Plans for 595 homes on farmland near Bristol ‘should be approved’, public meeting told

Plans for 595 homes on high-quality farmland that were rejected by South Gloucestershire Council should be approved on appeal, a public inquiry has heard.

Barrister David Manley KC, representing developers Barwood Development Securities, told the opening day of a two-week planning appeal that the benefits of the proposed scheme, on fields west of Park Farm, Butt Lane, Thornbury, outweighed the harm to heritage assets.

But the council told the hearing that the opposite was true and that consent should not be granted.

Barwood has appealed to the Planning Inspectorate against the authority’s failure to determine its application – which includes a primary school, a retail and community hub, allotments, parkland, footpaths and new roads with a bus link – within the time limits.

South Gloucestershire Council is contesting the appeal after its planning committee agreed with officers’ recommendation in January that it would have rejected the proposals if it still had the power to do so.

Mr Manley told the inquiry at Turnberries Community Centre in Thornbury: “The proposal is the outcome of extensive engagement with local planning authority officers and was the subject of an initial officer support at the very highest level.

“It is our case that such harms that do exist are outweighed by public benefits of the scheme.”He said the harms included “less than substantial” harm to Thornbury Castle and St Mary’s church, both Grade I-listed, and the loss of agricultural land classed as “best and most versatile”.

Mr Manley said: “The simple fact is that if development is to occur around Thornbury which avoids greenbelt and areas subject to flooding constraint then development using some best and most versatile land is inevitable and has occurred in recent developments.”

He said the fact that the site was not within the town’s settlement boundary was “not an obstacle to development” partly because the council did not have a five-year housing land supply.

This was disputed by barrister Andrew Fraser-Urquhart KC, representing the local authority.

He told the hearing: “The important backdrop for the determination of this appeal is that this development is sought within the area of an authority that has a good record of housing delivery.

“As against a three-year requirement of 3,578 units, the council has seen delivery of 4,755, and in those circumstances a very clear justification therefore needs to be advanced to allow development of an unallocated greenfield site in the open countryside.

“The evidence will show there is no such justification and indeed very good reasons for refusing at appeal.”

He said the appellants’ assertions that the council’s policies relating to scale and location of the scheme were out of date and that the authority could not demonstrate a five-year supply of housing land were “incorrect” and “unjustified”.

Mr Fraser-Urquhart said the development’s benefits of housing, including 35 per cent affordable homes, ecological improvements, new public space and local economic boost must be weighed against “very considerable disbenefits” of the scheme.

He said 800 homes were earmarked to be built north of Thornbury but that Barwood’s application was not in this location and the houses were in addition to this.

“The heritage harm outweighs the public benefits and there is no basis to grant planning permission,” he added.

Government-appointed planning inspector Christina Downes will make the final decision following the inquiry, which continues today (September 30), with representations from residents.