A total of 1,751 more homes across 17 new sites have been included in the latest draft of the South Gloucestershire Local Plan – with over half of the proposed developments in the green belt.
The extra houses and flats are in addition to the previous draft of the 15-year blueprint, published last autumn, which envisioned 20,490 homes to be built in the district between 2025 and 2040, taking that total now to 22,241.
Five of the locations are in Stoke Gifford, including the two biggest – 400 homes at the Aviva Centre (now renamed ‘Lake View’) and 250 at Filton Retail Park – currently home to The Range, Lidl and Everlast Gyms.
Four are in Hambrook, where a total of 206 properties would be built.
There are two in Yate, which would take a further 295 homes, and one apiece in Bradley Stoke, Oldland Common, Mangotsfield, Frenchay, Bitton and Wick.
South Gloucestershire Council’s Cabinet has approved the latest draft of the Local Plan, which is now out for eight weeks of public consultation, running until 13th September 2024.
A report to the Cabinet meeting on Monday 15th July 2024 said the previous figure of 20,490 homes was based on a government formula for calculating the area’s housing need but that it did not give enough flexibility if any of the developments failed to go ahead, so more were required to ensure the plan was sound.
It said officers reassessed 180 sites, half of which had been earlier rejected, and came to the same conclusions as before for 175 of them but that, unlike before, five were now identified as suitable for potential development.
The other 12 new locations were the result of a ‘call for sites’ during the last public consultation into the Local Plan, out of 56 that were suggested and then analysed.
On the topic of potential cooperation with neighbouring local authorities, the report said there were still were not enough sites to meet any of Bristol’s unmet housing needs and that South Gloucestershire was unable to do anything to help its city council neighbour.
It added that despite this, South Gloucestershire Council had a legal “duty to cooperate” with Bristol when preparing the Local Plan and that this had been fulfilled.
Campaigners from action group Save Our Green Spaces (SOGS) South Gloucestershire protested outside Kingswood Civic Centre before the meeting and members spoke passionately in opposition to building thousands of houses on large areas of the green belt.
Cllr Liz Brennan (Conservative, Frenchay & Downend) told the meeting:
“SOGS members represent a lot of people in South Gloucestershire who are concerned about what the development plan will mean for their communities.”
“It’s extremely important to listen and respect the identity of where people live and cherish the places they call home.”
“The Conservative group opposes the approach taken by the [Lib Dem/Labour] administration and confirms that our priority would be to protect the green belt.”
“It is concerning that nine out of the additional 17 possible sites require further release of the green belt.”
Cabinet member for planning, regeneration and infrastructure, Cllr Chris Willmore (Lib Dem, Yate North), said only two percent of the green belt would be released in a worst-case scenario and that this was similar to decisions by previous Tory administrations.
The 17 new sites are:
- Land to the North and East of Highbrook View, Stoke Gifford – 8 homes – not greenbelt
- Filton Retail Park, Fox Den Road, Stoke Gifford – 250 homes – not greenbelt
- Land at Westfield, Stoke Gifford – 60 homes – not greenbelt
- The Aviva Centre, Stoke Gifford – 400 homes – not greenbelt
- Land at Hambrook Lane, Stoke Gifford – 70 homes – not greenbelt
- Bradley Stoke Way, Bradley Stoke – 50 homes – not greenbelt
- Bolbrek, Filton Road, Hambrook – 11 homes – greenbelt
- Jarrats Yard, Oldland Common – 225 homes – greenbelt
- Pomphrey Hill, Mangotsfield – 7 homes – greenbelt
- Frenchay Christmas Tree Farm, Old Gloucester Road, Frenchay – 140 homes – greenbelt
- Land adjacent to Bitton Sports and Social Club – 40 homes – greenbelt
- The Meads, Common Mead Lane, Hambrook – 35 homes – greenbelt
- Land at Hambrook Business Park, The Stream, Hambrook – 10 homes – greenbelt
- The Oaks, Filton Road, Hambrook – 150 homes – greenbelt
- Land at Ladden Garden Village, Yate – 140 homes – not greenbelt
- Land at Leechpool, Yate – 155 homes – not greenbelt
- CEMEX Floors, London Road, Wick – 45 homes – greenbelt
The council has released detailed maps of all 17 sites.
Editor’s note: The site in Bradley Stoke has recently been granted planning permission for the construction of two apartment blocks, providing a total of 50 apartments.
✍ Article by Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
