Scores of people living in a village north of Bristol came out to show their support for a campaign to try to stop developers building homes on a Common on the edge of their community.
A planning application has now been submitted for 124 new homes on Hicks Common, on the east side of Winterbourne, which local residents say would turn their village into a suburb and hasten the creation of a single urban area running all the way from Yate to Bristol.
Developers Waddeton Park Ltd have applied for planning permission to build on Hicks Common, and have submitted plans for 124 new homes.
They say up to half the new homes would be for sale on the open market but the other half would be classed as ‘affordable’ under planning definitions – and they would be either shared ownership, ‘first homes’ or homes for social rent.
The developers also say that they only intend to build on around a third of the site, leaving the rest of the land for community use.
But residents in Winterbourne are staunchly opposed to the plan, pointing out that the land is still designated Green Belt in both the existing and the new Local Plan for South Gloucestershire.
As many as 500 people turned out for a public meeting late last year about the plans, and after it was announced that a planning application had been submitted last Friday, more than 140 people turned out for a photograph showing the level of opposition.
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“It was heartening to see so many people at the gathering on Sunday,” said local resident Sophie Swainger. “Hicks Common is so important to Winterbourne, the only place we have accessible open views and big skies in the middle of the village.
“Without this large open view, Winterbourne would feel hemmed in and become a suburb rather than a village,” she added.
“What a fantastic turnout of people today, with all likeminded feelings of opposition to the houses on Hick Common,” added Bridgette Brooks. “Keep on opposing any forced change.”
A community group called Save Hicks Common has been formed, and is urging local residents to read the planning application and submit their views to South Gloucestershire Council.
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“We warmly support the emerging Local Plan in maintaining the green belt designation in the Frome Valley and the complimentary landscape protection policies for the Frome Valley, the ‘visually important hillside’ including Hicks Common and the strategic viewpoint at the duck pond across the Frome Valley and towards the Cotswolds,” said a spokesperson for the campaign group.
“We also consider development at Hicks Common Road would conflict with all those policies. If this is the start of the battle to protect this sensitive area of the village, we will be ready.
“The land offers views to Frampton Cotterell and the Cotswolds beyond. The land is currently part of a livery, and the views, horses and nearby duck pond, have been enjoyed for generations. The site is in the beautiful natural landscape of the Frome Valley, and local people are determined that the valley should not be built on,” he added.