By Carmelo Garcia – Local Demoracy Reporter
Parking spaces will be lost to make way for storage containers at a car park in Cheltenham amid concerns a gap between them could be used for “nefarious” activities.
Part of Coronation Square car park will be used by Cheltenham Borough Council for contractors to store furniture and building materials over the next five years.
Four parking spaces will be lost as a result of the plans for the council-owned site, the planning committee heard on September 17.
Four metal shipping containers will be placed next to the brick walls in the north western corner of the car park. The area will also be enclosed with palisade on two of its sides
Councillor Simon Wheeler (LD, Hesters Way) said if the containers are needed he could not think of a better place to put them than in a car park but he raised concerns about an “accessibility gap” which would be left between two of the containers.
“I can see it as somewhere where young people can hide, if need be. Even with fencing there,” he said.
“I would prefer to see them all together without that accessibility gap.”
These concerns were echoed by Cllr Steve Steinhardt (LD, Benhall, the Reddings and Fiddler’s Green) who asked if fencing could be put up to restrict access to the gap by “various people who might be up to [something] nefarious”.
A planning officer explained the gap is needed to leave access to a drain and that the whole area would be fenced.
Concerns over noise were also raised ahead of the meeting by one objector who suggested the containers should be placed at the now closed tip at Swindon Road and not a public car park.
“The car park is surrounded by a residential area, the noise created by contractors will be a disturbance to the residents,” they said in their letter of objection.
“There is enough noise from the shop’s loading bay as it is.”
They also said the containers would cause additional traffic from vans and lorries, loading and unloading, blocking up traffic movement in the car park.
The planning committee also heard how the containers will be in place for up to five years but could be removed sooner should they be deemed unnecessary.
The committee voted unanimously to grant permission.