Inquiry into Wellsway shop plan
A public inquiry is to be held after a firm wanting to turn an old car showroom into a convenience store appealed against the scheme’s rejection.
Corsham-based developer Cougar Estates applied to turn the disused building at Bear Flat into a shop which would have opened from 7am until 11pm every day.
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Wellsway site
But the scheme was turned down by Bath and North East Somerset Council development control committee in November because politicians felt there was not enough evidence to justify the need for the shop and that it would affect the viability of nearby businesses.
There were also concerns about the number of pedestrians that would be crossing the busy Wellsway close to two junctions, and at the loss of office accommodation.
Cougar had won permission two years previously to turn the building into two office units, but these have never been occupied and it wants to turn one into the shop.
No date has yet been set for the appeal hearing, which will be presided over by a Government-appointed inspector.
Cougar’s grounds of appeal document argues that a new shop would not adversely affect existing stores, would not lead to road safety problems, and that the loss of the office space would not be damaging.
The council had received 69 letters of objection from residents.
Cougar had offered to fund a traffic restriction order to bring in single yellow lines along the west side of Wellsway, and to pay for a pedestrian refuge in the road.
This would then be upgraded to a full pedestrian crossing in the future if needed, a suggestion backed by nearby Beechen Cliff School.
7 Comments
by PW, Bath
Monday, March 22 2010, 11:20AM
“It is ludicrous to claim that this site is suitable for a convenience store - this will becoem even worse when the new tesco up the hill is flooding traffic back down Wellsway”
by Peter Streater, Bathwick
Saturday, March 20 2010, 8:17AM
“M - You seem to know for certain that "It has nothing to do with the 69 objections"? Can you elaborate?
Planners doing their jobs should always make note of objections. It's whether they actually attribute any value to them that makes the differences. For instance, someone's objection here has resulted in the developer's appeal and subsequent PI.”
by M, PSJ
Friday, March 19 2010, 5:40PM
“Peter,
An inquiry is the name given to appeals for planning permission. In this case, the developer is appealing against the refusal of the planning permission. It has nothing to do with the 69 objections.”
by Peter Streater, Bathwick
Friday, March 19 2010, 4:23PM
“Noteable that 69 objections from residents have resulted in a Public Inquiry, in this instance, but the hundreds of letters of objection (was it 1700?) to the council's transport scheme wasn't a significant enough number to trigger another. How very mysterious?”
by John, Bath
Friday, March 19 2010, 2:48PM
“What a splendid ideal for the now empty Wellsway site
I do hope it will be another Sainsburys Joking of course?”
by Mark, Bath
Friday, March 19 2010, 2:00PM
“Even before all the recent changes to the road were made outside this site, cars parking outside a shop in this location would have a major impact on traffic flow - just look at the store on Englishcombe Lane to see the effects. Now that the road has been ridiculously narrowed and a tight turn into Entry Hill makes it barely wide enough for two cars to pass (and what view does the fire department take of this, assuming that they were informed?), just one vehicle parking on the opposite side of the road would bring traffic to a standstill.”
by firstpost, bathford
Friday, March 19 2010, 12:15PM
“politicians felt there was not enough evidence to justify the need for the shop and that it would affect the viability of nearby businesses.
And i was hoping for another Sainsbury !”