Labour councillor accuses developers of 'squeezing money' out of flats site

Labour’s Eastcott Councillor, Paul Dixon, has criticised two planning applications for developments on Eastcott Road.

An application has been submitted to build a three-story residential building of six flats, to the rear of 29 Eastcott Hill, on Savernake Street. This is a revised version of the application that was withdrawn last year. The planning application’s reference number is S/17/0526

The development site is a rectangular plot to Savernake Street located directly to the rear of the ex-Duke of Wellington Pub. Planning Permission was granted on this site in 2015 for a two storey block of four flats. That application is set to expire in January 2018.

A second planning application has also been submitted to turn the shop and flats on 57 Eastcott Road into a house in multiple occupation (HMO) for 12 persons. The planning application reference number is: S/17/0809. Any proposals for HMOs with seven or more persons requires a planning application.

With residents parking already at full capacity along Eastcott Road and the surrounding areas the strongest concern from Cllr Dixon and local residents is where these new renters will park their vehicles with no extra residents parking permits available. There is an allocation of a maximum of two permits per property.

Councillor, Paul Dixon, said: “It is disappointing that these developers are trying to squeeze as much money out of these properties in Eastcott Road as they can, at a cost to local residents who will have to live beside these over-developed areas.

"We’ve had a number of applications for HMOs in the Eastcott area over recent years and the applicants simply have no clue where their future tenants will park. It’s unfair on the tenants and unfair on the residents living near to these rented properties. In the case of the HMO application in Eastcott it is massively overstretching the capacity of this property.

The application for a three story building at the back of the old Duke of Wellington Pub is yet another case of over-development. Residents have rightly raised concerns over the fact that this building will tower over nearby homes in the area and it proposes no parking provision for its residents, raising questions over where people living in this block will park.

I urge both applicants to take note of residents’ views and revise their planning applications to address their concerns regarding parking and over-development.”