Bingo hall at Vanbase, Hartcliffe Way, Bristol

“Demolition of existing buildings and erection of Bingo Hall (sui generis) with associated access, parking, landscaping and other works.”

“The application site is a large brownfield site located on the east side of Hartclifffe Way. The land was formerly occupied by Vanbase which operated a commercial vehicle hire premises.”

“The site is currently allocation in the Bristol Local Plan as a Primarily Industrial and Warehousing area, but once the new Local Plan is adopted, will be designated as a housing site.”

“The application raises significant impact in terms of its failure to adequately address key land use planning issues such as the sequential approach to town centre uses, and the fact that the scheme would result in the loss of a future housing allocation which would undermine the city potentially hitting housing supply targets under the new local Plan.”

“In summary while the proposed development will provide some economic, social and environmental benefits to the area, the adverse impact outlined in the following report, such as the loss of a future housing site, the significant highway safety impact, the failure to address the sequential test, which should be given significant weight in the decision making process, would outweigh the benefits identified.”

“Following member queries regarding whether a bingo hall of that size could be commercially viable in the town centre and how it could be known that lower-income members would travel to the city centre, it was advised that future viability was not a matter for consideration, that the test was whether a site of the right size was available, and that the town centre site (with 22 parking spaces) was accessible by means other than the car, consistent with the objective of…”

“Although members regretted the loss of a site capable of delivering 55 homes, they noted that the relocation of the bingo club from Broadwalk had enabled a redevelopment scheme of around 500 homes. They considered that transport impacts could be addressed through planning conditions rather than refusal.”

“Members noted that planning permission should be granted unless adverse impacts would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits. They considered that the benefits clearly outweighed the harms and emphasised that moral views on bingo were not material planning considerations. The Chair invited any member to move the officer’s recommendation for refusal. No member moved the recommendation.”

“Upon being put to the vote, it was- RESOLVED (unanimously) – That the application be APPROVED subject to conditions and a Section 106 agreement; and that delegated authority be given to officers to prepare the conditions and Section 106 obligations and to issue the decision notice, as set out in the motion.”