Halt to hotel scheme planned for Bristol Road petrol station (From This is The West Country)

Halt to hotel scheme planned for Bristol Road petrol station

2:00pm Wednesday 19th September 2012 in News

PEOPLE may have to put up with one of Bridgwater’s worst eyesores for a while longer.

In 2010, CTG Properties was given permission to knock down the former petrol station in Bristol Road and the neighbouring 1930s art deco Crypton Technology building to build 40 homes, a 50-bed hotel and industrial units.

However, two years on the scheme has ground to a halt.

Walt Koloska, a director at CTG, said: “It’s stalled because we haven’t been able to find a developer to build the hotel or a developer for the housing.

“It’s a sign of the economic times but I’m confident the scheme will go ahead at some point.”

The scheme would give the firms based at the Crypton Technology Business Park the opportunity to move into new units.

Mr Koloska said: “We would also hope to have some new commercial units as there would be extra capacity.”

On Tuesday, the planning application will go back before Sedgemoor District Council’s development control committee, with a recommendation for the permission granted in 2010 to be overturned.

That is because a legal agreement, called a section 106, which would ensure the developer pays towards things like flood defences, affordable housing and sports facilities, has still not been signed.

A council report says: “It is considered that adequate time has passed in order for further progress to have been made and that the application needs to be returned to committee with a recommendation of refusal.”

However, Mr Koloska said: “There were just a few technical issues but I think we’ve sorted that now.

“I don’t think the section 106 will be a problem and I hope that we can go forward with the current planning application.”