Comments on Applications 23/01847 & 01848 - Bridgewater Lodge, 160 Bridge Rd.

New hard-standing and access from Guards Club Road, 14 parking spaces, cycle parking and external store and Listed Building Consent for same and internal alterations to facilitate change of use from medical clinic to nursery including play area to rear

These two applications relate to the same proposals and we would ask that this letter of objection is posted against both 23/01487 and 23/01848.

Currently, there is the facility for Bridge Clinic vehicular traffic to either exit from the rear of Bridgewater Lodge on to Guards Club Road, or to exit from the main entrance on Bridge Road. It is understood that currently traffic does not enter the Bridge Clinic site from Guards Club Road. The proposal to operate Bridgewater Lodge as a nursery school will create a separate unit requiring access and egress from Guards Club Road - with all medical clinic traffic using the Bridge Road entrance. With 126 children and 30 staff on site the vehicular traffic will be excessive - and two way. This will especially apply at drop off and pick up times. Guards Club Road is too narrow to accommodate the likely level of two way traffic and residents of the road will be severely

inconvenienced. The traffic survey included with the application is not realistic in reflecting the impact on Guards Club Road and the roundabout at the A4 / Ray Mead Road junction.

Furthermore, the provision of only 14 parking spaces for staff and parents drop off / pick up is inadequate. Drop off requires a shorter "stop" time but pick up will require significantly longer. Parking and turning space is inadequate. The current proposals for another nursery school at Maidenhead Court Boathouse on Court Road has significantly more parking and turning area. Furthermore, Court Road is wider and less congested than Guards Club Road. Silchester House Nursery / Pre-school ( 400 yards eastwards on the A4 ) has more than 20 parking spaces, a large drop off / pick up area and is blessed with two entrances which facilitates an "in / out" one way system.

It is to be hoped that any internal changes will not adversely impact the architectural features of the building, Acoustic fencing should be required to shield the back gardens of adjacent properties from vehicle noise and the play area.

We believe the site is too constrained for the change of use as a nursery, has inadequate parking and drop off / pick up provision and poor access via Guards Club Road.

 

 

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