Fears bridge closure will ‘devastate’ Wapping Wharf businesses

A business owner has warned livelihoods will be at risk from the impact of the Gaol Ferry Bridge closure.

The crossing between Coronation Road and Cumberland Road, which is a key route for many pedestrians and cyclists, is due to be out of action for at least six to nine months.

Founder of Better Food Phil Haughton fears the impact of the closure and resulting loss in footfall will be “devastating” for businesses at Wapping Wharf and he wants to see every possible option explored for an alternative crossing.

He is not the only one who has expressed concerns. A survey carried out by Phil and other traders revealed an estimated loss of between 30 and 50 per cent of the £1m average total sales a month across Wapping Wharf caused by the bridge closure.

The recent announcement that the bridge, which opened in 1935, will close on Monday, August 22 comes in the wake of months of uncertainty and delays.

The council says the bridge is in “a very poor condition and needs structural repairs”, stating the work will future-proof the structure and avoid escalating costs.

A spokesperson for the council has said they understand how challenging the closure will be for many of the businesses in the area and that work is ongoing to support those affected and to encourage people to visit them.

Calls to build a new temporary structure over the river have been dismissed as “simply not feasible” due to the logistics of doing so over the 60-metre river span and the costs involved, which are estimated to be as much as the repairs themselves.

But Phil believes a solution could be found and has already been in touch with engineers about the possibility of repurposing an existing bridge to replace Gaol Ferry Bridge.

“This will be devastated,” he says, gesturing at the hub of independent retail and hospitality businesses in the heart of Wapping Wharf.

“I’ve got about 20 jobs just for this store that I am responsible for and we won’t be here, unfortunately.

“If you ask anybody down here at the moment, they will acknowledge that the cost of living crisis is having a pretty dramatic effect on their business.

“We don’t like to talk business down. But there are times like now where you really don’t have much choice but to say times are really tough for us. Add this into it and it’s not a pretty picture for a lot of businesses going forward. There’ll be a lot of redundancies, a lot of closures and it’ll take years to build that back up.”

Founder of Better Food Phil Haughton is concerned about the impact of the Gaol Ferry Bridge closure and believes livelihoods could be at risk

The two nearest bridges across the New Cut are Bedminster Bridge and Vauxhall Bridge – with detours connecting Coronation Road and Cumberland Road taking around 25 minutes.

Phil continued: “We honestly, ourselves, believe it will be at least 50 per cent of trade lost because we know that 70 per cent of our footfall come across that bridge.

“I really will do everything I can to fight for it [a solution] because it matters. It’s people’s lives, it’s people’s livelihoods and the cultural harbourside experience is important to the city. We’ve built something pretty unique down here.”

The business owner is hopeful of being able to get together with council representatives and traders to seek a way forward. He warns he is prepared to take drastic action and chain himself to the bridge to draw attention to the issues faced if not.

Alex Gear has only just taken over Bush plant shop and is worried about the impact of the bridge closure

Just a few shops down and Alex Gear is busy in Bush, the plant shop he took over just five days ago and wants to make the “go-to place in Bristol for plants”.

“I have no idea what impact it’s going to have but it is very worrying,” Alex tells Bristol24/7, speaking about the impending bridge closure.

“A lot of businesses rely on footfall and there is a diversion but no one’s going to add that to their journey on a lunch break just to come down.

“I think weekends maybe it’ll be alright but it’s going to have a massive impact, especially on the coffee shops.”

Beth Strong of Bakers & Co in Wapping Wharf says some customers are concerned about the closure

Working behind the counter in Bakers & Co, Beth Strong was only recently speaking to a customer who was concerned about the bridge closure.

“It’s currently just a five min walk for a lot of people,” says Beth” So this is cutting people off from the community and their local shops.”

Paul Gyorgy, the manager of Meatbox, believes the bridge closure will hit some businesses more than others

Paul Gyorgy, the manager of Meatbox, is less worried about the closure hitting his business but does believe it will have a big impact overall.

“We’re a specialised butchers so people do come out of their way to get to us,” he tells Bristol24/7.

“I think it will slow things down but we’re still hoping people will come out of their way for us.

“I do feel it will affect coffee shops and places that rely on passing trade and maybe some of the pubs as people will cross the bridge to come to these places but won’t walk half a mile out of their way.”

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Read more: Bridge closure ‘threatens businesses very existence’, say traders

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It’s not the first time traders have raised concerns about the impact of the bridge closure.

Speaking to Bristol24/7 in April, Kevin Ramage, the owner of Bookhaus, said it poses “a very serious threat” to businesses in Wapping Wharf.

“There’s other businesses in Wapping Wharf, probably in a weaker position than ourselves, whose very existence is threatened,” said Kevin.

“Like everybody else, we understand that the work has to be done. But so soon after Covid-19 and lockdown?”

In the wake of delays, Gaol Ferry Bridge is due to close on Monday, August 22

A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “We are working to highlight that Wapping Wharf will remain open and accessible throughout these essential works to repair Gaol Ferry bridge, and are progressing with plans to promote the businesses through our ‘Where’s It To?’ and ‘Shop Local Bristol’ campaigns.

“We understand closing Gaol Ferry Bridge for extensive repairs for the first time in almost 90 years will be really challenging for many of the businesses in the area, but building a new temporary structure is simply not feasible.

“The build would be complex and take time to plan, which could see Gaol Ferry Bridge deteriorate further. It would also cost more than the repairs themselves, which would impact our ability to repair and maintain other bridges along the New Cut.

“We have had a number of discussions with Mr Haughton about the upcoming works and engineers have offered to meet with him to go through his suggestions. We will continue to keep him and other businesses updated about the repairs.”

Concerns have been raised about the “devastating” impact on Wapping Wharf businesses

All photos: Ellie Pipe

Read more: Date finally confirmed for Gaol Ferry Bridge closure 

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