Twenty-two weeks of roadworks controlled by temporary traffic lights are due to start next week outside the Chief Trading Post site in Oldland Common.
Montel Civil Engineering Ltd has been appointed by Oldland LLP as the main contractor to carry out improvement works to the site prior to redevelopment.
The works include a new junction at the entrance; realigning kerbs and installing a new tactile paved crossing at the junction of Oakleigh Gardens; co-ordinating utilities into the site, including high and low voltage electric, water, and BT and fibre; constructing a new sub-station within the site; and building a new bus stop and shelter on Barry Road (southbound).
At the end of 2022 full planning permission was granted to site owner Oldland Common LLP for a replacement Chief Trading Post farm shop and café, as well as other retail units, and for six supported living homes.
At the same time, outline planning permission was granted for 50 homes (35% of them “affordable”) and a community/health surgery building as a replacement for Hanham Health’s branch surgery in Oldland, although there is currently no funding available for that.
As we reported in Issue 773, a full planning application is expected to be lodged with South Gloucestershire Council soon for 50 homes from Alliance Homes and Countryside Partnerships who plan to build 25 homes for rent and 25 as shared ownership. An amended planning application for a farm shop, café and retail units, involving a cheaper pre-fabricated wooden building, is also pending (as we revealed in Issue 775).
Phase 1 of Montel’s project, which was getting under way this week, consists of connecting foul and surface water manholes on Barry Road into the site, with three-way temporary traffic lights at the junction of Barry Road and Oakleigh Gardens.
Montel anticipates that all four phases will have been completed by mid-October. It says that the team will be working between 7.30am and 5pm Monday to Friday and there may be occasions when they need to work beyond those hours to complete specific activities. There are currently no weekend or night works planned but this may be required towards the end of the project when surfacing works are completed.
Regular noise monitoring will be undertaken throughout the day and acoustic barriers will also be used where necessary.
Meanwhile work is possibly starting next week on repairs to the old bridge at the bottom of Court Road in Oldland Common where a chunk of wall was partly demolished by a car earlier this year.
Signs erected in Court Road say that the road will be closed for two weeks from 2nd May but the one.network website of roadworks says the closure runs from 22nd May to 2nd June.
