8 Southdown Road
Westbury on Trym
Bristol
BS9 3NN
4 February 2024
Westbury on Trym
Bristol
BS9 3NN
4 February 2024
Dear Planning Oficer
23/03541/F: Extension to house spa facilities at David Lloyd Centre
The application site is just beyond the boundary of Westbury on Trym, but the Society has been contacted by local residents in connection with this application, due to their concerns.
We are stunned by the lack of consideration by the architects to the root protection areas of the tall, mature poplar tree and horse chestnut trees, which the building would cause. The development would surround these trees, and this will have a huge impact on their viability. The loss of these significant trees would be very significant and we consider this to be contrary to development plan policy BCS9.
We note too that the site is currently a staff car park. The applicant’s agent dismisses this on the grounds that it is only ‘informally used as parking from time to time by members of staff. It is not used as an official car park’. Our observations are that vehicles are regularly parked there. If it is of no significance we wonder why it was built. There is no parking available outside of the car parking area during the day due to the adjoining Greenway centre, which is also extremely busy. The investment in new and better facilities is no doubt designed to attract more members and use of the facilities and consequently more parking. If parking cannot be accommodated at David Lloyd, parking on Greystoke Avenue would create a hazard.
This proposal is very unsatisfactory and should be refused.
Yours sincerely
A C Renshaw MRTPI
On behalf of the Westbury on Trym Society
On the face of it the replacement of a tennis court with padel courts would not to be significant and that is the impression which the Planning Statement gives. What appears to have happened is that the padel courts occupy a larger area than the former tennis court involving the removal of trees and vegetation. According to your file there is a tree preservation order on the site, so this is very poor behaviour.
It is clear that there has been some removal of trees and vegetation and this work has had an impact on the surrounding tree cover. We attach photos of this.
Photo 1 shows how vegetation and trees have been cut back and in photo 2 you can clearly see one of the tree stumps. Photo 3 shows a bare area that has been left and we suspect that this will also have been planted previously. Elsewhere on the boundary deadwood has been dumped, possibly from the removal of vegetation in connection with this development.
We would expect at the very least a replanting scheme and replacement of the trees lost in accordance with the tree replacement standard.
Yours sincerely
A C Renshaw MRTPI
On behalf of the Westbury on Trym Society
We are stunned by the lack of consideration by the architects to the root protection areas of the tall, mature poplar tree and horse chestnut trees, which the building would cause. The development would surround these trees, and this will have a huge impact on their viability. The loss of these significant trees would be very significant and we consider this to be contrary to development plan policy BCS9.
We note too that the site is currently a staff car park. The applicant’s agent dismisses this on the grounds that it is only ‘informally used as parking from time to time by members of staff. It is not used as an official car park’. Our observations are that vehicles are regularly parked there. If it is of no significance we wonder why it was built. There is no parking available outside of the car parking area during the day due to the adjoining Greenway centre, which is also extremely busy. The investment in new and better facilities is no doubt designed to attract more members and use of the facilities and consequently more parking. If parking cannot be accommodated at David Lloyd, parking on Greystoke Avenue would create a hazard.
This proposal is very unsatisfactory and should be refused.
Yours sincerely
A C Renshaw MRTPI
On behalf of the Westbury on Trym Society
8 Southdown Road
Westbury on Trym
Bristol
BS9 3NN
4 February 2024
Westbury on Trym
Bristol
BS9 3NN
4 February 2024
Dear Planning Oficer
The Society has been contacted about this application, to replace a tennis court with a padel court, just beyond the Westbury boundary, but with implications for the area and its residents.On the face of it the replacement of a tennis court with padel courts would not to be significant and that is the impression which the Planning Statement gives. What appears to have happened is that the padel courts occupy a larger area than the former tennis court involving the removal of trees and vegetation. According to your file there is a tree preservation order on the site, so this is very poor behaviour.
It is clear that there has been some removal of trees and vegetation and this work has had an impact on the surrounding tree cover. We attach photos of this.
Photo 1 shows how vegetation and trees have been cut back and in photo 2 you can clearly see one of the tree stumps. Photo 3 shows a bare area that has been left and we suspect that this will also have been planted previously. Elsewhere on the boundary deadwood has been dumped, possibly from the removal of vegetation in connection with this development.
We would expect at the very least a replanting scheme and replacement of the trees lost in accordance with the tree replacement standard.
Yours sincerely
A C Renshaw MRTPI
On behalf of the Westbury on Trym Society
