Council to vote on McBraida Bridgeyate expansion

A decision is due to be made on a factory expansion on the outskirts of a city.

Engineering company McBraida wants to grow its site near the Bath Road in Bridgeyate, Bristol.

South Gloucestershire Council is expected to vote on planning permission on Thursday.

The local councillor and Siston Parish Council have raised concerns about the close proximity of a housing estate, as well as road safety.

McBraida said its factory building was "dated, inefficient and sub-optimal".

It added it wants to expand due to changes in the aviation industry and the growth of the company, which employs more than 180 staff in Bridgeyate, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The plans involve doubling the size of the factory floor space from 2,549 sqm to 5,002 sqm, and also increasing office space.

Local residents have shared concerns about the height of the proposed building, as well as road safety and an increase in the number of large lorries on the road.

In a letter to the council, ward representative Cllr Samuel Bromiley said: "The increased height of the factory would infringe on the neighbouring properties and severely reduce the light received by the properties neighbouring the wall.

"It would also prove overbearing for the neighbouring properties and impact on sightlines from the homes."

A spokesman for the Siston Parish Council added: "The proposed new exit onto Bath Road will make this single-track junction a significant hazard on an already difficult stretch of road.

"This road suffers from queued traffic at multiple times, and this will be made worse with articulated lorries attempting to pull out from the new junction."

In planning documents, architects said: "The site is now operating at significantly below optimism efficiency due to the cramped conditions.

"McBraida has evolved from a regional engineering business focused on servicing local customers to be a significant provider of components to the international civil aerospace market."

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]