We'll fight 10,000 new homes on Bristol green belt

Villagers have launched a campaign to stop more than 10,000 homes being built on Bristol green belt.

More than 100 people packed Dundry's village hall to plan their campaign against the proposals.

And they told council planners: "Keep your hands off our green belt."

They vowed to fight "tooth and nail" to stop the proposed new town, likely to be called Yanley.

Last night's meeting was organised by the newly-formed Dundry Residents' Action Group (Drag).

It was launched last month after proposals were revealed to build 9,000 new homes on about 200 hectares of green-belt land in North Somerset, and a further 1,500 homes over the border in Bristol.

The land stretches from the A38 at Dundry, near the Barrow Tanks, right down to the A370 Long Ashton bypass to Ashton Vale.

The development, which is currently in the draft planning stages, would be built in phases over 20 years from 2011, to meet Government targets for new housing for the region's growing population.

But at the heated meeting, residents told members of North Somerset Council's planning department that the green belt which separates its northern villages from Bristol must be saved.

Bernard Thompson, 78, of Highridge Road, has lived in Dundry with his wife, Gill, for 34 years.

He said: "I do not want to see the green belt swallowed up by housing – it is the last thing we have. They should keep their hands off our green belt."

Other residents said they were concerned about the affect the extra development would have on local roads and that the area lacked the services and infrastructure needed for so many new homes.

John Phillips, of Highridge Road, has lived in the village for more than 40 years. He said: "It already takes people hours to get into Bristol from out here – why is that going to be different when this new town is created?"

Other residents said they had not been consulted on the blueprint and had only learnt about the proposal three weeks ago.

David Nevitt, 45, of Ham Lane, Dundry, asked: "How can you justify building more than 10,000 new homes when the ones we have already are not selling?"

And Geoff Nicholls, a 60-year-old builder from Bridgwater Road, said: "I was astounded when I saw the size of the proposed new town – especially as we had no advance warning about it."

Jill Lax, a mum of three of Bridgwater Road, said: "We should fight this application tooth and nail."

North Somerset Council head of economy and regeneration Marian Barber attended the meeting with colleague Joy Milsom, a principal planning officer for the authority.

Mrs Barber admitted that not all residents had received information about the proposals for new homes but said the development was 'not a done deal'. She said: "We do not want to repeat mistakes of the past, where developments have been built which are remote or inaccessible, nor do we want to swamp existing services."

"This land was identified by the South West Regional Assembly in the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) as an area for development."

The Government is also proposing 9,000 new homes be built in South East Bristol, 3,000 homes at Hicks Gate, 10,000 homes in North and North East Bristol, 3,000 in Yate and 2,000 dwellings south of Bath. The RSS is also proposes that a further 9,000 homes be built in Weston-super-Mare.

If the North Somerset development gets the green light it could include six new primary schools, a new secondary school, a link road between the A370 and A38, a railway station and park-and-ride site.

Drag spokesman Debbie Nicholls said: "Unless we act now and fight this plan Dundry will lose its identity and become encased in concrete."