Wapping Wharf's shipping containers are to be removed and replaced with a 12-storey high permanent building.
Plans for the new development at Wapping Wharf North, include shops, restaurants, takeaways and workspaces. The proposals, by developers and owners Umberslade, will see the businesses housed in the temporary converted shipping containers at CARGO, moved to a new, permanent home.
Stuart Hatton, managing director of Umberslade, owners and developers of Wapping Wharf, said: "There's a very special character to Wapping Wharf which you won't find anywhere else in Bristol and this is in large part down to the cluster of independent businesses that have helped create the strong sense of community here.
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"When we set up CARGO, it was really a temporary innovation - an experiment if you like - and a way of bringing some life to the place as we knew it would take a long time to develop out the whole site. Whilst quirky and distinctive, in reality the shipping containers can be challenging for a business to operate in. But CARGO has become such a success that we need to provide a permanent and better home for our businesses that they tailor as they want, and enable us to provide a greater range of shops and facilities for our community.
"Over the years, the Harbourside area has changed beyond recognition. Our intention is to contribute to the successful evolution of the area as a leisure destination with a development that brings something new and exciting to Bristol, whilst also creating much-needed homes for people and independent businesses, as well as green, biodiverse spaces for everyone to enjoy."
Proposals include:
1. A new Harbourside landmark: a building with cascading plant-filled terraces, fronting onto Museum Square and facing Bristol's Harbourside will create a landmark for this prominent location and leisure destination on the city's docks.
2. A permanent new home for CARGO: Existing CARGO independent businesses will be invited to set up home in the new landmark building. On the ground floor, small independent businesses will sell groceries and produce in a new double-height continental-style permanent covered market called CARGO Market Hall. Surrounding this, around the edges of the building will be takeaway restaurants and casual dining businesses with outdoor seating. The floors above will be home to dine-in restaurants, with cascading green outdoor terraces offering views across the harbour. Topping the building on the 10 th floor will be a rooftop restaurant, the first on Bristol Harbourside, with unparalleled panoramic views across the docks and city.
3. Sustainable homes: Around 240 new sustainable, high-quality homes will be created of different sizes and tenures, including 20% affordable, for social rent or shared ownership, with the remainder for open market sale. A wide range of apartment sizes, individual balconies and several shared landscaped rooftop gardens will help attract people who want to live there for the long term, building on the strong sense of community that exists at Wapping Wharf. Rising above a two-storey podium, the apartments will be housed in five buildings which step down in height towards Wapping Road.
4. Flexible workspaces: A range of highly-flexible workspaces will be created on the ground and first floors of the new buildings, which can be adapted over time in line with the needs of the neighbourhood and market demand. At the Wapping Road end of the development, and totalling 5,000 sq m, the units will house a range of businesses to serve the growing community at Wapping Wharf, such as a yoga studio with outdoor space, an indoor/outdoor gym and a nursery. CARGO and the businesses along Gaol Ferry Steps already employ around 450 people and CARGO Work, which is currently under construction, will create around 1900 sq m of new office space to cater for up to 230 people.
5. High quality streets and public spaces: A significant portion of the site - over 30% - will be dedicated to striking, landscaped public streets and spaces for everyone to enjoy. Generous, landscaped and accessible public spaces, including ‘playable' landscapes for children, will provide a welcoming place for people to relax and will also create wildlife habitats. Trees, seating areas and gardens will line Rope Walk, with the public areas between the new buildings featuring planter boxes and places for people to sit and relax. A new pedestrian route - a continuation of Fry's Walk - will link Rope Walk and Museum Street.
Public consultation on the proposals for Wapping Wharf North takes place from 21st June - 8th July. Drop-in style consultation sessions will be held at CARGO Work (on the corner of Cumberland Road and Wapping Road) on Tuesday 21 June and Wednesday 22 June from 4-7pm and will provide an opportunity to view and discuss the latest plans. After this, an exhibition of the proposals will also be on display on the Wapping Wharf site hoarding, at the Wapping Road end of Museum Street. The consultation material will also be available to view here, where there will be an opportunity to give feedback via an online survey.
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