THE WEEK IN East Bristol & North East Somerset FREE Issue 586 24th July 2019 Read by more than 40,000 people each week Controversy over wedding venue planning bid A planning application to create a wedding venue in the committee, which met last Tuesday, is unhappy and has Hanham Abbots Conservation Area is causing controversy. asked South Gloucestershire Council to take enforcement The 90-guest marquee for wedding business Bickley Barns action. at Bickley Farm in Abbots Road has already been erected. The application has been submitted to South Gloucestershire But Hanham Abbots Parish Council’s environment Council by Graham New, who was involved in forming the Bickley Farm Friends of Hanham Abbots Conservation Group. He was chairman although he resigned following last week’s meeting, saying it is clear his views for the area are “not aligned” with the rest of the group. The application is for a marquee and change of use of part of an existing barn. Weddings would be held from 1st April until 31st October. Parking for 30 cars is proposed. The application says the position of the marquee doesn’t harm the conservation area or Green Belt. An accompanying transport statement concludes there are no highway safety issues. A noise report says that with appropriate mitigation, there will be no adverse impact on neighbours. This includes using highly directional loudspeakers, an in-house PA system that can be set at a restricted maximum noise level and signs asking people to leave quietly. Mr New attended the parish meeting, as did several local residents who are unhappy with the plans. After discussing the application, the parish council outlined objections to pass on to South Gloucestershire Council. Although the transport study says the proposal would unlikely attract people walking, parish councillors are concerned that attendees leaving their vehicles on site, having had more than the legal limit to drive, would walk home along unlit narrow roads with no pavements in places. They say no account appears to have been taken of the number of trips associated with suppliers servicing the events, and refute the suggestion that 30 parking spaces is sufficient, taking into account the need for designated staff parking too. Continued on page 3 Also in this Asylum seeking family Staple Hill traders urged to New plans for Final decision on AEK can now stay in move with the times recycling power plant Boco FC plans week’s issue Keynsham . page 4 . page 7 . page 11 . page 21 2 The Week in • Wednesday 24th July 2019 Controversy over wedding venue planning bid Continued from page 1 Of a traffic count detailed within the transport study, they say it was carried out in January - “hardly representative of the normal flow of traffic between April and October when the proposed venue will be used. The traffic along this stretch of road is significantly higher during the summer months with vehicles travelling to and from the two pubs at Hanham Mills”. They say Abbots Road residents can already clearly hear when the Chequers Inn and Old Lock & Weir pubs at Hanham Mills - which are considerably further away than the proposed venue - have live bands. And they say there will be additional noise created by attendees at the event, and by coaches, taxis, private cars coming to and from the venue late at night. “We do not believe that the neighbouring properties will not be adversely impacted…. This includes Hanham Court, a heritage asset and Grade II* listed building, which is approximately 200 metres away.” The marquee The wall to the east by the entrance to Bickley Farm has been lowered to 600mm to allow better visibility. The council says curtilage of existing buildings.” stone gate post: “My wife has had two narrow escapes from it would be interested to hear the comments of South He said he had instructed an independent professional potential accidents so it was decided to reduce the wall Gloucestershire’s conservation officer, bearing in mind it is company to investigate and report the noise effect on his height. When we first moved here, the wall was down to the a conservation area and the wall abuts the historic entrance immediate neighbours: “There are recommendations in the ground and a local builder re-built the wall. The top piers to Hanham Court. report with a green light conclusion of noise acceptable capping stones still need to be put back as soon as it can be Of the marquee, the parish council says: “It is a large white levels. Since the report, 100 bushes - a mixture of beech and arranged.” blot on the landscape in the Hanham Abbots Conservation hornbeam, plus six copper beech trees - have been planted He added that the wedding venue could benefit many local Area and highly visible from many aspects, particularly from to screen the ménage and marquee, both visually and businesses and St George’s Church could benefit from Hanham Court (heritage asset) and Court Farm fields, all acoustically. weddings with guests walking there from Bickley Farm. within the conservation area.” “In addition, a transport statement was investigated by an “More importantly, it would raise the profile of the Hanham The lack of information given about waste disposal and independent consulting engineer who calculated the amount Abbots area which can boast a feast of historical buildings handwashing facilities for catering staff are parish of car parking, disabled car parking, plus cycle parking and historical artefacts with numerous country walks, river councillors’ other concerns. And should permission be spaces required for our venue. Increased traffic does not seem walks supported by two public houses and not least of all granted, the parish council says the number of events should to be an issue and it’s worth noting most weddings are held great scenery in a hamlet surrounded by housing estates. This be limited to 10 a year. on weekends when traffic is reduced.” would go some way to increase its visibility creating more This week Mr New told us: “During the council meeting, I He said the junction from Ferry Road and Abbots Road is rural tourism and for all to enjoy.” made it clear our offering is only a wedding venue where a directly outside his entrance and cars couldn’t see over the The planning reference number is P19/7359/F. The deadline civil ceremony is not available. The marquee will be sited in wall and had to nudge out onto Abbots Road to see past the for comments is 31st July. a location which doesn’t impact the conservation area or the openness of the Green Belt as it’s located at the rear of the main steel barn which restricts its visibility and within the Work starts on new store Work has started on building a new Sainsbury’s convenience store on the Lyde Green estate. The Local store on the corner of Willowherb Road and Thistle Close is expected to be open by the end of November to serve the growing community. The Week in • Wednesday 24th July 2019 3 Takeaway plans are withdrawn Plans submitted to South Gloucestershire Council to change the use of the former hairdressing salon in School Road in Cadbury Heath into a takeaway have been withdrawn. Cadbury Heath Hall’s management committee had objected because of concerns about increased litter in the area and in particular its car park. The committee was worried it would be used by the customers of the proposed pizza shop, and that increased traffic movements would cause nuisance for hall users and increase risks to pedestrians in the car park. Oldland Parish Council also objected, citing concerns about increased hours of operation, the increased chance of litter, noise nuisance and smells. Keep in touch, let us know what you think, send us your news www.facebook.com/theweekin The Reci family THE WEEK IN Home Office Barrs Court, Bitton, Brislington, Cadbury Heath, Compton Dando, Corston, Downend, Emersons Green, says family can Fishponds, Hanham, Hillfields, Keynsham, Kingswood, Longwell Green, Mangotsfield, Marksbury, North Common, Oldland Common, stay for now Pucklechurch, Saltford, Staple Hill, Following our front page article last week are being represented by Bristol Refugee Stockwood, St George, Warmley, about a campaign to keep an Albanian Rights, contested the order and also fought Whitchurch, Wick, Willsbridge. family in or close to Keynsham, the Home against a subsequent attempt to send them to 16,000 copies are distributed through Office has confirmed that for now they Cardiff. retail outlets, libraries, pubs, can continue living locally. Bristol is also a dispersal area, and now, community centres each week. Last week we reported on how hundreds of following the petition and intervention from Verified pick-up rate of 97%. people have been rallying to support Luan local MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Home Publisher and Griselda Reci and their three young Office says they are allowed to stay locally Keynsham & Saltford Times Ltd, 8 Temple Court, Keynsham. 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