Councillors on South Gloucestershire Council’s (SGC’s) Development Management Committee will meet in Bradley Stoke tomorrow afternoon (Thursday 21st February) to once again consider a controversial planning application for new development at the town’s Willow Brook shopping centre.

The proposed scheme, which includes two new drive-through food units expected to be occupied by McDonald’s and Starbucks, has been recommended for approval by the council’s officers but is opposed by Bradley Stoke Town Council and a number of local South Gloucestershire ward councillors.

The plans were first considered at the committee’s previous meeting held in Kingswood on 24th January, but, following almost two hours of representations and debate, councillors voted to defer a decision so that they could hold a site inspection visit.

The inspection visit, attended by seven of the nine committee members, duly took place under atrocious weather conditions on Friday 8th February (see photo below). Ahead of the meeting, outlines of the proposed McDonald’s and Starbucks buildings, which would be sited either side of the present Waves car wash facility, were spray painted on the surface of the car park to aid interpretation of the plans.

Residents of properties in Wheatfield Drive and Dewfalls Drive have objected to the scheme, saying that the drive-through units should be built closer to the existing main buildings at the centre, in keeping with its original design ethos. An annotated plan (above; click to enlarge), drawn up at the request of the committee following the site inspection visit, shows that the closest property in Wheatfield Drive (at top edge) would be 22m distant from the single-storey Starbucks unit and 50m from the two-storey McDonald’s building.

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A decision on whether the Willow Brook Centre will be allowed to construct two drive-through food units in the north-eastern corner of its car park, just 25m away from residential properties in Wheatfield Drive, has been deferred for at least a month.

The delay, to allow time for councillors on South Gloucestershire Council’s (SGC’s) Development Management Committee to undertake a site inspection visit, was agreed after planning officers who had recommended approval were faced with a barrage of criticism from a spokesperson representing residents of nearby properties, supported by Bradley Stoke Town Council’s deputy town clerk and three South Gloucestershire councillors representing wards in Bradley Stoke and Stoke Gifford.

The controversial food units, which are anticipated to be occupied by McDonald’s and Starbucks, form phase 1 of the proposed development, for which full planning permission is being sought. The application also seeks outline permission for phases 2 and 3, which include the addition of two new units on the end of the existing retail terrace (beyond Poundstretcher) and rearrangement of the car park.

Meeting in Kingswood on 24th January, the committee heard first from the developer’s agent who stressed that the council’s officers now have no objections to the scheme after minor amendments had been made to the plans and a specialist report on night time noise had been commissioned and its conclusions accepted. He added that the new food units are essential to maintain the viability of the centre at a time of declining retail sales on the high street.

The meeting then heard from a representative of the Dewfalls and Wheatfield Drive Residents Association (DAWDRA), who summarised some of the points raised in the 145 public objections lodged against the scheme, which include concerns over noise, litter, cooking smells and anti-social behaviour. The representative said her group had met with the developers, but they had shown no willingness to compromise, in particular with regard to the question of why the food units weren’t being built closer to the main buildings at the centre (and thereby much further away from residential properties).

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A planning application for development at Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook Centre that would include two new food units anticipated to be occupied by McDonald’s and Starbucks has been referred to a South Gloucestershire Council planning committee for consideration.

The referral has been requested by local ward councillor Sarah Pomfret (Conservative, Bradley Stoke Central & Stoke Lodge), with the support of three other councillors plus the chair of the relevant planning committee, the Development Management Committee (DMC).

The three supporting councillors are:

• Cllr Roger Avenin (Conservative, Bradley Stoke South)
• Cllr Keith Cranney (Conservative, Stoke Gifford)
• Cllr Ken Dando (Conservative, Patchway)

The chair of the DMC is Cllr June Bamford (Conservative, Hanham). Cllrs Avenin and Dando also sit on the nine-member committee.

Under new planning procedures introduced last November, a minimum of three council members is required to refer an application to committee (previously just one was needed).

The reasons for referral are given as:

“Satellite outlet too close to neighbours, original masterplan had all buildings together in a block away from houses. Similar reasons to Domino’s refusal reasons previously (PT10/3271). Noise and light pollution and disturbance at night in a residential area where the streetlights go off at midnight. Car engine idling and revving and exhaust fumes from drive thru. Litter in surrounding streets. Encouraging car traffic to the area not environmentally friendly.”

The news comes just a few days after the planning department’s case officer recommended that the application be approved, subject to conditions.

The next meeting of the DMC is due to be held at the Civic Centre in Kingswood on Thursday 24th January, starting at 3pm.

Image: Masterplan from the planning application (click to enlarge).

More information: Completed member referral form

UPDATE (15th January 2019)

An SGC spokesperson told the Journal: “The application is due to be heard at the 24th January 2019 Development Management Committee. No site visit is planned prior to the meeting.”

• Officer report to the Development Management Committee (SGC)

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Officers at South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) have recommended approval of a planning application which would pave the way for McDonald’s and Starbucks outlets to open at Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook Centre.

The recommendation has been published in the council’s weekly Circulated Schedule, which informs elected council members of the conclusions of planning officers’ assessments of all non-trivial or controversial applications.

Originally submitted in March 2018, the Willow Brook Centre application also seeks outline permission for two additional units in the retail terrace (extending it beyond the Poundstretcher store) and reconfiguration of the car park.

A total of 143 letters/email of objection were received from local residents in connection with the application. Bradley Stoke Town Council’s planning committee also voted unanimously to object to the application, citing traffic, highways and environmental concerns.

Six letters/email of support were received from local residents.

Concerns over highways and landscaping issues raised by SGC’s own officers have been resolved following negotiations with the applicant, although the environmental protection officer’s recommendation for the opening hours of the McDonald’s and Starbucks units to be restricted has been overruled by the case officer, leaving the way free for them to open for 24 hours a day, should the operators so wish.

The application could still be referred to SGC’s Development Management Committee for consideration, but only if three elected council members request this within the next five working days (i.e. by Thursday 10th January). The three referring councillors must include either the committee chair or one of the other two designated party political spokespersons on the committee.

Should the application be referred to committee, it would most likely be considered at the next scheduled meeting, which will be held at the Civic Centre in Kingswood on Thursday 24th January, starting at 3pm.

More information: Circulated Schedule report (item 3 refers)

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