Woodlands Farm planning appeal officially started

The start letter has now been published for the appeal against the Blackberry Park application for up to 215 homes on land at Woodlands Farm.

Any comments you made at the application stage will be passed on to the Planning Inspectorate. If you want to make any additional comments, you must submit 3 copies of them to the Inspector by 9 March 2018. The Planning Inspectorate will not acknowledge representations.

For more advice on taking part in an appeal you can read a 'Guide to taking part in planning appeals proceeding by an inquiry' online.

Woodlands Farm - Barratt Homes to appeal

As some eagle-eyed residents have spotted, correspondence on the web page for the Woodlands Farm "Blackberry Park" application shows that Barratt Homes are going to appeal against the council's refusal last summer.

What is on the website at the moment is pre-appeal correspondence, where they're sorting out what form the appeal will take. The Planning Inspectorate have agreed with Barratt Homes that there will be a public inquiry but Barratt Homes have not yet submitted the Appeal Start Letter. This is the official notification of the start of the appeal and is key because all the dates (for example, the deadline for comments) will flow from that. When South Glos gets the Appeal Start Letter they will then notify Claire Young as ward member, the Parish Council and so on.

For the hundreds of people who objected to the application, this will not be a welcome start to the new year. When the appeal does start, we will let you know how you can have your say.

Blackberry Park application refused

After a lengthy debate, the DC (East) Planning Committee refused on a split vote the Barratt Homes "Blackberry Park" outline application for up to 215 homes on land at Woodlands Farm. Local campaigners were there to have their say and show their support for protecting the site.

Barratt Homes now have the option to appeal against the decision. We will let you know if this happens.

Woodlands Farm - decision next week

The "Blackberry Park" application for up to 215 homes at Woodlands Farm will be decided at the DC (East) planning committee meeting next Thursday. The meeting starts at 3pm in Kingswood Civic Centre and the public are very welcome to attend. There will be up to 5 minutes for objectors to speak. The case officer has recommended that the application be approved. You can read their 66 page report online.

No decision on Woodlands Farm this month

There will be no decision on the "Blackberry Park" application on Woodlands Farm this month. The next DC (East) planning committee meeting was due to take place next week. Given the issues raised by members of the committee following last week’s site visits, all the applications have been deferred to a later date.

Planning committee visits Woodlands Farm

Today members of the DC (East) planning committee visited Woodlands Farm to view the site and hear the concerns of local people and councillors. As yet, we don't know which committee meeting the decision is likely to be taken at - we'll keep you updated.

Planning committee to visit Woodlands Farm

Next Friday, 30th June, the DC (East) planning committee will be visiting Woodlands Farm, Coalpit Heath. Barratt Homes are hoping to build up to 215 houses on the site, which they call "Blackberry Park".

The committee members are expected to arrive at the site at about 10.50am. Members of the public are very welcome to attend - last time there was an application for Woodlands Farm large numbers turned up to show their opposition. There will be 10 minutes for someone from the objectors to speak, as well as 3 minute slots for South Glos and Parish Councillors. We will be meeting by the kissing gate that leads into the fields between St Saviour's Rise and Blackberry Drive - as shown by the green star on this map.

You can view the agenda for the site visit here - it includes a link to the case officer's report.

Many people will be at work or school next Friday morning but there is another way to show local opposition. This Saturday, 24th June, a photographer from the Gazette is coming to the fields at 11am. Please meet by the kissing gate that leads into the fields between St Saviour's Rise and Blackberry Drive - and encourage your friends and family to be there too.

Revised planning application for Woodlands Farm site in Coalpit Heath

Barratt Homes and and David Wilson Homes have submitted a revised proposal for the "Blackberry Park" site at Woodlands Farm, Coalpit Heath. As before it proposes 215 homes, with road access off Park Lane.

The developers say that their revised plans answer a number of issues that South Glos raised about the previous application, for example restricting the part of the site where there would be taller (2.5 to 3 storey) buildings to a small central area.

The plans and documents are visible on the South Glos planning website http://developments.southglos.gov.uk/online-applications/ - search for application number PT17/0215/O.

You can submit your comments online until the deadline of 26 May 2017.

Time running out to have your say on Woodlands Farm application

Don't forget you only have until Wednesday 15th February to comment on the latest Woodlands Farm application. You can view the plans and make your comments online. Don't worry that they don't appear immediately, all comments have to be manually processed and it can take up to 7 days. The case officer has assured me that she is receiving them.

Parish Councils to consider Woodlands Farm application

Westerleigh and Frampton Cotterell Parish Councils will be making their comments on the Woodlands Farm application next week. Parishioners are welcome at the meetings.

The Westerleigh Parish Council Planning Committee will be meeting at 7pm on Monday 6th February on Westerleigh Village Hall. Their full council meeting follows on afterwards.

Frampton Cotterell Parish Council will make their comments at their meeting starting at 7.30pm on Wednesday 8th February in the Brockeridge Centre.

The VALID action group are having a photo taken at 2.30pm on Saturday 4th February where a kissing gate leads to a level footpath going across the farm fields. The best way to arrive at this area is via the cul de sac at the end of Blackberry Drive, postcode BS36 2SL. All residents welcome.
 

Action time - new Woodlands Farm application

Flashback: Site visit for previous application
in 2013

Barratt Homes have submitted an application to build up to 215 homes on Woodlands Farm - a development they call Blackberry Park.

You can view and comment on the application online - if the link doesn't work, go to www.southglos.gov.uk, click on the "Planning applications" button then "Search planning applications" and use the reference PT17/0215/O. You only have until Wednesday 15 February to have your say!

Unfortunately due to planned maintenance, there may be limited access to the South Glos website from Friday 27 January to Sunday 29 January. So if you can't view the application, try again after the weekend.

Of course not everyone is online. If you could help the VALID campaign group to get the word out, please email validcampaign@gmail.com - and email claire.young@southglos.gov.uk if you can help the Focus Team do the same.

Woodlands Farm drop-in

On Monday, many residents and your Focus Team attended the drop-in exhibition at the Manor Hall on Barratt Homes' "Blackberry Park" proposals for up to 215 homes on Woodlands Farm.

The plans on display differed from those posted through people's doors. You can download a PDF of all the exhibition boards here.

Barratt Homes are hoping to submit an outline application by the end of November.

Drop-in events on housing proposals

The consultation starts next week on the proposals for up to, 1,500 new homes at Coalpit Heath, 2,600 around Yate and Chipping Sodbury, 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. 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 – 7pm

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

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

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

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

Even if your village 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.

If you live in the Coalpit Heath and Frampton Cotterell area, don't forget that Barratt Homes are holding a drop-in at the Manor Hall on Monday 7th November from 3.30pm to 8.30pm on their proposals for 215 houses at Woodlands Farm ("Blackberry Park").

Tell us your views on housing

Thank you to everyone who came to our public meeting last week on the proposals for up to 1,500 homes at Coalpit Heath and 2,600 at Yate/Chipping Sodbury. Claire has produced some notes on the meeting and you can let us know your views by filling in this survey.

Since the meeting, Barratt Homes have announced new proposals for Woodlands Farm, so we have added in a question about that. Any homes at Woodlands Farm could be in addition to the 1,500 proposed for the Green Belt around Coalpit Heath, because there is also a requirement in the JSP proposals for 1,000 homes at "windfall sites" around South Gloucestershire.

Woodlands Farm - new planning application

Barratt Homes have written to councillors and people living near Woodlands Farm to say that they will be putting in a new planning application.

The proposals, which they call "Blackberry Park", would involve building up to 215 homes on the site. The above plan is scanned from the document sent out on behalf of Barratt Homes. They say that more information will be available at www.barrattbristolcommunity.com - Claire Young contacted them as it wasn't available when the letters arrived and has been assured the site will be updated soon.

There will be a public exhibition from 3.30pm to 8.30pm on Monday 7th November in the Manor Hall, Coalpit Heath.

Out and about finding out your views

Thank you to everyone who returned our survey in Coalpit Heath, Mayshill and Park Lane, Kendleshire. Steve Webb and Claire Young really appreciate you taking the time to let them know your views.

It was no surprise that protecting the local countryside, in particular Woodlands Farm, was a high priority. Also that both the volume and speed of traffic on our roads is a worry.

One concern raised by a number of people was the future of Coalpit Heath Pre-School. As a parent, Claire appreciates the importance of good childcare. We are very lucky in Coalpit Heath to have both an outstanding-rated pre-school and a community facility like the Manor Hall and as the local councillor she has offered her help to both sides in finding a resolution. Those involved need to be able to sit down and talk together, with appropriate mediators, to find a solution, as happened when a similar sort of issue arose at Crossbow. Claire has been talking to organisations that might be able to help.

Tell us why Woodlands Farm is special

Both Westerleigh and Frampton Cotterell Parish Councils have asked South Gloucestershire Council to designate the land at Woodlands Farm as “Local Green Space”. For this to happen, the Government requires it to be considered very special to local people, so we need evidence to show why it should be protected.

Local resident Stella Beecher (pictured above left speaking at the site visit for the planning application last April) has already compiled information about the links with celebrated children’s author Dick King-Smith. If you think Woodlands Farm is very special it will be really helpful if you would write to Claire Young or Pat Hockey to tell us why as soon as possible.

Library to celebrate local author

Residents campaigning against development on land at Woodlands Farm, Coalpit Heath, pointed out the link with children's author Dick King-Smith, whose book The Sheep Pig became the blockbuster film Babe. The late author's birthday will be celebrated at Winterbourne Library on Saturday 29th March when the "Dick King Smith Birthday Storytime " will be held from 2.30 until 3.30pm, with refreshments and cake.

Good news - no Woodlands Farm appeal

The deadline has now passed for Barratt Homes to lodge an appeal against the council's refusal of their application to build hundreds of new houses on land at Woodlands Farm. The good news is that they haven't done so.

Well done and thank you to all those involved in the campaign to save this important green space. Unfortunately this doesn’t mean that we won’t see another application at some point.

Woodlands Farm refused

Objectors outside the council offices

This afternoon the Development Control (West) Committee unanimously refused the Barratt Homes' application to build on land at Woodlands Farm, Coalpit Heath.

Local councillor Claire Young said, "Thank you to all who came to the meeting today and to everyone who has turned out at the many events to show their opposition to these plans. A special thank you to Richard Merrick for leading the action group and all those members of the group who have helped spread the word and demonstrate just how strongly local people feel."

Barratt Homes now have the option to appeal against the decision. We will of course keep you informed if this happens.

Steve Webb MP with objectors at the site