The land is about to be reclassified
Plans for 100 new homes on the very edge of Bristol, on land between Bishopsworth and the South Bristol Link Road. The land is just inside the Bristol boundary.(Image: Google Maps)
Two fields on the very edge of Bristol could be developed with around 100 new homes built on them, housebuilders have revealed. Taylor Wimpey is set to unveil its plans for the land off Elsbert Drive in the Highridge part of Bishopsworth in South Bristol, later this month.
The two fields are just inside the Bristol boundary, in a parcel of land between the homes off Highridge Green and the angle created by the South Bristol Link Road and the A38 Bridgwater Road.
The land is currently designated as Green Belt in the existing 2014 Local Plan for Bristol, but a new draft version that will shortly replace that document does now allocate it as development land. Local residents in Bishopsworth and Highridge say they have long feared the link road would mean the land between the edge of the built-up area of the city and the A38 would be ‘filled in’ with development, if the Local Plan did redraw the Green Belt, and now developers say they are close to submitting a planning application.
Taylor Wimpey is putting forward a planning application before that Local Plan has been adopted. It is holding a drop-in event to show the plans and get feedback from local residents in Bishopsworth, at St Peter’s Church next week.
The event takes place on Wednesday, July 16, from 3pm to 8pm, and Taylor Wimpey said people can view detailed proposals, ask questions and provide input on the development before the firm submits its planning application formally.
A spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey said it wants to build 100 or so new homes, and 35 per cent of them would be classified as ‘affordable’ under planning definitions.
Taylor Wimpey said the new homes will ‘accommodate everyone from first-time homeowners and young families to those looking to downsize’. The ‘key features’ of the proposal include, it said, ‘enhanced connections to local amenities through new cycling and walking routes with links to existing public rights of way to reduce car dependency for short trips’, and ‘vehicle access from Elsbert Drive, with strong public transport links nearby’.
Plans for 100 new homes on the very edge of Bristol, on land between Bishopsworth and the South Bristol Link Road. The land is just inside the Bristol County boundary.(Image: Ordnance Survey Election Maps)
The nearby Highridge Green main road has one bus route, the 36, which runs all the way across South Bristol from Highridge to St Anne’s. The nearest bus stop for a bus to the city centre from the development site is more than a half a mile away in Bishopsworth.
Taylor Wimpey also said the development would bring “community and biodiversity improvements, including a play area and green spaces rich in wildlife” and would “support local economic growth by bringing investment and jobs to Bishopsworth”.
David Smart, Taylor Wimpey’s strategic land and planning manager, said: “Our proposals aim to deliver much-needed new homes to Bishopsworth while creating a sustainable new community for the area.
Plans for 100 new homes on the very edge of Bristol, on land between Bishopsworth and the South Bristol Link Road. The land is just inside the Bristol County boundary.(Image: Taylor Wimpey)
“The design is shaped by the site’s natural features – including existing trees, hedgerows, footpaths, and the local topography – which form the basis of our proposed layout.
“We’re committed to working closely with the Bishopsworth community to ensure the development reflects local needs and aspirations. We encourage everyone to attend our community drop-in event to meet the project team, view the proposals, and share their feedback,” he added.
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