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www.bradleystokejournal.co.uk
t: 01454 300 400
September 2019
News
Contact Us Editor: Stephen Horton info@bradleystokejournal.co.uk 01454 300 400 83 Snowberry Close Bradley Stoke Bristol BS32 8GB
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About the Bradley Stoke Journal The Bradley Stoke Journal magazine is published by North Bristol Press, a trading name of Snowberry Media Ltd; company number 8451178 (registered in England and Wales); registered office: Equinox South, Great Park Road, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 4QL. Our other publications include the Stoke Gifford Journal magazine and website, the Patchway Journal website and the Filton Journal website. North Bristol Press is independent of any other media company or network operating in the Bristol area. We accept no responsibility for anything stated by advertisers, who are themselves responsible for complying with all relevant legislation. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editor or article author. © North Bristol Press 2019. Content published in our magazines or on our websites may not be reproduced in any form without our express written permission.
Have your say: Reader letters Do you have strong views about something that’s happening in or around Bradley Stoke? Want to pass comment on something you’ve read in the Journal or another local publication? Send your letter to letters@bradleystokejournal.co.uk or post it to: Reader Letters, Bradley Stoke Journal, 83 Snowberry Close, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 8GB Please include a phone number, in case we need to contact you. Our next issue: October 2019 • The advertising copy deadline is Friday 13th September • The article copy deadline is Monday 16th September • The magazine will be distributed from 28th September
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gents acting on behalf of Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook shopping centre have lodged an appeal against South Gloucestershire Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for two new drivethrough food and drink units (foreseen to be occupied by McDonald’s and Starbucks) and two new retail units at the town centre site. The controversial planning application, submitted in March 2018, was first denied permission by the local authority’s Development Management Committee in February 2019 and then again in March 2019 by the higher-level Spatial Planning Committee. Officers at South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) had originally recommended that the application be approved, but it was ‘called in’ for a decision to be made by council members. With one of the proposed food drink units being located only 22m from the nearest residential property in Wheatfield Drive at its closet point, councillors decided there would be “prejudicial impact on residential amenity due to noise, general disturbance, fumes, smells, and late night activity”. They also said the proposals “failed to promote the economic, social and environmental character of the area”. News of the appeal surfaced in early July when a Planning Inspectorate appeal application form dated 28th June 2019 appeared on the council’s planning portal. The appellant originally requested that the appeal be determined by way of a hearing, and the case officer at the
Planning Inspectorate initially announced that this would indeed be the procedure used. However, in a letter dated 7th August, she explained that, after further consideration, the alternative procedure of ‘written representations’ would now be used as a hearing could not be justified, stating: “… although there are a lot of interested parties, the issues are not particularly complicated and the council have indicated that they will not be submitting anything very technical, therefore a hearing is not justified and this appeal will now proceed by way of written representation…” A deadline of 21st August was set for interested people and organisations to submit written representations for consideration by the inspector. In its ‘statement of case’ the appellant rejects the grounds of refusal and argues that the proposed food and drink units would “have an acceptable relationship with nearby housing so as to avoid any negative impacts based on noise or odour”. The statement adds that a condition restricting the opening hours of the food units to 6am11pm for Starbucks and 6ammidnight (Sun-Thu) / 6am-1am (Fri & Sat) for McDonald’s would be acceptable if the inspector considered this would “serve a purpose in limiting disturbance”. Now that the submissions deadline has passed, the appellant and the local planning authority (SGC) have until 4th September to comment on the representations received. An inspector will then visit the Willow Brook site. The
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