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Porter Brook Trail - Planning Objection

A planning application number 24/00183  Bernard Works, Sylvester Gardens is under consideration for a temporary car park at Sylvester Gardens as shown on the image opposite.

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As you can see, the riverside site gives the developer the opportunity to construct one of the missing links in the Porter Brook Trail.

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The Trust has managed to make some progress in this respect but we're not there yet:

On behalf of the Sheaf and Porter Rivers Trust I wish to comment on the recently submitted revised layout Ref A-90150.

We welcome the proposal to create the space for a riverside path, separated from the parking by a timber knee rail and including a link to Sylvester Gardens.
However there is no commitment to the re-surfacing of the trail which is essential for safe use by all users including wheelchairs and prams. Currently the area of the proposed path is still of variable surface with the remains of demolished buildings.
There is also no indication of removing of the temporary fence and locked gate currently preventing continuing riverside access down-stream through the adjoining site, which is also in the ownership of the applicants, to Matilda St and the 'pocket park' , without which the proposed new path remains isolated.
Nor is there any indication of a connection upstream to the existing riverside path in the Platform site and to Mary St which just requires a short ramp either within the car park or using the topography of the adjoining site. Again without this the route will be fragmentary and of little use ending in a cul de sac. Although the Platform site is in a separate ownership the approved layout of the development was clearly intended to connect and it is in the interest of both landowners as they each have cafe/hospitality premises on the route. They also share the same planning agent so this should be easily arranged. Desire lines show this route is already being used by the more agile public.
The river wall is proposed to be repaired along with installation of a guard railing compliant with Part K of the Building Regs . We would suggest that rather than repairing it would make more sense and probably be cheaper to take down these very dilapidated fragments and simply rely on a properly installed open railing. It would be preferable for this to be shown as a second detail cross section for the avoidance of doubt and ease of enforcement.

Add your objection here:

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