Woodlands Farm planning appeal officially started

The start letter has now been published for the appeal against the Blackberry Park application for up to 215 homes on land at Woodlands Farm.

Any comments you made at the application stage will be passed on to the Planning Inspectorate. If you want to make any additional comments, you must submit 3 copies of them to the Inspector by 9 March 2018. The Planning Inspectorate will not acknowledge representations.

For more advice on taking part in an appeal you can read a 'Guide to taking part in planning appeals proceeding by an inquiry' online.

Woodlands Farm - Barratt Homes to appeal

As some eagle-eyed residents have spotted, correspondence on the web page for the Woodlands Farm "Blackberry Park" application shows that Barratt Homes are going to appeal against the council's refusal last summer.

What is on the website at the moment is pre-appeal correspondence, where they're sorting out what form the appeal will take. The Planning Inspectorate have agreed with Barratt Homes that there will be a public inquiry but Barratt Homes have not yet submitted the Appeal Start Letter. This is the official notification of the start of the appeal and is key because all the dates (for example, the deadline for comments) will flow from that. When South Glos gets the Appeal Start Letter they will then notify Claire Young as ward member, the Parish Council and so on.

For the hundreds of people who objected to the application, this will not be a welcome start to the new year. When the appeal does start, we will let you know how you can have your say.

Blackberry Park application refused

After a lengthy debate, the DC (East) Planning Committee refused on a split vote the Barratt Homes "Blackberry Park" outline application for up to 215 homes on land at Woodlands Farm. Local campaigners were there to have their say and show their support for protecting the site.

Barratt Homes now have the option to appeal against the decision. We will let you know if this happens.

Woodlands Farm - decision next week

The "Blackberry Park" application for up to 215 homes at Woodlands Farm will be decided at the DC (East) planning committee meeting next Thursday. The meeting starts at 3pm in Kingswood Civic Centre and the public are very welcome to attend. There will be up to 5 minutes for objectors to speak. The case officer has recommended that the application be approved. You can read their 66 page report online.

No decision on Woodlands Farm this month

There will be no decision on the "Blackberry Park" application on Woodlands Farm this month. The next DC (East) planning committee meeting was due to take place next week. Given the issues raised by members of the committee following last week’s site visits, all the applications have been deferred to a later date.

Planning committee visits Woodlands Farm

Today members of the DC (East) planning committee visited Woodlands Farm to view the site and hear the concerns of local people and councillors. As yet, we don't know which committee meeting the decision is likely to be taken at - we'll keep you updated.

Planning committee to visit Woodlands Farm

Next Friday, 30th June, the DC (East) planning committee will be visiting Woodlands Farm, Coalpit Heath. Barratt Homes are hoping to build up to 215 houses on the site, which they call "Blackberry Park".

The committee members are expected to arrive at the site at about 10.50am. Members of the public are very welcome to attend - last time there was an application for Woodlands Farm large numbers turned up to show their opposition. There will be 10 minutes for someone from the objectors to speak, as well as 3 minute slots for South Glos and Parish Councillors. We will be meeting by the kissing gate that leads into the fields between St Saviour's Rise and Blackberry Drive - as shown by the green star on this map.

You can view the agenda for the site visit here - it includes a link to the case officer's report.

Many people will be at work or school next Friday morning but there is another way to show local opposition. This Saturday, 24th June, a photographer from the Gazette is coming to the fields at 11am. Please meet by the kissing gate that leads into the fields between St Saviour's Rise and Blackberry Drive - and encourage your friends and family to be there too.

Revised planning application for Woodlands Farm site in Coalpit Heath

Barratt Homes and and David Wilson Homes have submitted a revised proposal for the "Blackberry Park" site at Woodlands Farm, Coalpit Heath. As before it proposes 215 homes, with road access off Park Lane.

The developers say that their revised plans answer a number of issues that South Glos raised about the previous application, for example restricting the part of the site where there would be taller (2.5 to 3 storey) buildings to a small central area.

The plans and documents are visible on the South Glos planning website http://developments.southglos.gov.uk/online-applications/ - search for application number PT17/0215/O.

You can submit your comments online until the deadline of 26 May 2017.

Former Grace Church planning applications approved

We previously reported on the planning committee's visit to the former Grace Church, now a school. Last Thursday, the committee voted to approve their applications.

Planning committee to visit former church

Next Friday (22nd April) members of the Development Control (East) planning committee will be visiting the former Grace Evangelical Church just outside Westerleigh. The school that is now running there has proposed changes to the building.

To see the applications (one a full planning application, the other for Listed Building consent), go to the planning search page on the South Glos website and search for the reference numbers PK16/0978/F and PK16/0979/LB.

You can read the agenda for the site visit online. The committee members are expected to arrive at around 11.15am.      

Wooden structure at 20 Boundary Road approved

The large wooden structure in the garden of 20 Boundary Road and the fence was approved by the planning committee this afternoon.

Site visit changes - no Boundary Road, now visiting Mafeking Hall

Last week we reported that the DC (East) planning committee would be visiting 20 Boundary Road and Beech Hill Farm tomorrow, Friday 28th August.

The visit to 20 Boundary Road has now been postponed until the next round of site visits on 25th September, with the decision likely to be made at the committee meeting on 8th October. Instead the committee will be visiting Mafeking Hall, to look at the Prior Notification Application for a change of use to allow Coalpit Heath Pre-School to open there.

Planning committee site visits next Friday

Next Friday, 28th August, the Development Control (East) committee will be visiting two sites in Westerleigh ward - 20 Boundary Road (at approximately 10.15am) and Beech Hill Farm (at approximately 10.35am). You can view the agenda, including links to the relevant reports, online.

Developers win appeal for up to 106 dwellings in Charfield

Developers have won their appeal against the council's refusal of permission for a new development at Charfield. They will now be able to build up to 106 homes on land south of Wotton Road.

Charfield ward councillor John O'Neill said, "Like many local people, I am very disappointed by this decision. The Parish Council has been very responsible in its attitude to development. This was not a case of “nimbyism”, it was a Parish working to the strategy set out in the Core Strategy, which was endorsed by a Government Inspector only a few months ago. It appears from this decision that the commitment to Localism has been abandoned by the new Government."

Top Yard refused

Yesterday the planning committed voted to refuse the application for a travelling showmen site at Top Yard, Westerleigh.

In February, local residents and Westerleigh ward councillor Claire Young spoke at the DC (East) planning committee about their concerns about the application, which officers had recommended for approval. The planning committee voted by a narrow majority to approve it but, heeding the concerns raised, Cllr Alan Lawrance referred it up to full council. Given the chance to look at the application again, officers considered some recent case law and advised councillors that the application should go back to the DC (East) Planning Committee with a revised report to reflect that. Claire was pleased to propose this at the council meeting.

In the revised report, officers recommended refusal. The committee voted 9 votes to 1 with 1 abstention to refuse it on the grounds that it is inappropriate development and the "very special circumstances" given by the applicant don't outweigh the impact on the Green Belt.

Claire has asked officers what the next steps will be. As this was a retrospective application and the caravans are already there, it will be referred to the planning enforcement team.

Top Yard now recommended for refusal

In February, Westerleigh ward councillor Claire Young and local residents spoke at the DC (East) planning committee about their concerns about the application for a travelling showman site at Top Yard, Westerleigh. Officers had recommended it for approval.

The planning committee voted by a narrow majority to approve it but, heeding the concerns raised, Cllr Alan Lawrance referred it up to full council.

Given the chance to look at the application again, officers considered some recent case law and advised councillors that the application should go back to the DC (East) Planning Committee with a revised report to reflect that. Claire Young was pleased to propose this at the council meeting.

The application will be considered again next Thursday, 23rd April at a meeting starting at 3pm in Kingswood. Officers are now recommending that the application should be refused  on the grounds that it is inappropriate development and the "very special circumstances" given by the applicant don't outweigh the impact on the Green Belt.

As you can see from the agenda, this is the only application the committee will be considering. You can read the very detailed 17 page report here. Please contact Claire Young if you would like more information.

Top Yard referred back to planning committee

Having reviewed the application, officers advised councillors that the Top Yard planning application should go back to the DC (East) Planning Committee with a revised report reflecting recent case law. Claire Young was pleased to propose this at Wednesday night's council meeting. Her fellow councillors agreed. It's hoped it will go to the 23rd April meeting.

Top Yard - officers recommend it goes back to planning committee

At the end of February, the DC (East) planning committee voted by a narrow majority to approve the Top Yard application but Cllr Alan Lawrance referred it up to council, so that it could be debated there.

The council meeting is next Wednesday (18th March). Officers have reviewed some recent case law and feel that members should have a report that sets out how those apply to this application. They also think that the members making the decision should have made a site visit. They are therefore recommending it goes back to the DC (East) committee for determination with a revised report to take account of the recent case law.

The agenda for the council meeting is here:

http://council.southglos.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=143&MId=6903

and the specific report on Top Yard here:

http://council.southglos.gov.uk/documents/s55266/REPORTReferraltoCouncilfromDCEast.pdf

Top Yard referred to full council, cafe approved

Three planning applications in Westerleigh ward were debated at today's Development Control (East) committee meeting.

The first was the retrospective application for Top Yard, Westerleigh. The committee voted narrowly to approve the application, but one of the members who had voted against then referred it up to full council. This means that no decision has yet been made and instead the application will be debated and determined at the South Gloucestershire Council meeting that starts at 7pm on Wednesday 18th March in Kingswood Civic Centre.

The second was for a variation to a condition on the Sainsbury’s Local permission. The committee voted to vary the delivery hours condition to allow newspapers be delivered no earlier than 6.45am, which is just before the shop will open each day.

The third was to change the use of the carpet shop on Badminton Road, Coalpit Heath into a cafe and flat. Residents had raised concerns about drainage, operating hours, noise, smell and parking arrangements. The committee approved this application with a clarified condition on odour control.

Planning applications going to committee next week

Three planning applications in Westerleigh ward are on the agenda for next Thursday's Development Control (East) committee meeting.

The first is a retrospective application for Top Yard, Westerleigh, the land on the left just before the double railway arches as you're leaving the village to go towards Yate. The application is for five travelling showpeople's pitches. The applicants' status was challenged at last week's site visit by a member of the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain, but the report states there is no requirement for the applicants to be members of the Guild for them to fall within the definition of travelling show people.

The second is for a variation to a condition on the Sainsbury's Local permission. The condition restricts deliveries to between 9am and 7pm Mondays to Saturdays and 9am to 5pm on Sundays. The applicants wanted newspapers to be excepted so they could be delivered at any time. The Parish Council were concerned that this would impact on residents and that keeping it just to newspaper deliveries would be unenforceable. The officer is now recommending that papers be delivered no earlier than 6.45am.

The third is to change the use of the carpet shop on Badminton Road, Coalpit Heath into a cafe and flat. Residents have raised concerns about drainage, operating hours, noise, smell and parking arrangements.

Members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting and speak on items. Supporters and objectors each get 5 minutes total, shared between all speakers.