Plans to turn a derelict building into offices have been thrown out over fears it would bring too many extra cars to a village already suffering from parking and traffic problems.
Lee Bignell Mobius Works Ltd applied to make minor changes to a former factory canteen in Bitton to allow it to be used as office space for up to 30 staff.
But its proposal included only three parking spaces, and 79 residents objected, saying the lack of parking would increase congestion in the village and affect pedestrian safety.
Bitton Parish Council also opposed the application, calling three spaces “insufficient”.
A local councillor told members of a South Gloucestershire Council planning committee that Bitton was already “absolutely inundated” with cars.
Paul Hughes, who sits on the parish council and represents Bitton and Oldland Common on the district council, said staff would drive to the proposed new office and be unable to park.
“They’ll be running around the village all over the place and parking, probably in the most inappropriate places.
“It’s not far away from the Meadows [Primary] School and during term time...the roads are absolutely congested.”
The road through Bitton is “very narrow” but “quite a busy main road” as it runs between Bristol and Bath via Kelston, Cllr Hughes added.
The planning committee heard that the former canteen, a locally listed building, was last used by car component manufacturer Intier when it closed down in 2006.
On Champion Road, it effectively provides a “gateway” to a newly completed housing estate with 115 homes, named Bitton Mill, an officer said.
Officers recommended approving the application because the site already had permission to be used as an office or community facility as part of the new development, and the number of parking spaces was “acceptable” when assessed against current standards for commercial buildings.
Members heard officers had to judge the number of parking spaces against former council policy from an outdated local plan which was yet to be replaced.
Now referred to as “guidance”, the former policy sets no minimum but requires a maximum number of parking spaces, in this case seven, based on the floor area of the office, not the number of staff.
Keiren Shaddick, who spoke on behalf of residents of the Bitton Mill estate, said most of the office staff would drive to work as well as drive to get their lunch because of the poor frequency of bus services and the location of the nearest outlets that sell food.
He said residents were worried that staff vehicles would include lorries, as the business set to occupy the offices was a construction company based in Warmley.
But an officer said he understood the office would be used for administrative purposes, such as tax returns, so staff would be driving cars, not lorries or vans.
Mr Shaddick added that the three proposed parking bays lay near a children’s play area due for completion in summer, so the “ill conceived” application had no regard for child safety.
Several committee members said they would like to see the building used as a community hall, rather than an office.
Proposing they turn down the application, Cllr Brian Hopkinson said: “This is a residential area. It would mess up the parking for the area.”
Members backed the refusal by eight votes to one.
The official reason for the rejection was that the proposed development would provide “insufficient parking” for office use, resulting in additional on-street parking and congestion that would harm village residents’ quality of life and detrimentally affect the travelling public.
Members heard that a family-run business that was keen to use the building for a nursery and pre-school but a planning application is yet to be submitted.
