South Gloucestershire Council ‘won’t build homes to meet Bristol’s needs’

South Gloucestershire Council said the region does not have the “capacity to build new homes here to meet the needs of Bristol”. This statement comes as housing discussions begin for the new Local Plan.

The local plan, consulted thoroughly over the previous year, serves as a crucial strategic document outlining how infrastructure should be delivered in a region. Since the last consultation, new targets have emerged adorned with future housing schemes and business premises, all of which will form part of the future discussion.

Throughout the consultation, which runs until September 13, the council will investigate each potential site while engaging with community residents and stakeholders on the rezoning. Public involvement will be encouraged by today’s publication of consultation documents, providing an opportunity for useful feedback, shaping aspects of the future Local Plan, due to be adopted in 2025.

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“You have no room for any more new houses” beyond your own needs

South Gloucestershire Council has confirmed that Bristol City Council has requested that the former accommodate some of the new homes that the city council does not believe it can provide in Bristol. This request was not made in time to be considered in the prior consultation, which looked at how the council could meet the housing needs of South Gloucestershire.

While neighboring councils have a legal duty to co-operate in drawing up local plans, the council said it could not help meet the extra housing need in Bristol. An assessment by the council found it believed it could only meet its own needs, “protecting what makes the district an attractive place for people to live and work”.

South Gloucestershire Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning, Regeneration and Infrastructure, said: “Our new local plan will help shape where and how people live in South Gloucestershire for years to come. We want it to be developed with a keen ear to what our current residents want and need, as well as taking into account the needs of future residents and future generations.

“South Gloucestershire is a wonderful place to live. We have innovative and thriving businesses here where locals are proud to work. Of course, we are closely connected with Bristol and what each authority does impacts on the other, so we have to consider their request to find space for more new homes to help them meet their projected needs.

“However, all our work up to this point, examining possible places to build, tells us that we do not have room for more new homes than will meet our own needs. We promised to take an evidence-based approach and came to this conclusion after looking very carefully at the places in the district. Now we want to hear from local people about their thoughts so we can respond with those views in mind too.”

The council is looking for more brownfield sites

As part of plans for new homes, more developments on brownfield land will be prioritized to make better use of space in South Gloucestershire. The council said it was interested in details of several brownfield sites that may be suitable, available and feasible for redevelopment as part of the consultation.

The cabinet member added: “We also promised last year that we would work tirelessly to bring more brownfield and urban areas. We inherited a position where barely 1,500 such sites were found and so we encouraged people to submit new options.

“In this new consultation we have almost doubled that number and we are now asking local people for feedback on these. It’s important to remember that for every house we build on a brownfield or redevelopment site, that’s another house that won’t have to be built on greenfield land or new land.

“Through our consultations and conversations with residents, we heard strong opinions and feelings about the importance of protecting the places where people live now. We agree that development should enhance, not damage, our existing communities, which is why the proposals are spread across South Gloucestershire, with everyone taking part, rather than concentrating all the new house building into a few massive developments.

“We have also been able to correct some misinformation and allay the fears of some about what building new homes will really mean to provide a safe place to live for current and future generations. We can categorically say that the green belt will not be “destroyed”. At most two percent could be released.

“Our commons will not be ‘destroyed.’ We are working really positively to put together a scheme that adds a lot more land to the township and the forest parks. It will dramatically improve connectivity between our green spaces, enhancing biodiversity and providing meaningful nature corridors in and around our communities and our landscape.”

Feedback gathered from the consultation process will be incorporated into a report to be submitted to Cabinet in December, ahead of a final consultation in the new year. Feedback and the updated draft Local Plan will be submitted for evaluation by the Planning Inspectorate in 2025.

To submit details for brownfield land suitable for development, view consultation documents or give feedback on a housing project, visit South Gloucestershire Council’s website Here.