Revised proposals for the final phases of the regeneration of Bristol's Wapping Wharf have been submitted to the City Council.
Developer Umberslade, the owner of the harbourside hub of independent shops and restaurants, said if approved the plans will secure the future of the CARGO independent businesses and create a "go-to leisure destination on the city docks".
Wapping Wharf is home to more than 40 businesses by Bristol’s historic harbour, and supports around 250 to 300 full and part-time jobs in the city’s retail and hospitality sectors.
The company said the regeneration project’s latest phase, called Wapping Wharf North, could provide sustainable new homes, shops, restaurants, takeaways and workspaces, together with generous landscaped public spaces, and more natural habitat for wildlife to improve biodiversity.
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Umberslade said the original plans have been "significantly revised" following two years of consultation with Wapping Wharf traders, local residents, stakeholders, advisory bodies and the wider public. These revealed the need to retain the character of CARGO.
The new plans include the removal of the double-height restaurant on the top of the building, as well as restaurants from upper levels, lowering the building and giving it a more "slender" appearance, an open-air publicly-accessible rooftop shipping container restaurant and viewing terrace has been introduced on the sixth floor.
Elsewhere the CARGO building has been redesigned to reflect the character of the existing shipping containers with covered walkways and external staircases, plus the interior has been redesigned with shipping container cladding, a brighter colour scheme and individual pods businesses can tailor. One storey has been removed from black 3, behind M Shed, plus four three-bedroom homes for social rent have been created within the 20% affordable housing.
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The plans will also include a total of 245 new homes, and a ‘CARGO hall’ to continue and expand the venue which became one of Bristol’s leading hotspots for independent food and drink in the 2010s.
Last year, Umberslade’s initial plans were criticised when they were put out for informal consultation, in particular the height of the buildings that would be seen from the opposite side of the Floating Harbour where criticised.
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.”
The Wapping Wharf North development is arranged around a two-storey retail and workspace podium, inspired by the transit sheds and shipping containers around the harbourside. A new ten- storey landmark building will contain homes at upper levels, with terraced restaurants arranged down one side with an open-air rooftop shipping container restaurant and viewing terrace offering unique views across the harbour on the sixth floor. A further four ‘wings’ of residential apartment buildings rise from the podium, ranging between five and nine storeys.
Mr Hatton continued: “Our ambition with Wapping Wharf North is to take the development of the neighbourhood we’ve created here to a whole new level and create a place where people can live, work, shop, exercise 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.”
The proposals are designed to ensure that Wapping Wharf North is sustainable, boosts local biodiversity and positively impacts the wellbeing of the people who spend time in the neighbourhood. Efficient buildings will have air source heat pumps that can be powered from solar or renewable electricity supplies. In addition, long-lasting materials will help achieve high environmental ratings. Biodiversity will be promoted with maintained planting on buildings, private balconies and generous rooftop gardens and public spaces.
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Tessa Lidstone, co-owner of Box-E restaurant said: “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.”
Josh Eggleton, owner of Root and Salt & Malt added: “The shipping containers made it really easy to start a new business but it’s what’s inside them that’s important. With the revised plans, the look and feel of the shipping containers will be instilled into the new building. The new development will allow us to grow, to invest in our businesses and our staff. I know how important it is to Stuart and Esme that all the businesses in CARGO can come with them on this journey and that’s evident in how committed they are to getting this right for us.”
Imogen Waite, co-owner of Cargo Cantina and Gambas commented: “The plans are really exciting for us as they will enable us to push forward with our businesses, developing something that’s going to be long- lasting and stand the test of time. The plans will give us the opportunity to put sustainability into the heart of what we’ve doing because we’re building from the ground up.
“Genuinely, working with Umberslade has been brilliant. They’ve listened to our feedback and made changes from things we’ve said. Wapping Wharf is great at the moment but the new development will take it up several levels and give us the chance to create landmark Bristol restaurants.”
Wapping Wharf North has been designed by the Bristol studio of AHR Architects. The interior of CARGO Hall is designed by Bristol retail specialists Simple Simon Design.
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