Bristol homes protesters: We'll fight to protect green belt

By lhutchinson

Campaigners who fought off developers in Bristol have pledged an even bigger fight to protect the green belt from housing.

Residents have endured a see-saw of emotions since a plan was drawn up to put 450 homes on protected land off Barry Road, Oldland Common

They celebrated when South Gloucestershire planners rejected the scheme, only for an appeal against that decision to be lodged and a planning inquiry called.

Just before Christmas there was further jubilation when the developers at Strategic Land Partnerships (SLP) then decided to withdraw their appeal.

But the placards and protests are now returning after SLP announced it was making another attempt to get consent for the housing project.

It submitted a second application just as South Gloucestershire Council revealed its draft blueprint for the district – its so-called core strategy – in which it ruled out building on the green belt east of Kingswood, including areas such as Oldland Common.

Despite the council saying the area shouldn't be released for homes as there was enough building land elsewhere without losing part of the green belt, SLP claimed the site was needed to meet local housing needs.

Members of the Save Our Green Spaces group said they had expected SLP not to give up but have vowed to oppose the scheme again.

Treasurer Terry Hayward said: "I said at the time of the appeal being withdrawn that it was a case of 'when' not 'if' with regards to the developers coming back."

SLP's new plan is similar to the first and proposes 450 houses, a care home, primary school and shops.