AN INQUIRY that will decide the future of a site within Thornbury’s conservation area concluded last week.

Government planning inspector, Jameson Bridgwater, will now decide whether 57 sheltered flats and five cottages will be built on the site of the former South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) offices in Castle Street.

During a four day inquiry, Mr Bridgwater heard evidence from the group behind the plans, Churchill Retirement Living, as well as SGC, who object to the proposals.

One of the main concerns discussed was how far the proposed development would negatively affect the “character and appearance of the Thornbury area”.

However in their closing statement, Neil Cameron, a lawyer representing Churchill Retirement Living, concluded that the site would have the opposite effect.

He said: “It is agreed by all that the former council offices make a negative contribution to the character and appearance of the conservation area.

“[Through development], the character or appearance of the conservation area and the setting of the locally listed buildings will be enhanced.”

George Mackenzie, a lawyer representing SGC, argued back by saying that the proposed site would have a negative impact on Thornbury. He said: “The council’s case is that the heritage harm here is of an order of magnitude such that the scale of public benefit delivered by the scheme is not sufficient to outweigh that harm.”

He added that they were mainly concerned with “design flaws in the building”. 

His words built on a statement made by Thornbury resident Graham Corpe, who spoke at the inquiry on behalf of 39 other residents.

He said: “Residents don’t object to development of the site as accommodation for the elderly, but they are concerned about issues in the plans relating to the frontage of the buildings.

"We are also concerned about a lack of parking."

Following the inquiry, the council may be forced to pay costs to Churchill Retirement Living.

Mr Cameron explained that this was because SGC raised new issues during the inquiry that had not been brought up before.

He said: “The local planning authority, in the evidence submitted to the inquiry, raised new issues which were not raised in their statement of case.

“As a result we were obliged to undertake further work.”

A decision will be made about the future of the site in the upcoming weeks.