CONTROVERSIAL plans for a 3,000-home garden village between Thornbury and Falfield will not be receiving support from central government.

The surprise announcement regarding the proposed Buckover Garden Village was made on Friday by Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall at a public meeting held by the Thornbury Residents Against Poorly Planned Developments (TRAPP’D) action group.

Mr Hall said that, having spoken with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, they had agreed that the development did not meet requirements and as a result should not, and would not receive any support.

More than 300 residents attended the event at the Armstrong Hall, which saw senior planning officers deliver a presentation discussing the current planning process, and the under-consultation Joint Spatial Plan (JSP), the housing plans for up to 2036 that could be adopted by the West of England partnership of South Gloucestershire, Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, and North Somerset.

Residents were then invited to put questions to the panel, which included Brian Glasson, head of strategic planning and housing, Patrick Conroy, strategic planning manager, South Gloucestershire councillors Colin Hunt and Maggie Tyrrell, Leslie Forrest, chairman of the area branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, and TRAPP’D chairman Roger Hall – with topics covering the housing supply, infrastructure, transport and business.

In the JSP draft under consultation, provision has been made for Thornbury to take on 600 additional houses, as well as 2,200 houses having been designated for Buckover.

More to follow…