Eyesore land in Dursley on market at £700k

Three separate planning applications have been submitted over the last decade for Dursley Garage in Kingshill Road, which has gone on the market for £700,000.

The move comes after a decade-long fight to transform the two-storey building into private housing and office spaces.

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The first floor has been vacant for almost two decades while the groundfloor was previously used as a car showroom and office until 2017.

A new planning application to demolish the existing showroom and offices and create seven three-bedroom houses, two flats and two office spaces was submitted in 2018.

Planning permission had previously been granted for a similar plan involving housing and offices but the application lapsed before work could be done on the building.

A second application in 2017 was withdrawn several months after it was sent out.

The third application - the existing one - was submitted in 2018.

According to their website, estate agents Perry Bishop, which is handling the sale via its Cirencester office, now believe that a 'conclusion may be reached shortly'.

The sales brochure states: "The site is within the defined development boundary for Dursley.

"The site is within walking distance of a range of shops and services, primary school and secondary school, doctor's surgery etc and it is therefore in a highly sustainable location.

"It is also on a bus route and within easy walking distance of Dursley bus station."

However, concerns about parking have constantly mired the various applications.

Objections to plans

In 2014, Dursley Town Council objected to the plans, citing the 'lack of parking' and 'high density of houses' as its main concerns.

At the time of the application in 2013, planning chairman Mel Laybourne said: “My feeling is that, probably, the development will be better then what is there now.

"But there is absolutely insufficient parking."

While Perry Bishop believe a conclusion to the ongoing planning application may be reached, in August 2019, Dursley Town Council also objected to the current proposals for a variety of reasons.

Firstly, the proposed development would 'result in an overdevelopment of the site'.

Secondly, 'there were too many properties proposed for a site of this location.'

Thirdly, 'the parking arrangements were inadequate and did not meet parking standards'.

Fourthly, 'there were enough spaces allocated to properties and no turning space for vehicles'.

Moreover, the proposed arrangements 'would be detrimental to highway safety', not least with the 'site located on a busy main road'.

Lastly, Dursley Town Council wanted to ensure that the site boundary with the War Memorial Recreation Ground 'was protected and that there would be no direct access to the ground.'

A decision awaits the current planning application.

Dursley Town Council declined to comment on the site going on the market.