Popular Barnsley bakery to be demolished to make way for 13 houses

The site, on Charles Street, Worsbrough Bridge, is currently home to A and E White Bakers Ltd, which would be demolished if the plans are approved.

The housing development would be made up of five blocks of semi-detached houses, and one block of three town houses – all three to four bedrooms.

A report, to be considered by the planning board next week, states that the bakery is in a ‘position to expand’, but is prevented from doing so on the site, and ‘needs to seek larger premises’.

The applicants state that an agreement will be drawn up, limiting the business to relocate within Barnsley, so the employment provided by the bakery is not lost.

The demolition of the current building and the development of the site would not be able to go ahead until alternative premises or land within Barnsley have been found.

An application to build 23 homes on the site was refused in 2014, partly due to an ‘unacceptable level of overlooking and loss of privacy to properties’ on Charles Street.

MORE PLANNING: Demolishing two Barnsley Council houses to make way for new development cost £28,000

Another application in 2019 for 19 homes was also turned down, due to ‘substandard internal and external spacing and inadequate separation distances’.

However, this application is recommended for approval, subject to a S106 agreement for the developer to pay £9,750 towards public transport improvements, and one electric vehicle charging point per property.

A new access will be taken from Park Road, which will see ‘traffic shifted from residential side streets to the newly formed junction on the main road, to some likely benefit to residential amenity’.

However, the report adds that the additional access created on this ‘heavily trafficked stretch of road’ may be ‘to some detriment to the free and safe flow of traffic’ – but this is ‘likely not be significant enough to warrant a substantive objection to the proposal solely on highways grounds’.

Three letters of objection have been submitted, on the grounds of overlooking, loss of trees, flood risk, displacement of rats and impact on wildlife.

The application is to be decided at the next meeting of Barnsley Council’s planning board on February 15.