SERVING both as social areas for the community and as a lung to the town, the green spaces in the Thornbury area offer a lot.

So the prospect of losing so many loved places in the town was a concern for many.

As the town continues to grow, with around 1,500 new homes on the horizon, eating into the green border around Thornbury, demand for places where you can walk your dog, play a game of football, have a picnic or go for a walk will only get higher.

The sense seen by councillors to push for these sites to be protected is a welcome relief, with the fact that even opposing parties campaigning for the same cause highlighting their importance to the community.

But while this victory is one to be celebrated, it is also one to reflect on.

As the national need for housing continues to put pressure on areas like Thornbury, the conflict between expansion and internal development becomes ever more prominent, as does the need for investment in community infrastructure.

The question then is whether this show of support from councillors will cause a domino effect and begin the process of taking care of Thornbury’s bigger issues.