CARGO, the groundbreaking development of shops, restaurants and cafes housed in converted shipping containers on Bristol’s Harbourside, could be expanded further under new plans submitted to the city council.
Developer Umberslade wants to add two more units – one made up of six 20ft by 8ft shipping containers and the other made from three – on top of the CARGO 2 part of the scheme at Wapping Wharf immediately behind M Shed.
The new units will both have extensive terraces to take advantage of the growing trend for al fresco eating and drinking in the area – many of the existing units have outside seating areas which were full to bursting during this summer’s heatwave.
One of the new units will be above butchers Meat Box and restaurant Squeezed while the other will be above the adjacent storage space.
CARGO 1 and 2 are now home to more than 30 independent businesses representing some of the city’s best up-and-coming restaurants, shops and cafes as well as a florist, barber’s, cider shop and art gallery.
Umberslade bosses got the idea to use former shipping containers to create a distinctive retail, restaurant and leisure area from a similar scheme in New York. The concept has also proved popular in London and a number of other cities.
The scheme has been developed in the middle of a new residential quarter for Bristol which already includes nearly 200 apartments, with work underway on a new phase of more than 330 additional homes.
In April Umberslade announced plans to use 90 converted shipping containers to develop CARGO Work, a new co-working space within the walls of a former warehouse at Wapping Wharf close to CARGO 1 and 2.
Umberslade director Stuart Hatton said: “It’s fantastic to see how popular Wapping Wharf has become and we are thrilled that the people of Bristol have embraced this new quarter and the eclectic range of businesses that call it home.
“We’ve decided to expand CARGO to meet the huge demand we’ve received from businesses keen to become a part of this flourishing dockside community and we’ve have already had strong interest in these two new proposed units. However, we are still keen to hear from anyone who feels they can bring something exciting and complimentary to the area.”
When complete, Wapping Wharf – which is being developed on previously derelict land – will be a new community-focused neighbourhood with more than 600 homes and the CARGO retail, food and drink and co-working schemes along with a new tree-lined pedestrian and cycle route providing an important link between the city centre and South Bristol.
