A temporary car park constructed on vacant land near Parkway Station has been built without planning permission, according to a local resident who has registered an objection with South Gloucestershire Council (SGC).
First Great Western, operators of the railway station, announced the opening of a temporary car park at a site off Hunts Ground Road (opposite the Parkway North ‘park and ride’ car park operated by SGC) on 14th January.
The company said the temporary car park would provide an additional 100 parking spaces while work to construct a new multi-storey car park at the station continues.
A First Great Western spokesman explained at the time:
“There’s a huge amount of investment going into the multi-storey car park and, once completed in March, will make travel from Bristol Parkway much more accessible for customers. However, we’ve had to close a number of spaces to allow the construction work to happen.”
“This additional parking wasn’t available when the construction started, but we are pleased to have been able to do this deal to help improve things for customers while the building work is completed.”
Information available on the SGC planning portal shows that a planning application for the temporary car park was received by the council on 11th December 2013 but not “validated” until 6th January 2014. The statutory 21-day consultation period, during which objections can be made, runs until 29th January 2014. The status of the application is shown as “pending consideration”.
In a letter received by the council on 15th January, a resident of a property in Saint Way, a road which borders the site on which the car park has been constructed, writes:
“I cannot see why the developers/owner of the site have already started and almost finished work without consulting the local neighbours and obtaining the necessary permission in the first place.”
First Great Western says work on the £13m multi-storey car park is due to be finished in April.
Documents submitted with the planning application for the temporary car park state that “use will cease before the end of April 2014”.
Better to have the car park rather than the local roads being clogged up with parked cars.
Why can’t they just use the park and ride what’s the point of it if the council is giving planning permision for a tempory car park what a waste of taxpayers money.
Totally agree Ken
The reason the additional car park was developed is because the park & ride isn’t big enough!
“There’s a huge amount of investment going into the multi-storey car park and, once completed in March, will make travel from Bristol Parkway much more accessible for customers.
More accessible for customers only if your willing to pay a lot of money for parking.