Councillors on South Gloucestershire’s (SGC’s) Development Control (West) Committee are to visit the site of a proposed MS therapy centre off Wheatfield Drive on Friday morning (11th June).
The site visit, scheduled for 9:45am, has been arranged after Bradley Stoke SGC Councillor Brian Hopkinson “called in” the planning application “in order to allow members to consider the highway safety issues”.
Residents of Wheatfield Road and the Governors of Wheatfield Primary School were angered when applicants Perpetual Legacy, acting on behalf of the Moonstone Appeal, submitted revised plans that would see the site accessed from Wheatfield Drive rather than Bradley Stoke Way (as previously approved).
The application now being considered by the Committee is a duplicate of another submitted earlier in the year. That earlier application is currently being assessed by the Government’s Planning Inspectorate after SGC failed to make a decision on it within the legally required time frame.
Bradley Stoke Town Council’s Planning Committee has unanimously objected to both the previous and current applications on the grounds that:
“The proposed access to the site via Wheatfield Road will lead to an unacceptable increase in traffic movement through this, already congested residential area, which will be detrimental to highway safety, and have a negative impact on surrounding residents.”
A total of 22 local residents had also lodged objections by the consultation expiry date of 4th June – on grounds that include traffic levels, road safety and environmental issues.
A further three objections have been received since the deadline, two of which claim that more appropriate sites for the treatment centre and respite accommodation could easily be found elsewhere in South Gloucestershire.
Planning officers at SGC have recommended that the application be approved, despite the objections. Their report says:
It is considered that the level of additional traffic would be well within the available capacity of Wheatfield Drive and Dewfalls Drive and as such there would be no material impact upon highway safety and amenity as a result of the proposed development.
It is likely that a final decision will be made at the next meeting of the Development Control (West) Committee, on 24th June.
Should the latest application be rejected by the SGC Committee, attention would then focus on the earlier application currently being determined by the Planning Inspectorate. A decision in that case is expected to be made around the end of July.
But surely the Councillors ought to be visiting at 8:45am, i.e. during the school run, rather than 9:45am? They would then be able to experience the traffic congestion in Wheatfield Drive that so many objectors have referred to.
The meeting is held at 9.45 so atendees don’t get caught in the traffic!!!
If the school run is the only issue, maybe we should concentrate more on encouraging more walking than driving where appropriate.
We had the flyer today only 22 people are against it not suprised as they are the poor people who currently live in a nice cul de sac until the diggers builders scaffolders and god nows what else turn up to park outside there houses ant turn a quiet place into a bloody mess as they dig build remove we have lived through one building site do they think we would like another i think Not
Surely most people will visit this facility during the day, after and before the school rush hours? I really can’t imagine it adding to congestion in the long term. I’d rather see parents of pupils at the school barred from driving up Wheatfield Drive.
Perhaps someone who attended today’s site meeting could leave a comment to let us know what happened?
Now published on the SGC website: Minutes of the site meeting on 11th June; Agenda for the meeting on 24th June.
As a former resident of Wheatfield Drive, it is rediculous that the council are still persuing the development of the MS centre behind the Primary School. it would be better off being used as an extention to the childrens education ie. wildlife reserve and perhaps even made into allotments for the local residents (as there are none provided in Bradley Stoke by the Council, and there are not that many ‘Green’ spaces being left).
Is there any reason why the alrealy in existence centre at nailsea cannot be developed into such a beneficial centre
OK so how will you feel when your plan kills a child!!! Wake up and see the parking issues at 0830 and 1500!!! Parents do not look they drive off!! And then we have the diggers and workmen!! Block my drive at your risk!!! Bradley stoke way ok!! But a small narrow drive with crap parking what do yu think