Campaigning councillors have expressed their delight after an application to increase a Kingswood industrial estate’s working hours was thrown out by planners.
In August, a planning application was submitted by the owners of the Bridge Road Industrial Estate to extend their hours of operation from 8:00 – 18:00 to 7:00 – 19:00 Monday to Friday and from 8:00 – 13:00 to 07:00 – 17:00 Saturdays.
South Gloucestershire Council planners have now refused permission for this variation.
Nearby local residents already have to put up with noise and disturbance from the site and so were concerned about the increased impact of longer working hours.
The area’s local Conservative councillors started the campaign against the application and organised a protest rally last month attended by over 50 local residents living in surrounding streets.
Cllr Kevin Seager (Con, Rodway), said:
“Along with many local residents, we are delighted that this application has been refused.
Had the application been recommended for approval, we would have asked for it to be considered by the council’s Development Control Committee because it would have compounded the noise and disturbance that local residents already have concerns about.”
His fellow Rodway colleague, Adrian Millward, said:
“Clearly, the whole point of the existing planning condition that limits the hours of operation is to try and minimise noise and disturbance as much as possible.
Relaxing that condition would make the situation worse for nearby households.
I would like to thank the large number of residents who attended our protest rally and supported this campaign because we were able to show the strength of local feeling there was against removing the restrictions that are in place.”
Their Rodway colleague, Carol McCarthy, added:
“Local residents still have concerns about this site and we want to work constructively with the owners and council to address these.”
Source: Conservative Group on South Gloucestershire Council
