Planners approve depot on ‘dangerously narrow’ primary school route

Controversial plans for a new Wales & West Utilities depot on a “dangerously narrow” primary school route have been approved.

Bristol city councillors granted permission for the two-storey building at the former gas holder site in Glenfrome Road in Eastville, despite objections from dozens of neighbours and ward members.

A development control committee meeting was told the company, which will move from its existing nearby site, had rejected requests from planning officers to widen the pavement alongside the red brick wall boundary.

But it had agreed to pay for other road safety improvements, including no-right-turns from the new site and double yellow lines on the opposite side of the road.

Officers, who recommended approval, said the location could be used for another purpose without the need for planning consent, which would mean losing the highways measures.

Resident Adam Laity told the meeting: “The footways on both sides of the stretch of road fall short or the recommended width of two metres.

“The red brick wall means this 200m section of road is effectively a canyon of fumes and noise and speeding metal and glass and it’s terrifying to be a pedestrian or cyclist during these peak times.”

The pathways underneath the bridge are very narrow. Photo: Martin Booth

Members heard children had to walk past the site and through a small tunnel under the railway line, with a pavement on only one side of the road, to get to St Werburgh’s Primary School, which raised concerns along with Fairfield High School.

Lockleaze ward councillor Gill Kirk told the meeting on Wednesday. February 10: “As the plans stand it leaves a very dangerously narrow pavement along this stretch of Glenfrome Road which is used as a route to school.

“It seems the applicant didn’t respond to the council’s request to bring that site boundary much further in and have a planted boundary.

“We really hope you will ask for a widening of the pavement and a planted boundary rather than a heavy wall. I feel strongly this should be a condition if this is to go forward.”

A Wales & West representative said: “The proposal will fund two traffic regulation orders to restrict long-term parking along Glenfrome Road so the pavements on both sides can be used unobstructed.”

He said “significant ecological improvements” including a reptile pond and better habitat would be made to the woodland sloping up towards Narroways nature reserve.

The Narroways reserve in St Werburgh’s. Photo: Martin Booth

The plans were simply to move the firm from one side of the road to the other, so there would be no extra traffic, he added.

But committee member councillor Steve Smith said: “The logic seems to be that the traffic movements aren’t new because the people who are going to work on this site are already working over the road on the existing site.

“That doesn’t make a lot of sense because this is a new employment space which isn’t there now and it’s reasonable to assume that at some point in the future, the old site will be occupied by someone else.

“The old site isn’t accessed from Glenfrome Road which this one is, so the movements are new to Glenfrome Road.”

However, a transport officer told Smith that the building, including offices, workshops and storage, would still be acceptable if it was treated as a new development rather than a relocation.

Councillor Fabian Breckels said they should insist on a condition to improve visibility by replacing the wall with a fence or shrubbery.

“I am concerned this could have quite a significant impact on Glenfrome Road where it can get incredibly busy,” he said.

The depot was approved despite concerns. Photo: Martin Booth

But an officer said light industrial traffic movements were already established because there was a builders merchants next door.

Smith said: “I get the concerns but the pavement is narrow now, it’s not the applicant’s fault, they’re not making it a narrow pavement, and I’m not sure what’s proposed makes the narrow pavement any worse.

“I’m not saying the situation is brilliant but I’m not sure it’s reasonable to expect them to fix it.”

The committee voted 7-0, with two abstentions, to approve.

Adam Postans is a local democracy reporter for Bristol.

Main photo: Martin Booth

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