The Local Plan phase 3 consultation has now CLOSED.
This page will remain in place so residents can view the proposals but comments can no longer be sent in to South Glos. Council.
What is the Local Plan Consultation?
South Glos. Council are developing a new Local Plan for South Gloucestershire. This will include a new strategy and policies to guide and manage growth and change in our area over at least the next 15 years.
This is an important opportunity to:
- shape the places where we live, work and socialise
- have a direct impact on quality of life, the natural and built environment
- have positive impacts on climate change, inequalities and encourage a green economy
- discuss choices and make decisions about where future homes and jobs might be located, and which areas should be protected
SGC have launched a third phase of public consultation on the emerging plan. The consultation is open now and runs until 7th February. There is a lot more detail available than in previous consultation phases, though it must be stressed that this is not yet the final version and changes may still be made.
Where can I find out more?
You can see the current proposals and respond to the consultation on the SGC website. The website includes interactive maps where you can look in detail at the potential development sites in and around Cromhall.
SGC are taking a ‘digital first’ approach, hoping that most people will look at the proposals and make their responses online, but it is possible to get paper copies of specific elements on request. They are also organising various engagement events, both online and face-to-face, at which planning officers will be available to answer questions. Online events will take place on Weds 10th and Thurs 11th January 2024. The nearest face-to-face events are:
- Yate Tesco Superstore – Thursday 11 January 2024 (9am-5pm)
- Charfield Village Hall – Friday 12 January 2024 (4pm-7pm)
- Thornbury Turnberrie’s Community Centre – Monday 29 January 2024 (4pm-7pm)
- Chipping Sodbury Town Hall – Tuesday 30 January 2024 (4pm-7pm)
Will there be more housing development in Cromhall?
One part of the Plan which will affect rural communities such as Cromhall will be housing and industrial development. Planning officers have developed three ‘lenses’, or extreme examples, to look at the impact of different approaches for deciding on the locations for new houses – (1) protection of the green belt, (2) development along the “urban edge” of Bristol and (3) development near to transport hubs and corridors. These three potential approaches have then been used to draw up a combined emerging strategy for allocation of housing and employment opportunities across the rural parts of the county.
The emerging strategy suggests that Cromhall could have an allocation of 30 new homes; however it is not yet clear at what point new planning applications coming through now will start to count towards that total! The potential sites for these 30 homes can be seen on the housing and employment development interactive map. It is recognised that primary school capacity is a key constraint on housing development in Cromhall, but secondary school capacity at KLB (which is of course in Gloucestershire County Council area) is not mentioned. There is also mention of the limited public transport in the area and the need for improvements to the M4 junction 14 to support any significant levels of development in the area.
What about other types of development?
As well as housing and employment, the Local Plan covers issues relating to infrastructure improvements, renewable energy, green infrastructure, quarrying and locations of sites for traveller communities.
Several areas have been identified for safeguarding as potential wind farm locations, including a large area between Cromhall and Wickwar. These can be seen on the renewable energy interactive map. This does not mean that there are specific plans for wind farms in this location, but rather that other development in the area may be restricted in order to keep it free for a wind farm development in the future.
Proposals for minerals extraction include the reopening of Cromhall Quarry, and a northward expansion of Wickwar Quarry. The minerals interactive map shows more detail.
What next?
The Local Plan consultation documents are lengthy and contain a huge amount of information, but you will see from this brief introduction that the outcome of the Plan has the potential to greatly impact Cromhall parish and the wider area of South Gloucestershire. Please have a look around the website, visit an engagement event, or contact South Glos Council on 01454 868004 to request access in other forms. And please feed back your comments to them via the interactive maps (you can click on coloured areas and then add your comment about that area on the left of the screen), through the questionnaire on the consultation home page, or at one of the engagement events.