Developer casts doubt over PO future

Nick Davis, who owns the former butcher's shop at 16 Long Street, told a meeting of the town council's planning committee that he was not prepared to let the shop as a post office unless his other plans for the building were given the go-ahead.

The present post office at Tesco's One Stop Shop in Long Street was due to close on April 21, but Tesco has since agreed to postpone closure until May 23.

The site at 16 Long Street has been approved by the Post Office and Harvest Store's Nick Wadey is set to run it.

The sticking point, however, is the planning application currently being considered by Stroud District Council, which has twice turned down the plans.

Mr Davis has applied to convert the building into a shop, two flats and one dwelling, and to rebuild two outbuildings to form three dwellings.

Wotton residents attending the meeting said they were concerned about the lack of sufficient parking spaces in the town.

Mr Marsh, from Orchard Street, reported only 16 parking spaces available for 20 on-street cars owned by residents, without accounting for visitors to the town.

He told the Gazette: "Of course, we all want a Post Office in Wotton, but it is not necessary to link it with the housing application which will generate more cars."

Town Clerk Glenys Sykes said: "The town council is in the awkward position of trying to balance the needs of the town for a Post Office with grave concern about the proliferation of car-free developments in Wotton."

Following discussion, Wotton councillors voted to neither support nor oppose the application.

Case officer Jane Hennall, from SDC's planning department, said the application was under negotiation.

She added: "As far as we are concerned, there could be two separate schemes here. The issues we have problems with are not connected with the shop area: we are not happy about aspects of the housing application, including its effect on the listed building."