A BLOCK of flats will be built in Rodbourne – despite a number of the councillors who voted to allow it not being very happy.

Those who did vote to approve did so after an impassioned plea from one of the local ward councillors that saw him reprimanded by the chairman of the planning committee.

The main objection to the plan, which will see a plot of land at the end of Redcliffe Street in Rodbourne converted into a block of six flats, is to do with parking.

The scheme will provide four parking spaces off the road, one for each flat and another for visitors.

But that will come at a cost of three on-road parking spaces, in an area where traffic and parking is of real concern.While the scheme had the support of planning officers, councillors from the area spoke against it.

One resident of nearby Britannia House said: “This will add to the difficult parking and also add to the traffic in the area. Recycling and refuse lorries already have great difficulty in getting down to that end of the street because of the congestion."

Ward councillor for Mannington and Western Jim Robbins said: “These flats represent overdevelopment of the site and it will add to the issue of parking and traffic which are a real problem in Rodbourne. You might think that it’s okay because this only costs three spaces, but residents already have huge problems caused by the outlet centre, with visitors using their street for parking."

Coun Robbins added: “We’ve had several meetings about this and at the last one Coun Kevin Small caused a bit of a hullaballoo when he said we’ve been shafted by planning over this. And he’s right, we have been.”

Committee chairman Tim Swinyard took exception to Coun Robbins’ language: “I appreciate your passion, but I don’t think this is appropriate.

"Our officers are professionals and while you might disagree with them, they do their best to give the best advice they can.”

Other members of the committee said they could see no planning reasonto refuse the plan. Coun Vera Tomlinson said: “The parking provision is adequate and this scheme is compliant with the local plan. I’d like to move we approve it

Coun Peter Watts said: “I’d like to comment that this is overdevelopment of the site, but the parking provision is in line with our requirements.”

The plan was approved by seven votes to three against. Afterwards Coun Robbins said: “I was frustrated to see councillors whodon’t have an understanding of the particular traffic and parking problems in Rodbourne voting through a planning application that will remove much needed on-street parking from Redcliffe Street.”