The 'sleek' new high-end apartments are the latest to be built here

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Work has begun to fill in the ‘Wapping Wharf gap’ - a space left between two of the developments next to Bristol’s harbourside.

Developers plan to build 13 new apartments in a narrow six-storey block of flats that the architects are describing as ‘sleek’.

The site, between the first apartments built at The Quays on the western side of Wapping Wharf and the rear of Anchorage Apartments, has been left empty for around 20 years since the first developments took place on this part of Spike Island.

Read more: Meet the man proposing to build a new 12-storey Wapping Wharf landmark

The new block of flats will be called Dockside Apartments, and are being developed by Simon James Homes, and built by John Perkins Construction.

The apartments will be over six floors with a below-ground car park.

“It’s fantastic to break ground at Dockside Apartments and start work on a stunning new addition to the thriving Harbourside area of Bristol,” said Simon Crocker, the managing director of Simon James Homes.

“This is an extremely well-considered development, and we’ve already been working with John Perkins Construction for more than a year to ensure the development can stand proud amid the Harbourside skyline,” he added.

There are more flats currently being built in and around the site of the old New Gaol, further to the east of Cumberland Road, and earlier this year the restaurants and bars in the shipping containers of the CARGO 2 project, were told they would have to be moved because different developers want to build a development of 240 flats in buildings up to 12 storeys high.

The Dockside Apartments building will be roughly the same size and scale of the two buildings either side of it, and architect Tony Mullin, from Oxford Architects who designed it, described it as ‘much needed infill’.

“We, as part of a great delivery team, are looking forward to adding this high-quality accommodation to the Bristol City Harbourside community,” he said. “The scheme creates a much-needed ‘infill’ design response to this vibrant and bustling central city location,” he added.

Local building firm John Perkins Construction were behind the restoration of Underfall Yard a couple of decades ago.

Managing director Rupert Perkins said: “John Perkins Construction has worked on many Bristol landmarks over the last 30 years, including the restoration of nearby Underfall Yard. For this project, we’ve put together a team with a broad depth of experience in constructing best-quality high-rise residential units. We’re able to draw on our values of open, honest, collaborative working to deliver something special within our hometown of Bristol.”

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