A family has overcome objections from council planning officers to building a home on a dark and “unsafe” country lane. They argued that the planned house near Winterbourne would be too difficult to walk into the village at night, due to the lack of pavements and streetlights.
But South Gloucestershire Council will still grant planning permission, after councillors on the development management committee voted to approve the plans on Thursday, December 19. The house will be built on Cloisters Road, on the former site of a historic farmhouse.
Alison Keats, the applicant, said: “It’s a self-build for myself and my family to occupy. Local residents and councillors will remember when Cloisters Farm existed on the site. Cloisters Road is probably the most well-used walking, cycling and horse-riding route in Winterbourne, with dozens of people using it daily, including myself where I walk my dog every day.
“The reduced speed limit, good visibility and large verges mean that it is a safe walking area. The local shops, schools and pubs are very close by and within easy walking distance to the site. There was a house on the site for at least 170 of the last 200 years.”
Planning officers were concerned about the supposed lack of shops nearby, which would mean that residents of the new house would likely rely on driving everywhere. Council policy says new homes should be built in “sustainable locations”, where people can walk, cycle or get the bus to most places they need to go to. But a local councillor said there were plenty of shops to walk to.
Conservative Councillor Nicholas Labuschagne, representing Winterbourne, said: “There are five shopping areas, two small convenience stores, two large convenience stores, a hairdresser, a large hardware shop, beauty centre, takeaways, charity shops, post offices, butcher’s, baker’s — and you can even buy candlesticks as well. There’s everything all within one mile.”
Another issue however is whether Cloisters Road was safe to walk along at night. There are no pavements or lampposts along the country lane.
Suzanne D’Arcy, a council planning officer, said: “Distance isn’t the sole arbiter of sustainability, it’s also about whether it’s safe and walkable. There aren’t any separated footpaths, and there is a difference between going for a walk, and walking to the shops, a school or to get the bus into work.”
Other problems included that the site is in the Green Belt, a protected area of countryside just outside built up areas. Despite their concerns, councillors on the committee decided to approve planning permission for the new house.
Conservative Cllr June Bamford said: “Not everybody wishes to live in a built-up area. We talk about streetlights — I can wander around Hanham later at night and they’re probably all switched off, so it’s just as dark there as it’s likely to be around here. We’ve got to get into the real world: people do have cars.”