A DEVELOPER will press ahead with plans for a 3,000-home village on the outskirts of Thornbury despite the shock announcement that central government will not be supporting the project.

MP Luke Hall announced that Buckover Garden Village would not receive financial backing from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) at a public meeting held by action group Thornbury Residents Against Poorly Planned Development (TRAPP’D) on Friday.

Tortworth Estate’s proposals for the new village surfaced in May this year as sites were put forward for the West of England Joint Spatial Plan (JSP), which outlines the region’s housing targets and development schemes until 2036.

After Mr Hall’s announcement, a spokesman for the Tortworth Estate said: “It is important to note that the DCLG’s decision does not prejudice the Buckover Garden Village site’s allocation in the draft JSP.

“We have been encouraged by the support we have received, especially from those who are fed up with the same old, same old, building on the edge of town. We are continuing with our work to show why we believe something different, such as a new, well-planned settlement at Buckover, is worthy of inclusion in the JSP.”

Residents have criticised the choice of location for the village, suggesting it would add unbearable pressure to the already strained infrastructure of Thornbury and that the extra traffic would overwhelm the A38.

Mr Hall said that following a meeting with housing minister Gavin Barwell, it was decided that the Buckover scheme did not meet the criteria set out by the government for a financial support package to handle large scale applications.

He instead urged planning officers to seek out more appropriate locations for the 2,200 homes allocated in the JSP and to remove Buckover in following rounds of consultation.

Maggie Tyrrell, a South Gloucestershire councillor and chairman of Thornbury Town Council’s development committee, said: “The town council objected very strongly to the Buckover Garden Village proposal so I welcome Luke Hall’s announcement that the government are not giving it financial or practical support.

“I am not yet convinced this will stop the Tortworth Estate just amending their plans and continuing with some form of development despite this setback.

“They have already invested heavily in their proposal so I can’t believe they will simply abandon it but hopefully, if everyone works together, we can change their minds.”

Cllr Tyrrell, who spoke as part of the panel in the TRAPP’D public meeting at the Armstrong Hall, praised members for their organisation of the event “so efficiently and effectively in the short time since the group was formed.”

More than 300 residents filled the hall to hear a presentation from South Gloucestershire Council’s Brian Glasson, head of strategic planning and housing, and Patrick Conroy, strategic planning manager.

The pair then took part in a Q&A session with the audience, joined by Cllr Tyrrell, TRAPP'D spokesman Roger Hall, South Gloucestershire Cllr Colin Hunt and Leslie Forrest, chairman of the South Gloucestershire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

Throughout the questions, which covered topics including infrastructure, transport and business, the group continued to encourage residents to take part in the ongoing consultation by making their own comment online.

A SGC spokesman said: “A proposed ‘garden village’ on land at Buckover, Thornbury, is one of the options that we are seeking the public’s views on as part of our consultation on the Joint Spatial Plan (JSP).

“At the meeting Luke Hall MP informed those present that the Buckover site was unlikely to be successful in receiving government resources to support technical work to see if the proposals are deliverable, following a bid submission made in June. The council is yet to receive any formal confirmation from the DCLG of the result of the bidding process.

“Working in partnership with the three other West of England authorities, we will wait until the end of the current consultation on the JSP before considering whether there will be any modifications to the draft plan - including the proposed locations for development - in light of the consultation responses and any other new information which is available.”

Public drop-in exhibitions for the JSP will be taking place between 1pm and 7pm in The Armstrong Hall in Thornbury tomorrow and at the same time on Monday in Falfield Village Hall.

For more information on the JSP, or to comment on the consultation, visit www.jointplanningwofe.org.uk