Yahoo News Plans for Cotswold business units behind doctor's surgery amid fears over hazardous parking
Plans for a new building to house two commercial units on land behind a Cotswold doctor’s surgery are up for debate this week amid concerns over hazardous parking. Stephen Perry and Elizabeth Caines want permission from Cotswold District Council to build the new single-storey building on the rear of South Cerney Surgery in Clarks Hay, South Cerney.
The proposal is for a new building to provide up to two commercial units. Officers have recommended approving the scheme for Class E use which is a commercial class generally covering shops, offices, gyms, restaurants, workshops and other types of commercial buildings. However, there is opposition to the scheme from several residents and Councillor Juliet Layton (LD, South Cerney Village) has referred the plans to be considered by councillors.
She said the site is small but the application shows two retail units tucked into a corner which sits on the margins of the conservation area. “This is an application for two Class E use units, the range of Class E is wide and therefore we have no idea if this could be retail, offices or call centres.
MORE NEWS: Cheltenham Liberal Democrat Max Wilkinson seizes 'historic' win as Tory Alex Chalk loses seat
“The village's service centre role does not currently need to be enhanced beyond its existing level due to its proximity to Cirencester. The impact of this application will be detrimental to the conservation area which is already suffering considerably from parking issues.
“The road side parking has turned Clarks Hay into a single track road and is hazardous for cyclists and drivers alike. It seems that the development will require an extra two spaces that are not actually provided. As we don't know the specific uses of Class E it is hard to estimate what the requirement should be. I therefore consider that this application will have adverse amenity impacts.”
However, those in support of the scheme say the new building would “tidy” an “incomplete” development and bring order to the “random” parking on the site. They also say two extra retail units in the centre of the village should be welcomed and the development shows big improvements to the layout and will help increase custom for other shops in the area.
The planning and licensing committee will consider the proposals at their meeting on July 10.
