A councillor has warned that parking could become a “daily frustration” for residents as plans for 154 homes near the M4 on the edge of Bristol were approved.
South Gloucestershire Council strategic sites delivery committee granted permission for the second half of a new estate called Mulgrove Farm Village on former agricultural land. It is part of the 2,000-home East of Harry Stoke New Neighbourhood that has been under development since the local authority removed it from the greenbelt 12 years ago.
Planning and highways officers were happy with the proposals despite a shortfall of three visitor parking spaces compared with the requirements under council policy. The committee voted 7-1 in favour, but concerns were raised by ward Cllr Neel Das Gupta and Stoke Gifford Parish Council about pressures on parking.
Cllr Das Gupta (Conservative, Stoke Gifford) said: “The shortfall may seem minor on paper, but we know from lived experience in Stoke Gifford and surrounding areas that even small shortfalls can have long-term consequences.
“We have seen this in places like Kings Drive, which is also near Parkway Station, where parking was provided in line with the standards and yet residents still experienced persistent issues with overspill and blocked pavements.
“So, while three spaces might seem negligible, it could very well be the difference between a well-functioning neighbourhood and one where parking is a daily frustration for residents.”
Parish councillor Andrew Shore asked the committee to defer the plans and request that developers Wain Homes make minor tweaks to the plans for the site, north of the railway line between Stoke Gifford bypass and the B4427 Old Gloucester Road, to remove one or two houses to make more room for visitor spaces.
Committee member Cllr Adrian Rush (Lib Dem, Chipping Sodbury & Cotswold Edge) told the meeting: “I find it very hard to believe we can’t find another three parking spaces on this site. We ought to hold out for those three spaces if we can. I can’t believe that when we set a policy that builders should not adhere to that policy.”
John Rhys-Davies of Wain Homes told councillors that there were no more spaces available without compromising the wider design objectives of creating attractive, well-landscaped, pedestrian-friendly streets.
Cllr John Bradbury (Labour, Bradley Stoke South) said: “I can’t believe we’re going to hold up a development of 150 houses for the sake of three parking spaces, so I’m inclined to move the officers’ recommendation to accept this.”
By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporter