Housing association Curo says there is “confusion” over the planning application for a car park at its Mulberry Park development in Bath, which has sparked more than 25 objections from local residents.
The site at the Mulberry Park development | Photo © Bath Echo
Last month, we reported that Curo had admitted there isn’t enough parking for the community hub on the estate and had submitted a planning application for a “permanent vehicular parking area with associated landscaping and infrastructure” at land off Foxhill, opposite Bradford Park Road.
In a pre-application enquiry to the council, Curo was told that current policy seeks to promote sustainable travel modes and “only if there is no alternative will the council consider the principle of allowing the creation of this additional car parking”.
The Hub has 14 allocated parking spaces for visitors, and there are also four general parking spaces along Mulberry Way.
The land off Foxhill is currently being used for temporary parking for 19 vehicles for Hub staff.
Curo says that unless additional permanent provision is made for parking for The Hub, it will lead to more unplanned parking on local roads, impacting residents and compromising plans to extend the No. 2 bus service.
In a covering letter to Bath & North East Somerset Council, Curo said: “The site is currently hard-surfaced and utilised as a car park, although it falls within the area which has reserved matters consent to become a park serving the new community of Mulberry Park.
“The proposal seeks to amend the existing temporary parking design approved in the current park plans to establish a more formal parking facility.”
A report from Curo’s consultants says: “The application proposes to increase the parking by 22 spaces, bringing the total parking provision for The Hub to 36 spaces.
“The purpose of this additional parking is to reduce the existing issue of on-street parking occurring, which has been found to restrict movement of buses within the site, to accommodate the office staff parking which will be displaced once the temporary office staff parking area is removed, and to provide additional and accessible parking for events to be held at The Hub or on the new park.”
The Hub at Mulberry Park in Bath | Photo © Bath Echo
One objector says a permanent car park for The Hub goes against what residents were told and what was submitted in the original planning documents. She said: “This change feels like a betrayal of the original development vision and sets a worrying precedent.”
Another says it is “really disappointing to understand that Curo have prioritised a ‘staff’ car park over valuable green space that has no benefit to the local resident whatsoever”.
One comments: “Mulberry Park residents pay the maintenance for The Hub and parking. Why are non-residents who drive from half a mile away able to demand parking amenities at our expense?”
Another suggests that as a large organisation, Curo should take Wessex Water’s approach and bus its staff in.
It is also pointed out that commuters are already using Mulberry Park as a ‘park & ride’, leaving their cars and getting the bus down into town.
There are 10 comments of support to date. They include: “More parking for visitors is needed in Mulberry Park, this seems like a reasonable and relatively low impact way to address that.”
One calls it “a great idea”, adding: “There is not enough parking around The Hub at the moment, and it is leading people to park dangerously.”
Another observes: “The continued viability of The Hub is essential to the local community. The proposal does not detract from the original concept of the open space.”
A Curo spokesperson told the Bath Echo: “We understand that there seems to be some confusion regarding the parking area, so we want to clarify that no changes are proposed to the design of the wider park.
“We still intend to deliver the park in full, including play area and bandstand. This area was always going to be used for occasional parking – but this application allows more regular use.
“The overall design of the car park remains unchanged other than a different surface (intended for more regular use) and slight reconfiguration of this small area, so the changes really are mostly administrative to allow staff at The Hub to park there more regularly once the park is complete.
“We’re also planning on opening the parking up to the public so people can park and visit The Hub or new park on weekends if it’s needed.”
The new car park includes a dedicated access from Foxhill, as the current access requires vehicles to drive over the footpath.
The proposed access will also allow Wessex Water to access a sewerage tank under the park area. The current approved scheme does not provide wide enough tracks or adequate provision for turning.
Consultation closes on 23rd May. The planning reference is 25/01479/FUL.
