Following a decision reached at Full Council in July, Bradley Stoke Town Council (BSTC) has revealed a work specification and draft plan for the removal of the dilapidated hard court area at its Brook Way Activity Centre site, allowing the creation of a new grassed “village green” area and twelve additional car parking spaces.
The plan includes an option for a further eight additional car parking spaces to be created on the doctors’ surgery side of the site, subject to the surgery partners agreeing to make an acceptable financial contribution towards the extra costs that this would involve.
The work specification was drawn up by BSTC premises manager John Rendell and Cllr Andy Ward, who say their aim has been to ensure the project is “cost effective/affordable, beneficial to the community, the activity centre, Bradley Stoke Surgery and the grounds”.
The council has allocated a budget of £50,000 for the project. Formal quotes from contractors have yet to be obtained. Creating the optional eight additional car parking spaces on the doctors’ surgery side of the site would add around £10,000 (given as a “ball park” figure) to the overall cost.
Up to ten trees will need to be “relocated” as part of the project.
Publication of the plan comes almost three years after the council conducted a public consultation on the future of the site. A working group set up to consider the results of the consultation failed to produce any formal reports and, having held no meetings for almost two years, was condemned as having “died a death” by current mayor Elaine Hardwick when she brought the matter back to council last July.
At that meeting, councillors unanimously agreed to “extend the current car park towards the existing grass area, use the hard courts as open green space and ask the GP surgery if they are willing to contribute financially towards an increase in the GP surgery car park”.
When a draft work specification was presented to councillors last November, they were told:
“The outcome of the residents’ survey that took place previously favoured additional parking on site. Anyone operating on site or who has a need to visit the grounds will see that adding additional car parking bays will very much enhance the site as a whole. Adding the car parking bays on the activity centre side alone should diminish [the number of] the cars that currently park all along the entrance driveway during busy periods.”
“The creation of a small ‘village green or community space’ will give the north end of the town something that it doesn’t currently have, which could be a space where local families/residents could play safely, enjoy some green space or picnic.”
An update given at the Youth Committee meeting in December records that the partners at the doctors’ surgery were “keen to see approximately nine additional car parking bays created [on their side of the site] and that they were “very much on board with us at the present time”. However, when it was reported at January’s Full Council that the surgery partners had offered just £3,000 towards the “ball park” estimated cost of £10,000 for creating an extra eight spaces, it was agreed they should be asked if they are willing to increase their contribution.
Once the plans and financing have been agreed by the town council, it will be necessary to apply to South Gloucestershire Council for planning permission.
A larger version of the indicative diagram may be viewed on Facebook and Dropbox. The definitive plan may be viewed on page 6 of the town council’s January 2017 newsletter.
This article originally appeared in the February 2017 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine (on pages 12 & 13). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to 9,500 homes in Bradley Stoke, Little Stoke and Stoke Lodge. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
UPDATE (from the minutes of the meeting of BSTC’s Leisure, Youth & Amenities Committee on 13th February 2017):
The premises manager, John Rendell, has provided the following update:
“Since the last meeting, Cllr Andy Ward and I met with the Practice Manager to get their final offer contributing towards the works on the doctor’s surgery side of the car park, Carl West confirmed that £4,000 is the absolute maximum they are able to pay. I was pleased to see an increase on the original figure and feel that it shows the Doctors’ Surgery can really see the benefit of this additional works to the site as a whole.”
“We have been in contact with the Asset Manager @ Property Services informing them of these proposed changes. They have agreed to issue a consent letter for the alterations which would have a reinstatement clause in it. We are in touch with the architect with regards further drawings that are required for planning and I will keep councillors posted moving forward.”
