Seven of the homes will be affordable, helping to tackle the housing crisis
The homes would be built on meadows(Image: Google)
Plans have been approved for 20 new homes in the countryside near Yate despite being far from shops and services. Councillors fear that the distance from schools, pharmacies and shops mean that future residents will end up driving to most destinations, adding to traffic problems.
Developers now have planning permission from South Gloucestershire Council to build the homes on North Road, north of Engine Common. Seven of the homes would be affordable, with five for social rent and two for shared ownership.
Councillors on the development management committee voted by six votes to two in favour of granting planning permission on Thursday, August 7. They heard from the developers that there are ample ways of travelling from the site to local destinations, although they remained unconvinced.
Ashley Grant, planning manager at Cotswolds Homes, said: “We’re based in South Gloucestershire and our offices are situated in Yate, just one mile from the site. Significant public open space is proposed on site, including a play area and allotments.
“The site is located within walking distance of a number of services and within a 15-minute cycle ride of key facilities as well as Yate railway station. Bus stops nearby are served by the Westlink service. Numbers on roll at the Rangeworthy CofE primary are at just 49 per cent of its capacity and Tyndale primary is at 90 per cent of its capacity.”
(Image: Cotswolds Homes )
But hundreds of houses are getting built in the wider area, leading to an expected shortage of places in primary schools over the next few years. Councillors fear that this could mean parents driving their children long distances to get to the nearest school with available places.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Tristan Clark, representing Frampton Cotterell and chairing the committee, said: “If you look solely at the current capacity of these schools, it’s not necessarily indicative of what’s going to happen in the next future years. There are a lot of approved developments which are being constructed in Engine Common, Rangeworthy and Ladden Garden Village.
“There are very few services on North Road. There’s the primary school and a public house. Most people would get in their car and drive to Yate or elsewhere.”
Another concern was that the open spaces in the small housing estate would be looked after by a private management company. These have attracted criticism in other housing estates, as residents are forced to pay fees for maintenance services which are often subpar or non-existent, and which used to be carried out by local councils.