Fight to save cottage from demolition

8:20am Tuesday 13th May 2008

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RESIDENTS living in a historic part of Winterbourne are fighting to save a listed building from being demolished to make way for an access road.

Wyvern Cottage - known locally as The Pink Cottage' - is under threat from developers who want to build six new homes in the paddock and gardens surrounding the building.

The cottage was bought by developers three years ago and since then they have sought permission to bulldoze the property, formerly owned by lifelong resident and conservationist Jeff Olds, to build on the gardens and adjoining paddock.

Planners from South Gloucestershire Council attended a site meeting last Friday, which was also attended by a representative of the developers, Tetris Developments, parish councillors and around 40 concerned residents.

Erica Cole has lived in Watley's End for 17 years and is one of those heading up the campaign to save the cottage.

She said: "Members at the first application, on this site, were all in unanimous agreement that this historic cottage must not be demolished. What's changed?

"There is a 30ft frontage which has two existing access points onto a straight run of road.

"Why must the cottage go to make way for an unnecessary access road which will be tucked in behind a blind bend?

"This will also create a dangerous staggered junction - particularly dangerous when the children are walking to and from the area's three schools and drivers use this route as a rat run'."

Another resident, Sean Dunne, added: "Watley's End does not need more new homes. There are several instances in the area of houses being built on back gardens which are not selling.

"The charm of Watley's End, with its narrow lanes and characterful cottages, will be ruined if councillors allow the plans to go ahead.

"The roads and pavements here are too narrow and cannot cope with traffic as it is."

A representative for Tetris said: "This is a complex issue but we simply can't keep the cottage for the development we want.

"We are trying our best to work with the local community wherever we can."

The plans go before a meeting of South Gloucestershire Council's development control committee at the Greenfield Centre, Winterbourne, on Thursday, May 22, from 1pm to 6pm.