A development of 23 flats and a shop on the site of a former petrol station in Bristol should be completed next month after the project was held up by technical problems.

Westland Construction Limited has been working on the development in Wells Road, Totterdown, which has a 3,500 sq ft shop on the ground floor and basement parking, for the past 14 months.

But Steve Smith, one of the company's directors, says the end is now in sight for the project.

He said: "We anticipate finishing in four to six weeks. There have been technical challenges we've overcome – it's been a technically challenging site.

"There have been party wall issues because the property is being built adjacent to neighbours."

Mr Smith said the apartments had all been sold to Knightstone Housing Association and the shop would most likely be occupied by a food retailer.

Plans to demolish the former Texaco petrol station near the junction of School Road and replace it with 13 one-bedroom and 10 two-bedroom apartments were given the go ahead in 2007.

In March 2007, the owners of the site, the Pantheon Group, were urged to clear up the then-derelict petrol station after it became a haven for graffiti and fly-tipping.

After the plans had been given the green light, Pantheon's managing director Ralph Murphy said it was a shame the petrol station had closed but said it wasn't well-used by motorists in the city.

Campaigners said the garage had been left to decay and had become strewn with rubbish.

The site was derelict since the petrol station closed in 2005.

Plans for changes to the development, including amendments to the roof design and alterations to the layout of the basement car park, were given the go ahead by Bristol City Council in March.

The rank of five shops next door to the former petrol station site could also be transformed, in a development set to include 14 homes, four shops and a central courtyard. Local Shopping REIT is preparing to submit fresh plans to the city council after an application it put forward for the retail space in March was withdrawn.

Pete Stockall, spokesman for the company's agent GVA Grimley, said: "We are looking at making a number of revisions to the application and will resubmit it shortly.

"With the first application, the council raised some minor design issues."