Have your say on housing for older people

With life expectancy increasing and people from the post-war "baby boom" reaching old age, the number of older people in South Gloucestershire is increasing. To help them plan for older people's housing needs, the council are carrying out a survey.

You can find out more and complete the survey via the consultation web page. The survey will run until the 27th April.

Magistrates Court - housing proposed for key Yate town centre site

Local councillors at the Magistrates Court site

South Glos Council is currently considering a planning application for up to 50 houses on the old Magistrates Court site off Kennedy Way. However the site access would be from Stanshawe Crescent.

There is very little available space anywhere near the town centre now. Yate Town Council has objected to the proposal, suggesting that it would be better to have a town centre use here, and put new residential units on brownfield sites in less critical locations instead.

With all the thousands of extra houses already proposed for Yate, perhaps the building could be converted as a new police station? Or will our police still have to operate out of the antiquated building in Chipping Sodbury?

Even supposing the housing goes ahead, Stanshawe Crescent is narrow, lacks a pavement along one side, and is already congested and dangerous. There is no more room for on street parking there.

The open space between the magistrates court and the current residential area is a vital buffer between the town centre and the Stanshawe Crescent community, and should be retained, together with all the trees.

You can find details of the proposals here or by searching for "Magistrates" on the South Glos planning application web page. You can submit comments until Monday 19 March.

Homes England - effectively a government department - has also given notice that they intend to demolish the Magistrates Court building anyway (details here) with a very short consultation period - you may remember a private firm doing the same thing recently at the Railway Inn site. Yate Town Council has objected to demolition because it prematurely removes a community asset.


We understand that South Glos has decided to deal with the application to demolish the magistrates court building in secret, not in open session in a meeting. Why? What's so special about this site, except that it's Government land? Has the decision in effect already been made?

Have your say on new South Glos Local Plan

South Gloucestershire Council has started a consultation on the new Local Plan, which will set out how the development proposed in the Joint Spatial Plan for the West of England will be delivered in South Gloucestershire. The consultation will run until 30th April and documents are available to view on the Council’s website at www.southglos.gov.uk/newlocalplanfeb2018.

A hard copy of the consultation document is available to view from 8.45am - 5pm Mondays to Wednesdays and 8.45am - 4.30pm Thursdays and Fridays, at the Council’s One-Stop Shops, which are located at:

• Patchway One Stop Shop, The Patchway Hub, Rodway Road, Patchway BS34 5PE
• Kingswood One Stop Shop, Civic Centre, High Street, Kingswood BS15 9TR
• Yate One Stop Shop (access via West Walk), Kennedy Way, Yate BS37 4DQ

There will also be public drop-in events. The nearest to us is 6-8pm on Tuesday 20 March at the Ridgewood Community Centre, Yate (BS37 4AF). Details of all the events are available at www.southglos.gov.uk/newlocalplanfeb2018.

Part 2 of the document introduces the proposed strategy for delivering the development:

• building out the developments already allocated in the council's Core Strategy
• maximising the use of brownfield land within the urban areas
• building the 5 large scale Strategic Development Locations set out in the Joint Spatial Plan for the West of England (Coalpit Heath, North West and West of Yate, Thornbury, Buckover and Charfield)
• smaller scale development in the rural areas. 

Yate is one of the areas being looked at for maximising the use of brownfield land in urban areas and the question about how to approach development in the rural areas affects all our villages. The consultation document also sets out what is happening with the Strategic Development Locations and how the local communities will be involved further but does not ask specific questions around those.

The council would prefer you to use the response form available online to make comments. If you are unable to do so, you can submit comments by email to PlanningPolicy@southglos.gov.uk or by post. There is no need to submit comments in multiple different ways.

Brimsham development update - ammunition for comments on planning applications

As we told you earlier this week, residents only have until 28 December to put in their comments about the Brimsham development proposals.

Yate Town Council has now lodged a very detailed objection to these planning applications. It shows up the many deficiencies in the design. It may give you ideas for your own comments on applications - you can download the Yate Town Council objections here.

Brimsham Park - last chance to have your say on new houses

Barretts and David Wilson Homes plan to start building in the spring right behind existing houses.
So this is now REAL.

They got outline consent two years ago. We all opposed that as residents and councillors. Butnow this is about trying to make sure the new housing does as little damage as possible to our community. We’ve already given the developers a list of problems we could spot. Now we needyour help in looking at the plans carefully and pointing out the problems YOU can see, to help us try to get the developers/planners to change the plans.

Key features of what the developers want to do include
● their main site compound for up to 10 - 15 years to be in the field at the current end of Randolph Avenue, Close to the back of Pear Tree Hey. (Left hand arrow)
● Access to the show homes, and at least the first 238 houses from Leechpool Way (right arrow)
● The first 238 houses to be immediately behind Pear Tree Hey, Dryleaze and Meadowmead. (Circle on the plan)
● 35% ’Affordable’ housing (but that is not what we would call affordable for young families trying to buy their first home, although it will include social rented housing)
● Terraces of housing backing onto existing housing.
● Houses will block the current footpath through the fields from Randolph to the Park.
● A new northern access to the park, right at the narrowest part of the park, just north of the lake.
● Two new small play areas, one in the field behind Meadow Mead.
● No proposals (yet) for wheelwashing.

Don't wait until after the Christmas break to comment - that could be too late. The legal deadline for comments is before the end of the holidays. So we need to act NOW as residents.

The developers have said they are going to deliver a letter to some homes telling them about the application - make sure that you don’t only tell them what you think. Put your comments in to the planners who actually take the decision.

Go to South Glos Council's planning applications page then search for two applications:
PK17/5388/RM (David Wilson Homes, comments close on 29 Dec) and  
PK17/5389/RM (Barratt Homes, comments close on 28 Dec). Please comment on both.

Please let your Focus Team know your comments too - email Mike Drew on mike.drew@southglos.gov.uk

There are more details on a special Brimsham Park Focus that is being delivered at the moment. If you haven't received your copy yet, you can view or download it from here

Update 22/12/2017: Yate Town Council has lodged a very detailed objection to these planning applications. It shows up the many deficiencies in the design. It may give you ideas for your comments on applications - you can download the Yate Town Council objections here.

Consultation on new homes starts next week

All four West of England councils have now agreed that the consultation on the Joint Spatial Plan (JSP) should go ahead so it will start on 22nd November. The JSP proposes:

• 1,800 new homes at Coalpit Heath
• 2,000 homes plus employment land on the edge of Yate, between Engine Common and Nibley and down to Westerleigh, with at least 1,000 being built by 2036 
• 1,200 at Charfield 
• 3,000 at a new garden village at Buckover, with at least 1,500 of them being built by 2036 
• 500 at Thornbury 

Some headlines have given the impression that the plan has already been approved - it has not. A Planning Inspector will hold a public inquiry next year to decide if the plan is sound and whether any changes are needed to make it sound. They will see any comments you make in the consultation, which runs until 10^th January 2018.

This will be your last chance to have your say - don't leave it to others. Once the plan has been adopted it will be too late to change where the new development goes. 

The new South Glos Local Plan will just be adding in the details and possibly allocating smaller sites. It can't put the homes in a different place entirely from that allocated in the JSP.

The JSP document, supporting evidence and details of how to make a submission will be published online at www.jointplanningwofe.org.uk on 22nd November. If you would like to help spread the word to those who aren't online, please contact us.

Speaking out on housing plans

Last Monday plans for 2,600 homes at Yate and Chipping Sodbury and 1,800 at Coalpit Heath were discussed by the West of England Joint Committee in Bath. Local councillors Claire Young and Pat Hockey attended, with Claire speaking out on the plans. Despite the concerns raised, and despite both the Leader of North Somerset and the Mayor of Bristol saying they hadn't had time to read the document, the West of England leaders voted to recommend the Joint Spatial Plan (JSP) to the four councils.

The BBC asked if anyone would be available for filming the next day in Coalpit Heath. They were expecting one or two people and were astonished by the crowd that turned out at such short notice. They were left in no doubt about the level of concern and while they were there also filmed the danger signs around the old mine shaft that has been fenced off in the corner of the field.

The Joint Spatial Plan will be considered by the South Glos Cabinet at 2pm today and then by all councillors at a meeting at 7pm on Wednesday 8th November in Kingswood Civic Centre. Members of the public are welcome to attend.

If South Glos and the other three councils all approve the JSP for consultation, you will be able to have your say from 22nd November to 10th January. We'll give you more information on how to do this when the consultation starts. 

Housing plans - dates for your diary

Last year, the West of England consulted on a Joint Spatial Plan (JSP) proposing:

• 1,500 new homes at Coalpit Heath
• 2,600 around Yate and Chipping Sodbury
• 1,000 homes at Charfield
• 600 homes at Thornbury
• 2,200 homes at a new garden village at Buckover near Thornbury

The next round of consultation will take place in the autumn and judging from where they're holding the drop-in events, they are pressing ahead with these locations. The full list of drop-in events is:

• Charfield Event – Charfield Memorial Hall - Wednesday 20th Sept 2 – 8pm
• Coalpit Heath Event – Coalpit Heath Village Hall/Miners InstituteFriday 22nd Sept – 2 – 8pm
• Thornbury Event – Armstrong Hall –Friday 29th Sept – 2 – 8pm
• Yate Event – Sodbury Town Hall – Wednesday 4th October - 2 – 8pm
• Buckover Event – Falfield Village Hall – Friday 6th Oct – 2 – 8pm

Developer consults on housing at Trinity Lane, off St John's Way

Developer Cotswold Homes is asking for local people's views on a proposed housing development at Trinity Lane, off St John's Way, Chipping Sodbury (Trinity Lane is the road that goes up to the golf course)

They describe their scheme like this: "A total of 60 dwellings is proposed in a mix of detached, semi-detached and terraced housing; a small number of flats and bungalows are also proposed to address local housing needs for smaller affordable, and accessible lifetime home properties"

The sorts of questions they are asking are:

• Do you consider that open market and affordable housing are required in this location?
• What types of affordable housing are most needed in the area (i.e. rented or shared ownership, family housing or flats)?
• Are there any infrastructure constraints in Chipping Sodbury or wider area that the proposals should be looking to help address?
• What recreational facilities do you think would be most appropriately incorporated into the area of public open space that the development will provide (for example play area, trim trail, ecological areas, pond etc.)?
• Having reviewed the draft plans for the site do you have any comments on the emerging layout?
• Do you have any suggestions with regards to the appearance of the housing put forward?
• Would you suggest a contemporary or traditional design approach in respect to the appearance of the new dwellings?
• Would you suggest any changes to improve the proposals?

It's a good idea for developers to carry out early consultations with the public like this, but note that this is not an official consultation - they intend to apply for planning permission during the summer. If you answer their questionnaire, please bear in mind that they are assembling evidence to make their planning application more likely to be successful.

The consultation website can be found here.

Time running out to have your say on housing plans!

Don't forget, you only have until the end of Monday 19th December to have your say on plans to build thousands of homes in our area (See our previous post here)

The West of England Joint Spatial Plan (JSP, or in plain English "What might be built where"!) proposes:

• 2,600 around Yate and Chipping Sodbury
• 1,500 new homes at Coalpit Heath
• 1,000 homes at Charfield 
• 600 homes at Thornbury 
• 2,200 homes at a new garden village at Buckover near Thornbury

Although the final plan will only talk about broad locations, as part of the supporting evidence the West of England has produced a series of "dashboard" maps showing where they think the development could be accommodated at each location.You can view those maps here (Yate and Chipping Sodbury are on page 27)

Local councillors Claire Young, Ruth Davis
and Mike Drew at the recent drop-in

We know it's a very busy time of the year but it's vital that as many local people as possible have their say on these plans. To do that, go to the JSP consultation home page. From there, you have two options. You can view an interactive version of the document, where you can make your comments  as you go along. Alternatively, you can download a PDF of the whole document and fill in the online survey. 

You don't have to answer all the questions. If you think there are reasons why the houses could not be built at a particular location, you can put those in answer to question 5. For example, people in Coalpit Heath are concerned about the old mines under the fields. If you think the West of England is taking the wrong approach to deciding where all the new houses should go, you can explain why in answer to question 6. This would also be the place to suggest an alternative strategy.

At the same time, the West of England is also consulting on a Joint Transport Study (JTS). This proposes transport improvements for the different parts of the West of England (or again in plain English, "How on earth are people going to get round when all the houses are built"). To view the plans and make your comments, go to the JTS consultation home page. Again, you can view an interactive version of the document or download a PDF and fill in the online survey.

Study into new motorway junction

At last Wednesday’s Environment and Community Services committee, it was agreed that South Gloucestershire Council would accept £500,000 funding from the Government to carry out a feasibility study into linking the M4 with the Avon Ring Road (A4174) with a new junction 18a. The study has to be completed by spring 2018.

Ahead of the meeting, Lib Dem Focus Team councillors asked officers to clarify whether this would also look at the link road to Yate proposed in the Joint Transport Study (JTS). They were advised that the offer of funding from the Department for Transport is very specifically for a new motorway junction and link to the ring road, but the study would consider interaction with other potential schemes emerging from the JTS, such as a link to Yate. They tried unsuccessfully to get an amendment clarifying this but it will have been minuted.

Time to have your say on thousands of new homes

It's now time to have your say on the proposals for thousands of new homes in our local communities.

You can find the Joint Spatial Plan (JSP) consultation at: 
https://www.jointplanningwofe.org.uk/consult.ti/JSPEmergingSpatialStrategy/consultationHome

and the Joint Transport Study (JTS) consultation here:
https://www.jointplanningwofe.org.uk/consult.ti/JTSTransportVision/consultationHome

We have been pressing for more information about where the houses would go and have been told repeatedly that this is a high level planning document talking about broad locations only, more detail would come in future consultations. We were therefore somewhat surprised to find at the drop-in exhibition in Chipping Sodbury a map of Yate and Chipping Sodbury with the countryside around it divided into sections and text headed “Potential Development Areas”. On further investigation, we found that maps were available for all the areas identified for housing.

The information is also available online, hidden away in a document at the end of the list of technical papers. You can find it here:
https://www.jointplanningwofe.org.uk/gf2.ti/-/756738/23264517.1/PDF/-/Towards_the_Emerging_Spatial_Strategy_Assessment_of_Strategic_Development_Locations_Beyond_Settlement_Boundaries_Location_Dashboards.pdf

You'll need to look at page 27 for Yate and Chipping Sodbury, and page 37 for Coalpit Heath.

On the page for Yate/Chipping Sodbury it says:

• Northwest Yate has good proximity to the rail station, Badminton Road and existing employment areas, hence there is considered potential in a broad band sweeping from fields north of Yate Town Football Club & south of Mission Road around to the B4059 and turning south to Nibley Lane and the river Frome and continuing south across the Badminton Road including fields west of the Business Park. 
• Chipping Sodbury remains relatively compact with good proximity to the High Street from the periphery. Fields either side of Trinity Lane (north of St.Johns Way) but respecting the common and recreational facilities, and south of the railway between Dodington Road/Claypit Hill and north of Kingsgrove Common are therefore also considered to offer potential. 
• In total it is considered up to 2,600 dwellings could be delivered in these 3 locations within the plan period.

On the page for Coalpit Heath it says:

• Given good proximity to employment opportunities and other services in the North & North East Bristol Fringe, Yate rail station & the Badminton Road, there is considered potential on relatively unconstrained land from the rail line northwards, west of Roundways to Frog Lane at Coalpit Heath for up to 1,500 dwellings and supporting facilities

Given that west of Roundways is in the existing village, we can only assume that is a typo and they mean east.

There are also maps for Charfield, Buckover and Thornbury.

It's also important to understand that although the JSP and JTS are being consulted on together, they are two separate documents. If you want to see what they think are the transport mitigations needed to support the development, they are set out in the JSP in Table 1: Strategic Development Locations and the rationale for inclusion in the emerging spatial strategy. For the Yate/Chipping Sodbury development, those are:

• Station improvements 
• Metrobus 
• Park and Ride 
• Pinchpoint schemes and junction improvements 
• Winterbourne Frampton Cotterell bypass 

For Coalpit Heath the list is the same, but minus the station improvements. There is no mention of the new M4 motorway junction or the link road from there to Yate being needed to mitigate the development. However in the Joint Transport Study it says: “The new road to Yate and the MetroBus extension form a package, with road space on the A432 prioritised for public transport and cycling.”

There will be another drop-in at Coalpit Heath Village Hall (The Miners) from 1pm to 7pm on Monday 21st November where you can speak to planning officers.

Drop-in events on housing proposals

The consultation starts next week on the proposals for up to 2,600 new homes around Yate and Chipping Sodbury, 1,500 at Coalpit Heath, 1,000 at Charfield, 600 at Thornbury and 2,200 at a new "garden village" at Buckover near Thornbury, along with a range of transport proposals. That's on top of the current plans,

South Gloucestershire Council will be holding drop-in events in the five areas most directly affected:

YATE/ SODBURY
WHERE: Chipping Sodbury Town Hall
WHEN: Thursday 10 November, 1 – 7 pm

CHARFIELD 
WHERE: Charfield Memorial Hall
WHEN: Tuesday 15 November, 1 – 7 pm

COALPIT HEATH
WHERE: Coalpit Heath Village Hall
WHEN: Monday 21 November, 1 – 7 pm

THORNBURY 
WHERE: Armstrong Hall, Thornbury
WHEN: Friday 25 November, 1 – 7 pm

BUCKOVER 
WHERE: Falfield Village Hall
WHEN: Monday 28 November, 1 – 7 pm

Even if you live in a village that is not specifically mentioned in the proposals, it is well worth getting along to one of the events. For example, the housing proposals at Yate, Chipping Sodbury and Coalpit Heath would involve the release of Green Belt land, which could mean building out towards these villages like Westerleigh, Nibley, Wapley, Dodington and Codrington. Transport proposals such as a link road between the M4 and Yate could clearly have an impact on these communities too. 

Thousands of new homes in our area?

A plan that could change the character of our area has been published this week.

The "Towards an Emerging Spatial Strategy" plan proposes:

• 1,500 new homes at Coalpit Heath 
• 2,600 around Yate and Chipping Sodbury
• Up to 1,000 homes at Charfield
• Up to 600 homes at Thornbury 
• 2,200 homes at a new garden village at Buckover near Thornbury 

That's on top of all the houses we already knew about.

The plan, drawn up by Conservative-run South Gloucestershire Council in collaboration with the three other West of England Councils, will go out for consultation in November.

This will come as a huge shock to many local people. It's striking that under these proposals most of the new homes we need are being concentrated in just a few communities to the north of Bristol.

Will these proposals create places where people want to live, where they can access services like doctors, dentists and schools and where they can easily get to the places they need to go? Will there be truly affordable homes for those who so desperately need them? Do you think the loss of the Green Belt, which is already very narrow, is a price worth paying for new roads? How does this fit with the Conservatives' promise to protect the Green Belt?

You can view the plan here.

The plan also talks about transport infrastructure, in the tables on pages 26, 29 and 30, where it includes mention of a "Coalpit Heath distributor road", and later on page 46 it says of the Yate to Bristol corridor:

"We are proposing a package of highway and public transport schemes including a link to a new junction on the M4 from the A4174 Ring Road (along with smart motorway management), park and ride, a new road north from this junction to Yate, and a MetroBus extension to Yate from Bristol along the A432. The new road to Yate and the MetroBus extension form a package, with road space on the A432 prioritised for public transport and cycling."

A map on the same page suggests the new road could impact on Westerleigh village. On the other hand it could provide a route for the articulated lorries instead of going via the Latteridge and Wotton Roads

It's vital we all have our say on these plans.There will be a consultation from 7th November to 19th December - we will let you know then how you can make your views known.

No central heating? Free advice session Monday 11 April

If you haven't got central heating, you could be entitled to a grant of up to £4000. There will be a free advice session at Shire Way Community Centre this coming Monday from 10 am to 4 pm. Or you can call the Warm and Well advice line on 0800 500 3076.

Developers get bad press two weeks running

Unhappy Focus Team members outside the site
that developers want to put housing on

It's not often that a company makes front page newspaper headlines (in the wrong way) two weeks running, but the developers of Elswick Park have done just that. First they were up in court for not complying with requirements of their planning permission to carry out landscaping works. They got off with a conditional discharge (that's legal language for a rap over the knuckles) because they suddenly rushed in and planted some trees at the wrong time of year - they'll probably die. Why didn't they just do their planting when they were supposed to? You can read more on the Gazette story here.

Now they're trying a land grab on an area that was promised to be for public use, the space facing Kennedy Way at the front of the development. They want to maximise their profits by building more housing on the area. It was supposed to be allocated for a community centre, as the Gazette explains here. Money being put before communities again - developers seem to think that they can change the rules as they go along.

Some progress on protecting Rodford School site trees

All the relevant South Glos officers went to the site yesterday to meet the Bellway Homes planning manager and specialist consultants dealing with the ecology matters and tree protection. Local residents have been very concerned about what has been happening on the old Rodford School site - see our previous post "How much is a tree worth?"

They talked about the Ecological and Landscape Management Plan, which still hasn't been provided, to protect the boundary hedgerows and  provide  biodiversity enhancements.  It was agreed that there is minimal risk from the work to removing the hardstanding, so this can carry on over the next 6 weeks while the ELM Plan is being sorted out. Bellway has given assurances about protecting the protected trees during the work on the hardstanding.

Bellway will now provide South Glos with a detailed timetable (within the next few days) of key stages over the coming months including:

• When tree protection will be completed including additional fencing and signage. This is vital before any more sub contactors come on site to start the foundations.
• When the hard standing around the trees in the centre of the site will be undertaken. Bellway have confirmed that a method statement has been prepared for this work, and the contractor on site has been given clear instructions.
• When all the outstanding information will be submitted.

South Glos will be keeping a close eye on the site.

How much is a tree worth?

How much is a tree worth? Or a historic hedge, or local wildlife? Not much, some developers seem to think.

Take the Rodford School site, for example, which is being redeveloped into housing. We've already reported how valuable trees and habitat were considered less important than profits - at the planning stage local councillors were outvoted by others who don't live anywhere near here, and the developers were allowed to squeeze extra units onto the site despite the concerns about significant trees and hedges.

Now a second threat has revealed itself. Local environmentalists spotted that the builders were not complying with a lot of the habitat protection conditions required by their planning permission. A South Glos inspector visited the site, thought he had sorted them out, and went away. The local experts soon realised that the builders had started doing the same thing again, and had to ask the inspector to go back again.

We're now waiting to see what happens next. It's possible that the builders could be told to stop work altogether if they won't comply with their legal obligations.

Threat to land between Cambrian Drive and Wellington Road kickabout area

Remember when developers tried to get the go ahead back in 2006? Together the Focus Team and Cambrian Drive Residents stopped them. Now new developers are trying. They’ve bought a house in Cambrian and plan to knock it down, put a road through, across the footpath from Wellington Road to Mountbatten and then build 18 houses.

They’ve knocked on doors in Cambrian to try to win support, but Focus got a warning out to residents and we’re working with residents to stop the plan. It would wreck the footpath’s safety, make traffic worse in Cambrian - and eat up land that’s been open for 40 years. The developers say they’re planning public meetings - make sure YOUR views are heard.

If you want to help the fight or make sure you find out the meeting dates and times, give Chris Willmore your email, and she’ll tell you as soon as the developers announce them!

Profit before people as trees chopped down on Rodford School site

If you live near the former Rodford School site, your local landscape has changed. Many of the trees on the site have now been cut down to clear it for the housing development.

The developers were given permission for this even though some of the trees had Tree Preservation Orders - many of the trees and hedges were there since before the estate was built.

All our local councillors voted to retain the trees with TPOs, but they were outvoted by the Tory and Labour councillors who don't even live around here. 

Edit 18/02/2015, as suggested by a knowledgeable reader: It's also important to make sure that the correct tree protection fencing is erected BEFORE any construction works start - if not they'll be in breach of planning condition. If anyone reading this sees diggers on the site before the fencing is up, please email paul.hulbert@gmail.com and we'll make sure it's reported. Thanks!

Residents and councillors watched the trees being cut down

Local councillors Tony Davis and Gloria Stephen.
You can see that they weren't impressed!