The developers that own Wapping Wharf have spoken out asking the public to continue to support the independent businesses despite the closure of Gaol Ferry Bridge. Umberslade, the owners of Cargo and other retail and property units in the neighbourhood, has said there is a list of prospective tenants waiting to move into the empty shipping containers.
Director of Umberslade, Stuart Hatton, has said it's "business as usual" and the closures are "unrelated" to the footbridge. The family-run business set up almost two decades ago has said that safeguarding the fiercely independent scene in Bristol remains at the core of the development.
Despite the nation's undeniable economic struggles, landlord Stuart Hatton has said Wapping Wharf is "still thriving" through a carefully "curated mix" of businesses spread across the harbourside neighbourhood. The area offers a supermarket, a yoga studio, a bookshop, a taproom, butchers, a fishmonger and a mix of casual and fine dining amongst other retailers.
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The closures, Mr Hatton explained, were for reasons separate from the loss of the footbridge with the exception of Woky Ko, but restauranteur and owner Larkin Cen has already reopened a new site under the name Daily Noodles. The Wild Beer taproom is also set to stay put after the brewery was partially bought out by another brewer.
"They have left for perfectly good reasons and the others are fighting," he said. “Cargo is all about starting up businesses. We’ve had people come and go but that’s all part of the rich tapestry of Cargo. That’s part of its success that we give people a go and they can go off and do other things.”
As reported by BristolLive, Oliver's ice cream parlour decided to retire that side of the business in December and will sell confectionery online only starting this spring. Middle Eastern takeaway Jigaraki has decided to branch off to new projects elsewhere and Mr Hatton said Every Good Thing decided to retire the retail arm of the business for now while owner Caroline Gilmartin goes back to teaching.
“It’s been a journey," Mr Hatton recalled. "Some of them started with a single shipping container.” He highlighted the success of Loop Massage which grew to two shipping containers and then evolved to bricks and mortar, taking over a unit by Gaol Ferry Bridge Steps.
Evolution is at the heart of Wapping Wharf, he explained, and the closures afford opportunities to new tenants looking for a springboard for their businesses. Umberslade has said it has a long waiting list of people looking to move into the empty units.
Retail and leisure are under a huge amount of pressure with the energy crisis and consumers spending less, but Wapping Wharf also faces pressure from the loss of the key pedestrian route from South Bristol. Businesses have previously spoken out about the difficulties caused by the closure of Gaol Ferry Bridge, meaning there has been less footfall in the area.
“The shutting of the bridge is a real blow and it’s frankly been a bigger blow than any of us thought, but we don’t want to concentrate on that," he added.
Mr Hatton said he welcomed the bridge being repaired and is working with the council to support the Wapping Wharf tenants as much as possible. "I sympathise with the council but I also feel like it should have been done before and it was left to the last minute.
In November, a spokesperson for Bristol City Council said work on the bridge is progressing "as planned". “Time was set aside in their programme of work to carry out detailed inspections and investigations of this nearly 100-year-old bridge, which could only be done once the decking was fully removed, to understand the exact repairs needed and agree a detailed refurbishment plan."
The timescale was pushed back to between six and nine months, but now the council said they are still working out how long the repairs will actually take.
In a more recent update, a Spokesperson from the Mayor said: “These works are part of a multi-million-pound investment into bridges along the New Cut, and are essential both for commuters and businesses in the long term. We are proud to be safeguarding these iconic structures for future generations.
"These works are the first major repairs on the bridge in almost a century. We share Stuart’s regret that previous administrations did not invest in the bridge over many years, leading us to this point or deliver on the new Department for Transport funded bridge proposed for the New Cut.
“The council continues to support traders at Wapping Wharf, and around our city, during a national cost of living crisis which is undoubtedly affecting trade everywhere. We have been working with them to make sure their businesses are promoted along the diversion routes as well as supporting them through promotional campaigns. We have also directed businesses to where they can find out about rates relief discounts while the bridge is temporarily closed for repairs. Wapping Wharf remains a real destination for Bristol and the Mayor is fully behind their exciting plans for the future.
“To keep the businesses at Wapping Wharf up to date with the works, the council continues to issue fortnightly briefings and answer any extra questions they might have. In the meantime, we continue to work with Griffiths to ensure that these essential works are completely and the bridge in the shortest possible.”
Ahead of Christmas last year, Wapping Wharf launched an initiative called 'Bridging The Gap' to encourage people to visit and continue to support the community of independent businesses. They announced a string of successful late-night shopping events throughout November and December to bring in extra trade for the festive season. Pop-up knife shop Sharpsmith saw so much trade during the festive season that they are taking on a Cargo unit on a permanent basis.
This weekend, chef Larkin Cen is hosting a traditional lion dance for the Lunar New Year that has been a part of Woky Fest in previous years. The event returns for the first time since the pandemic on Saturday (January 21) at 2.30pm from Cargo 1.
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