PEOPLE living in several quiet cul-de-sacs in Chipping Sodbury are up in arms over plans to turn a Grade II listed old farmhouse into a restaurant and wedding venue complete with a 22-space car park.

Residents of Vayre Close, Manor Way and elderly housing complex Batten Court, many of whom chose to buy their homes because of the idyllic setting, fear their peaceful lifestyles will be shattered if plans to convert outbuildings at Vayre House on Hatters Lane are approved.

Gaynor Forest-Jones, whose home of 25 years in Vayre House overlooks the planned new car park for the planned restaurant and lounge bar, said: “There is a lot of concern about this and it has not been widely publicised considering the impact it will have.

“In all the time I have lived here it has been quiet and peaceful and I have never had a problem.

“If they were going to use the garden I could almost understand it, although I wouldn’t like it, as it would be a special wedding venue but they are not, the garden will become the car park and what wedding finishes at 11pm?

“As well as noise, I am worried about security if people can come and go into the car park. There has already been a spate of burglaries in the area this year.”

Lorna Jarrett, who has lived in Vayre Close since her house was built in 1984, said: “I am horrified.

“I am not planning to sell my home, we’ve spent a lot of money on it over the years and we bought into a quiet cul-de-sac not being overlooked by a busy, noisy wedding venue.

“There are already plenty of venues in Chipping Sodbury and this is the wrong place. If they want to start a new business they should buy a venue in a field.”

Russell Driver, who moved to Manor Way a month ago with his pregnant partner, said: “The estate agent who sold us the house used the quiet location as a selling point.

“We thought it would be a good starting point as a family and nice and quiet and then we found out about this after moving in, it is just ridiculous. We just had to oppose it, they will be ruining a really quiet environment which is a residential area.”

Vanessa Barraclough, of Vayre Close, said as well as late night noise she was concerned about the increased traffic on Hatters Lane.

“My main concern is the noise because our garden is so close,” she said. “I have young children and they need to go to bed by 8pm and with little ones in the summer you have to open the windows.

“I am also worried about traffic and especially delivery lorries on Hatters Lane. Walking up the narrow path with a pushchair is already difficult and there is already an abundance of businesses which meet demand.”

Sodbury Town Council has objected to the plans for the 17th century building, which has previously been home to a blacksmiths, coffin makers and in the mid-1980s a small lighting company.

Cllr Rob Creer (Con, Chipping Sodbury) has requested South Gloucestershire Council’s planning committee visits the site.

He said: “I have been approached by a number of residents of Batten Court about the planning application for the change of use for Vayre House.

“I share their concerns around the change of use to a restaurant and function suite. The increase in noise and detrimental environmental effects this would generate for residents along with the issues of parking in this area would impact these elderly residents.”

Mayor of Chipping Sodbury, Cllr Paddy Smith, said: “Personally I don’t think it should go ahead. There is a residential home next door and lots of houses right at the back.”

Karen Stallabrass, who has lived at Vayre House for the last 16 years with Graham Bond, wants to expand her existing catering company and said the conversion would be ‘sympathetic’.

In a statement she said: “We are looking to breathe new life into the outbuildings which have been ignored for years and are now in severe disrepair, allowing this property to become an integral part of the community again and for all to benefit from its unseen beauty.

“I have lived in Chipping Sodbury all of my life. The town and surrounding area are growing leaving a gap in the market for a venue and restaurant of a higher calibre than there is presently.”

To allay residents' fears, she wrote in a letter delivered to her neighbours: "In my business plan I’m hoping to cater for 120 people per week over a four day period.
“I’m assuming that at least 25 per cent of these will be local people and not need a car parking space which means that we would have ample parking for the expected 10/12 cars per evening. It also means that the impact on our neighbours and diners will be minimal.

"Vayre House was an integral part of the Chipping Sodbury community for centuries and many different businesses have operated from here including a Blacksmiths, coffin maker and industrial skylight company and we would like to allow this beautiful property to become part of the town again.

"We will continue living in Vayre House and will naturally want to maintain a good relationship with the community and our neighbours."

She said the ‘unique’ venue would be tasteful offering a bistro restaurant service and lounge bar with plans to run specialist entertainment evenings including wine tasting, gastronomy events as well as private functions. The restaurant and bar would open Thursday to Saturday (6-11pm) and Sunday (12noon-4pm) and create up to 20 new jobs.