Agents working on behalf of Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook shopping centre have revealed proposals to erect two drive-through food and drink units (McDonald’s and Starbucks) and two additional (non-food) retail units within the existing boundaries of the site.
Subject to planning permission, the two drive-throughs would be erected to the north-east of the site, on land which currently comprises car parking – part of which is currently occupied by the Waves hand car wash facility.
The two (non-food) retail units would be added to the end of the existing retail terrace, beyond the Poundstretcher store, also on land that is currently used for car parking.
The work would also include a “rearrangement” of the car park, to recover lost spaces, which would bring the main access road closer to residential properties along the northern boundary of the site.
The expansion proposals are outlined in a ‘pre-application consultation’ letter which has been delivered to neighbouring residential properties in Dewfalls Drive and Wheatfield Drive. The letter solicits the “views of local stakeholders” and asks that comments or concerns be addressed to the agents, Alder King Planning, by 28th February 2018.
Alder King say they will endeavour to address any issues raised before a formal planning application is submitted to South Gloucestershire Council. A further opportunity to make comments will be available at a later date during the normal public consultation period of the planning application.
Some neighbouring residents who have received the letter have distributed it more widely, through letterboxes and online, saying they are “very unhappy” with the proposals and have set about coordinating a “community response”.
A spokesperson for the Dewfalls and Wheatfield Drive Residents Association (DAWDRA), a group that was originally formed in 2005 to influence the development of the new town centre (now known as the Willow Brook Centre), said:
“As local residents, we are becoming increasingly concerned about the traffic congestion in and around the Willow Brook Centre. The traffic is regularly backed up from Savages Wood Road in both directions to Bradley Stoke Way and Brook Way. Having further development of fast food drive-through units will encourage more motor traffic into this area, bringing with it further pollution and congestion which will have a detrimental environmental impact to the residents of Bradley Stoke.”
“There are already a number of fast food units within the Willow Brook Centre and the litter from these food outlets is already contaminating the immediate environment and adjacent nature reserve. Further units will only add to this problem.”
Above: Extract from a plan delivered with the Alder King pre-application letter (annotations by the Journal).
More information:
Contact details for Alder King may be found in the above letter.
Look out for more details on this story in the March issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine, delivered 3rd/4th March.
UPDATE (22nd February 2018)
The Alder King pre-application consultation will be discussed by Bradley Stoke Town Council’s Planning & Environment Committee at its meeting on Wednesday 28th February. Venue: The Jubilee Centre BS32 8HL. Start time: 7pm, commencing with public questions session. Agenda: http://bit.ly/bstcpec
Read the discussion about this article on the BSJ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BradleyStokeJournal/posts/1758846690832166
I had to laugh at a comment at traffic built up, the Willowbrook has lacked traffic that is the problem and unless something positive is done at some point the The Willowbrook will become non existent. Because of click and collect at Tesco there are less people shopping at the centre and the place is pretty dead of human life lol 😂 action is needed although I don’t see a drive through as helping the centre at all, we need an old fashioned cafe, a bank or post office we need some life put into the centre which it is so lacking
Surely a better idea would have been to create a second access point from Bradley Stoke Way? I avoid the WBC like the plague now because it’s so painful having to crawl down the single access road over car-destroying speed bumps. The idea of drive-thrus is to be convenient, well there’s nothing convenient about driving to the Willow Brooke Centre!!!
The current access by car is appalling, so adding two ‘drive-thru’ business is not a bright idea without opening up another entrance|exit.
Currently, I only access Willow Brook on foot, or by bike!
Surely a better idea would be to add 4|5 more units one of which could be a post office and another a bank.
I agree another access road off the main drag makes sense and my husband and i have said this on many occassions. ” non food retail units makes sense but so does a post office after all if your in the Willow Brook Centre do should have one available so as to do most things in one place rather than having to drive here there and everywhere. I think a good old fashioned newsagents – greengrocers and butchers would also go down a storm. Lets make the centre a real shopping experience like Yate for example and bring the revenue to the local community. I actually live in Downend but always come to the WBC.
So, another fast food outlet for the pupils of BSCS to waddle over to when they finish at the ridiculously early time of 14.35! Yet more litter to be strewn around as there is a severe lack of bins in Bradley Stoke. Why as a town centre do we still not have a bank or a post office but several downmarket budget stores?
The Alder King pre-application consultation will be discussed by Bradley Stoke Town Council’s Planning & Environment Committee at its meeting on Wednesday 28th February. Venue: The Jubilee Centre BS32 8HL. Start time: 7pm, commencing with public questions session. Agenda: http://bit.ly/bstcpec
I for one would welcome a Starbucks and a McDonalds as long as traffic management is looked at before the final plans are put through. As much as we would like a bank they have tried twice and failed twice so I doubt with the increased use of Internet Banking they will ever try again. As for what goes into the retail outlets I would love to see a Next or a small M&S, I know we have loads of them too but to have one local that I could walk to would be great.
Starbucks and McDs would be a great addition to the centre! An additional entrance would ease congestion but I’m not 100% traffic is an issue. All retail parks have a certain volume of traffic which is a positive thing and shows the centre is effective at attracting people. Someone has voiced concerns about school children using the above named units but surely students purchasing a McDs vs junk food from Tesco/pound shops it’s all the same! Just don’t give you’re kids as much money!
The point I am trying to make is that we already have enough junk food outlets in the Willowbrook Centre, why do we need to add to them? We have all read about the obesity crisis in this country and the fact that this next generation are at increased risk of dying before their parents due to avoidable unhealthy diet/lifestyle. It’s also not about how much money they have, junk food is cheaper than healthy food, you only have to be in Tesco/Poundland/Greggs etc at 2.35 to see vast quantities of doughnuts/sweets/chocolate bars/fizzy drinks being purchased by school children for around £1 or less!
What we desperately need is a proper, independent cafe, as an alternative to Costa (like the one at the Pavilions near Aldi, but bigger). Starbucks is not the answer at all, nor McDonalds. A nice cafe that offers good value food, including a decent breakfast, please. As others have said, independent shops are definitely the way forward, but I’m willing to bet the site owners will not offer preferential rates of rent to get the independent traders in and to stay there.
Regarding traffic, it’s really not that bad compared to similar centres elsewhere. Access off Bradley Stoke Way would be nice but would probably have to be incoming traffic only, like the bus lane, or they would have to build a whole new junction and disrupt the flow of traffic on BSW.
I love starbucks, independent stores tend to charge more and hire fewer to make up the cost of running a non-chain store, this will be a great asset to anybody who doesn’t want to travel to the mall or aztec for a caramel macchiato and will provide new job opportunities for the youth in the area. A starbucks and McDonald’s was on my wishlist for bradley stoke years ago, I’m sure that it will go down a treat with all the locals!
I’m tired of people telling me what I can’t eat, junk food or not it is my choice if I want to eat McDonald’s once a month, and there are a good 20,000 people in the area who have the freedom to choose to eat a burger once in a while without the veggie police out to get them.
I think this is an excellent idea as the area will get more jobs and keep everybody in employment. As for the nimbys in wheatfield drive it is not our issue if u choose to live next to a big centre.
As a member of the original DAWDRA group in 2005 I was relieved when Tesco were forced to change their planned positioning of their 24 hour delivery yard from the boundaries of Dewfalls and Wheatfield Drives and given planning permission only when the delivery yard was moved far away from the boundaries.Since then Tesco has submitted plans to build a pizza delivery shop in the same area,which was again refused.It is disappointing then that this further proposal has been submitted especially as there are two more shops planned in an area which will cause no nuisance to their neighbours and will fit in well with the current block.These houses were built years before Willow Brook Centre and the residents rights should always be taken into consideration when proposing new buildings.As it is every few years new plans are submitted(see S.Glos planning) causing the residents worry and concern and threatening their well being.Tesco does not seem to be a good neighbour.
I don’t see how they can get this approved with the only access road being a private road that has no speed enforcement at all.
I have contacted the police and willow brook about this on more than one occasion and they have confirmed to me that the police cannot do anything about the poor driving on the long stretch of road into the willow brook.
That is the basis I will be using for my objection to this proposal.
If there was an access way created onto Bradley Stoke Way that would be a solution, but I cannot see this happening.
The majority of residents in Bradley Stoke are within walking distance of the center or make use of the bus route available, the reliability which I must say has improved over the years. I fail to see how the provision of day time food outlets will affect anybodies wellbeing. So often people find the negatives. There were complaints when tesco wanted to install the click and collect drive through, residents said it would be too noisy but it’s near silent there all day. I can’t wait for my maccy d’s
Horrified to hear of the possibility of either Starbucks or McDonalds or for that matter any other Fast Food outlet going into the Willow Brook Centre. The car park is usually rather full , the speed bumps are a menace, at busy times access is a misery. Now they are contemplating polluting the local atmosphere with ghastly odours and adding further to congestion, reducing shoppers parking. All in the furthering of retail GREED. Please do not do this.
Great idea! If we opened the entrance for buses and let cars in there would be less traffic and more jobs. Also I think students will go to these restaurant when they open and after a while get bored of them and go to them less and les. However there needs to be a bin increase as there is too much litter and this will increase the rates.
There is plenty of fast food provision its not like there isnt one nearby.
Ashley, as you’re in your car why not treat yourself and explore, McD’s at Filton (10 mins) or BurgerKing at Cribbs (8 mins away). I suppose you could walk over to the WBC, buy a burger and cook it in maybe 20 mins. Aaah but then you wouldnt need a drive thru would you!
Mr Lindsay NIMBY’s are everywhere my friend.
The WBC is moving closer to me, not the other way around. I’m not the one flipping burgers on my BBQ in the WBC. Maybe I should go around and have a shower in Waves car wash, have my breakfast in Costa, scrub my teeth in boots and, and, and, all without a stitch on…
– would that be OK with everyone ? Didn’t think so…
We all know a McDonalds in the middle of 5 schools isn’t random.
Surely its only a matter of time before people wake up.
Like cigarettes, smoking, cancer and emphysema, etc,
Like Fast food, obesity, diabetes and cancer etc.
Every tax payer currently gives £2000 per year to the affects of obesity – that figure is only going up year on year.
This development isn’t helping.
Personally I would like to see some 3G five-a-side pitches. Otherwise all the other stuff is 10 mins down the road.
Just because a few disagree doesn’t mean everyone should miss out on the opportunity to have a new development here. Nobody is force fed coffee, alcohol or burgers, we are not such zombies that we succumb to every whim. As an adult I refuse to be dictated to by the few. It’s easy to argue on the nutrition for the food they propose to serve, but you equally forget to consider the cost of the tax payer to the ill effects of car pollution, and the fact that much of the obesity epidemic being caused by laziness and inactivity. Let people enjoy an extra local treat for goodness sake.
I thought we live in a free society where we can choose what we want without discrimination. If children are eating junk food, perhaps the parents should take responsibility for them.
People will always find a reason to complain and make others miserable. Many small towns have multiple Starbucks and McDonald’s. The reason they are successful is that they are popular with the majority.
A formal planning application has now been submitted: http://bit.ly/2HijsDg
Best of luck! I’ll be queuing in line for a starbucks coffee and cake! 🙂