Locals have raised concerns about an “unacceptable safety risk” of construction vehicles driving to a proposed new housing estate. Crest Nicholson has received planning permission for the latest two phases of the Brooklands Park development in Harry Stoke.
Phases six and seven will include 229 homes, on a corner of land next to the ring road and the Bradley Stoke bypass. South Gloucestershire Council granted full permission for the plans during a meeting of the strategic sites delivery committee on Thursday, February 1.
But construction vehicles will access the site through Oxleigh Way and Clover Way, where many people already live. Hundreds of petitioners raised concerns about road safety with large lorries driving along streets used by many pedestrians.
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Councillor Andrew Shaw, from Stoke Gifford parish council, said: “There’s extensive residential traffic on these roads for the large number of dwellings now occupied. You’re being asked to approve adding additional construction traffic onto these same roads … creating unacceptable safety risk for the public.”
Neil Jarvis, speaking on behalf of the Brooklands Park residents association, added: “The roads and the pavements remain unsurfaced, and are likely to be until 2027. The degraded tarmac, potholes, raised ironworks and ramps all present a trip hazard to pedestrians, children crossing and also cyclists.
“There’s also regular speeding on the estate, all day. It’s chaotic and dangerous. There are taxis, vans, lorries and commuters in large numbers. There young children playing on existing cul-de-sacs within yards of the construction route.”
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But council officers and developers told the committee all the alternative routes for construction vehicles would be unsuitable. They also agreed to work with the local community to find compromises and solutions to long-standing concerns on safety.
George Yates, from Crest Nicholson, said: “The construction route has been in operation since 2020. We’ve worked with council officers to consider alternatives, which are either unsafe for people on foot or cyclists, would clog up the ring road or destroy natural habitats.
“As responsible developers, we will do as much as we can to minimise the disruptive impact of construction. When people buy a home from us, we explain there is likely to be an impact from construction and the timing of those future phases. I understand the residents’ concerns today, we hear the message loud and clear. We’re listening, we get it.”
