of documents will be registered on Bristol City Council’s planning portal in the coming weeks and the Council will then undertake a period of statutory consultation where people can express their views.