SWSD were appointed to promote this major garden village proposal to the north of Bristol. Work has been ongoing to identify the planning constraints, infrastructure requirements and concepts for the project.
The SWSD team took part in the West of England Joint Spatial Plan Examination in Summer 2019. Represented by Satnam Choongh of No5 Chambers, we successfully argued that the preparation of the JSP had been unsound and that sites such as North Bristol were being overlooked due to their Green Belt status, despite it being sustainably located in close proximity to existing transport hubs and employment.
The Inspectors agreed with this assertion and asked the four West of England Councils to withdraw the plan and start afresh to reconsider this issue. South Gloucestershire subsequently prepared an alternative plan for the area. This now includes the Woodlands Garden Community as an integral part of its spatial strategy and the site is earmarked for allocation for 1,900 homes. This significant turnaround was achieved through SWSD’s diligent work.
Now working collaboratively with the council we have been undertaking the detailed technical work for this large site to support the allocation as the local plan evolves, alongside preparation of an outline planning application.
It is anticipated that the application will be lodged in the near future and we hope that permission will follow soon after.