|
Terrace Inn and Surrounding Area
|
|
Welcome to the Campaign page for the Terrace Inn site
and surrounding area
.
See below for the latest news on what action
the Community Association is taking on your behalf.
Pictures taken by local residents can be viewed by clicking here. Take a look at
the bottom of this page to read comments left about this campaign.
Any comments
would be welcomed.
|
29 June 2010
Work is about to start to erect
hoarding
around the site
and local residents living opposite have been asked to remove their
parked vehicles. These will now have to be parked on Birchgrove Road
until the lay-by has been constructed. The latest information we have is
that
groundwork will not start on site until at least September/ October. At
least
the hoarding should prevent further fly tipping which has made the area
look a
real eyesore.
16th February 2010
Considerable
effort was made in the early part
of the 2009, after plans became available, to persuade the Council and
Coastal
Housing to reduce the size of the proposed flats development. A major
concern
was the impact such a large development would have on traffic and the
surrounding houses- particularly those which did not have off road
parking
spaces. The Association’s objections were overruled despite almost 100%
support
from residents in the surrounding streets. A lay by is to be provided by
the
developer solely for those living in the terrace houses opposite and
additional
on-site car parking spaces were added to the plans. Part of the site was
owned
by the Council and on 8 October 2009 the Cabinet agreed to give their
freehold
interest to Coastal Housing at nominal value. According to the minutes
of that
meeting, this will enable Coastal Housing to “substantially upgrade the
Community Centre facilities and environment” in addition to providing up
to 34
affordable housing units. We understand that no work will commence on
site
until at least April 2011. A single yellow line parking restriction may
be imposed
if parked vehicles prevent the free flow of traffic during the busy
periods
once the flats are inhabited.
8 October 2009
Swansea Council has sold the land to
Coastal Housing for a NOMINAL SUM.
Read the Cabinet Meeting Minutes to find out
more
1 September 2009
Those
travelling along Birchgrove Road will have noticed that a start has been
made on
demolishing the Terrace Inn. We understand that this will be completed
shortly
and then the area will be flattened and fenced off. The Site Manager for
Coastal Housing has promised to provide temporary parking for those
residents
who currently park alongside the pub until the lay-by is constructed.
Latest estimates are that building work on
the site will not start before April 2011 because of Coastal Housing’s
large
construction programme across the area. Action has also been taken to
treat the
Japanese knotweed.
29 April 2009
Our
objections to the proposed development of 21 two bedroom and 9 one
bedroom flats
on the Terrace Inn site were overruled when this planning application
went
before the Council in April. This was extremely disappointing for all
who
worked so hard to oppose it. Certain concessions were obtained:
- a
lay-by for 10 vehicles solely for residents
living opposite the site and
-
an extra
8 parking spaces (an increase to 36 spaces) within the development for
residents of the new flats.
A
copy of the Council’s letter of 27 April sent to those who objected is
shown
below. This sets out 23 conditions laid down by the Planning Department
in
respect of the development.
Condition
18 of the Council’s letter refers to the possibility of single yellow
line parking
restrictions on sections of the road near to the development should
parked
vehicles prevent the free flow of traffic during the busy periods. The
situation will be monitored by the Council during the first year of the
flats’
occupancy before a decision is made.
Parking
in the new lay-by will be for permit holders only and condition
23
states that residents of the flats will not
be granted parking permits for the lay-by. Coastal Housing has assured
us that its
staff would deal very seriously with any tenants who parked in the
lay-by or on
Birchgrove Road. We made the point at the meeting that existing
residents who
have no off road parking would be seriously disadvantaged if they were
prevented from parking outside their own homes.
However,
Councillors attending the meeting felt that it was more important to
tidy up an
area that had become an eyesore and a source of litter and anti-social
behaviour. We were subsequently informed that we had no right of appeal
against
their decision.
27th April 2009
A Letter was received from Swansea
Council Planning Department outlining the aproval of the Planning
application. Read
a copy of the letter here.
1st April 2009
Recently Community Association members
attended a Planning Committee meeting in the Civic centre expecting to
be able to deliver a 3 minute presentation outlining the objections to
the Coastal Housing development. However we did not have the opportunity
to deliver this to the planning committee as one Councilor proposed a
site visit and this was planned for the 14th April 09 and the hearing
was adjourned until the 21 April 09. The development now includes a
maximum of 33 parking spaces which is below UDP guidelines even for a
"low car ownership" development, which could contain at least 40 spaces
for a development of this size. The original plans made before the
council gifted Coastal development extra land, which were for three
blocks of flats not the 4 blocks proposed now had the same amount of
parking spaces. The council also propose to add "yellow line" parking
restrictions on Birchgrove Road, nobody is really sure why, but assuming
it is to prevent congestion this should have a phased approach, with a
12 month monitoring programme before the yellow line is imposed on
existing residents.
The ideal solution would be to reduce
the size of the development or increase parking on the site. There is no
more room on the site for more parking. The Councilor planning
committee will meet on the 21st April 2009.
29th March 2009
The Association has sent a letter to
Swansea Council. Read
a copy of the letter. Also read a copy
of the acknowledgement letter.
1st December 2008
The full planning application can be
viewed on the Swansea Council Planning web site. The application ref is
2008/2067. Type this ref into the search criteria box for Application
number when you click here.
5th November 2008
Councillor Dennis James attended this
Committee meeting. He said that for the last 2 or three years he has
been in discussion wth several departments of the council, to try and
get the area tidied up and looked after as it had become an eyesore. He
had tried to get the small strip of land between the footpath and the
community centre included in any planning application, with the proviso
that the community centre would be fenced off and the area kept tidy.
However last week he discovered that an application for planning for the
area had been submitted and as far as he knew the strip of land was not
included and nor was the fence for the community centre. His
investigations are still ongoing and he will report back to the
committee as soon as he knows any more. A public meeting will not take
place untill further information is forthcoming.
1st October 2008
The Association
has invited Councillor Dennis James to attend the next committee
meeting for an update
Readers Comments
3rd March 2009
"I would like to let you know that i am opposed
to the proposed development by Costal housing at the terrace site. my
concerns are the traffic problems we currently have is going to be even
worse. It is already a nightmare to park, or get out into the road some
mornings and this will only increase. I have had to submit numerous
ihsurance claims in recent years to have car repairs carried out, most
times the person causing the damage has driven off leavihg me to foot
the bill, I dread to think that this will get worse. On more than one
occasion at voting time we have been told that part of the land was
earmarked for off road car parking, nothing happens as usual, In the
recent Labour news 2009 the say they are looking for suitable sites in
Birchgrove for allotments, why not use the Terrace site and give us rate
payers some off road parking."
Local Resident, Birchgrove