CONCERNS have been raised by councillors that plans for housing to be developed at a former elderly persons’ complex in Yate will bring further traffic to an “accident blackspot” area.


Developers have submitted a second application for redeveloping the Wapley Court site at Kelston Close, the former elderly persons’ home adjoining Rodford Way.


The application, for the demolition of existing buildings and erection of 24 dwellings consisting of 15 houses and nine flats, was received by South Gloucestershire Council on December 22 last year.


Dodington Parish Council has described the application as an over-development, with the flats being the only three-storey buildings south of Rodford Way and raised concerns about the traffic aspects, saying the access to the site would be from Kelston Close, which has two schools, a pre-school and playing fields nearby.


Councillor Paul Hulbert said: “This development will introduce even more traffic into a narrow road that is full of parents and children twice a day.


“Even without the new development, the road is full of parked cars, all the parking spaces along Rodford Way fill up and the Abbotswood pub car park is crammed at school run times.


“We have enough traffic problems in this area as it is. This is already an accident blackspot, and the new development will only make things worse.”


The first application seeking permission on the site was proposed in November 2013, by Greenhill Construction, for the demolition of existing buildings and the erection of 14 dwellings and a block of nine flats with new access.


The application was initially granted, subject to conditions which included entering into an agreement which wasn’t signed within the time limit set out by the development control (east) committee.


The second application, by the new site owners of the site, Carter Construction Ltd based in Gloucester, sees a proposal for permission to increase the number of dwellings from 23 to 24 new units, and also the inclusion of a two metre wide footway, as opposed to three metres previously, fronting the development.


The application also proposes to provide parking for 43 vehicles on the site, which has two existing vehicular entrances from Kelston Close and another main access is proposed to be located in the centre of the site.


Dodington Parish Council has now asked South Gloucestershire Council for a traffic survey to be carried out as part of assessing the planning application on the busy road during normal ‘school run’ times.


Yate Town Councillor, Tony Davis, said: “The main problem with this proposed development is the increased traffic that it would generate on Kelston Close which already has major problems as it contains two schools, a pre-school and a popular playing field. It also concerns me that Kelston Close is accessed from a part of Rodford Way that has seen a number of accidents.”


A South Gloucestershire Council spokesman said: “Officers are continuing to assess the application and will consider all relevant planning issues before making a recommendation.”


No one from Carter Construction Ltd was available for comment as the Gazette went to press.