Local residents and businesses are being invited to have their say on potential locations for additional housing development in the district between 2012 and 2017.
The Inspector responsible for reviewing South Gloucestershire’s long-term planning blueprint, or Core Strategy, is to hold an additional day’s hearing session during March to hear the public’s views.
Following the public examination last summer, the Inspector asked that more land be released for housing development between 2012 and 2017. The additional hearing day will consider possible locations for this additional development, including reviewing the merits of sites at Thornbury, Yate and Chipping Sodbury, Severnside and the district’s East and North fringes.
This will allow the Inspector to consider other sites that were brought to his attention during the examination before he completes his report.
Director of the council’s Environment and Community Services department Steve Evans said:
“The council has made it clear that it does not believe further increases in the housing supply between 2012 and 2017 are necessary or justified. We also understand from his Note that the Inspector has indicated he is yet to decide if it is necessary to find further land in order to satisfy housing land targets.”
“However in order to avoid planning by appeal, in its response, the council set out how this could be done, including the identification of additional land at Thornbury, east of Morton Way.”
“It has also insisted that if further sites must be found, this should be done via the public examination process to allow local people to have their say on this important matter.”
“We are pleased that the Inspector has responded positively to the council’s request and would encourage anyone who wants to comment on the council’s approach to make their views known to the Inspector. However, he has made it clear he is not inviting submissions on sites which have not been put forward previously.”
The additional hearing day takes place from 10am on 7th March at the Kingswood Civic Centre.
Written representations must be received by 8th February and people who wish to participate in the hearing session must let the Programme Officer know by 22nd February.
Further information regarding the hearing day, and the Core Strategy, is available from www.southglos.gov.uk/corestrategy.
Related link: Inspector’s letter announcing additional hearing session [PDF]
