Developers were refused permission due to the number of houses
Weldmec Construction Ltd(Image: Google)
Plans to build eight houses would double the size of a village north of Bristol and could “cause sewage to spill onto roads”. Developers were refused planning permission by South Gloucestershire Council to build the new homes in the hamlet of Newton, north of Thornbury.
Weldmec Construction Ltd, a metalworks site, would be relocated to Somerset and turned into eight homes. But the developers were told to go back to the drawing board, potentially meaning that a future planning application will come forward with fewer new homes proposed instead.
Councillors on the development management committee voted to refuse permission on Thursday, June 12, by seven votes to two. They said that eight homes was too many for the tiny hamlet, with no bus routes so future residents would need to rely on driving almost everywhere.
A spokesperson from Rockhampton Parish Council said: “The parish council believes the site is not suitable for eight houses. There’s far too much crammed into the site and the proposal would nearly double the number of houses in the hamlet of Newton.
“There’s no public recreation space in the village. There’s no facilities in the village, nor any bus service, meaning that everything requires a car journey as walking and cycling are invariably impractical. Children require a bus service to school.
How the houses could look(Image: Curtis Cryer Architects )
“The entrance is on a blind corner. It’s on a country lane at a junction. A considerable amount of effluent will be produced compared to the existing commercial use.
“Eight houses provide little space for a treatment plant and there is no obvious outflow route. So in heavy rain, this could cause effluent overspill onto the road and into neighbouring properties.”
The site used to be a coach depot, before becoming a machinery workshop and sales depot used by many local farmers. It’s currently used for metal fabrication, but the owners are planning to move the family-run business to Portbury instead, to be closer to the M5 motorway.
The application was just for housing in principle, and didn’t include details like highway safety, layout of the houses or their size. These would be subject to a separate application in future.
Stuart Rackham, a planning agent representing the applicants, said: “The business is relocating to a more appropriate location in Portbury. We’re just establishing the principle of residential [use], with the technical details subject to a separate application.”