Go-ahead for 70 homes on former Gloucester MOD land

Plans to build 70 homes on the site of a former Ministry of Defence fuel depot have been given the go-ahead.

Lioncourt Homes was granted planning permission at a Gloucester City Council meeting on 2 May to build the homes on the 16.8 acre site in Hempsted.

The plans make provision for 14 affordable homes, a pedestrian link and some public green space in Gloucester.

The developers said the site would provide "much needed high quality homes for the city".

The vacant site includes a former fuel distribution area surrounded by hardstanding concrete, abandoned buildings and four partially buried tanks.

The structures were identified as being undesignated heritage assets of significance by council officers.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, while the scheme will create a large amount of green and open space, one resident spoke against the proposals.

They said the current scheme was a "backtrack" on what had previously been agreed between the developers and the ward councillor.

He also said the site would "become a rat run for anti-social behaviour and burglary".

The latest plans would also give permanent access to pedestrians, which the objector felt was highly dangerous.

However, a spokesperson for the developers said they had worked closely with officers to make changes to the proposals when required.

During the debate, the Lib Dem councillor for Hucclecote, Declan Wilson, said while he believed the vast majority of the application was excellent, he had concerns regarding the concept of large delivery lorries reversing in a pedestrian area.

City council planning officers recommended the approval, subject to conditions.

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