THE FIGHT against housing plans, including a controversial 3,000-home development on the fringe of Thornbury, has been taken all the way to Parliament.

In a debate held in Westminster Hall yesterday afternoon, Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall called on Sajid Javid, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to intervene in the plans for housing plans across the West of England, including the Buckover Garden Village put forward by the Tortworth Estate.

Addressing the housing minister Gavin Barwell, Mr Hall expressed his concerns over the West of England’s future housing proposals for South Gloucestershire, suggesting that there was a focus on housing rather than any attempt to integrate communities and business opportunities as intended for South Bristol.

The latest draft of the Joint Spatial Plan (JSP), which includes housing targets for the region until 2036 has earmarked 2,200 for Buckover, 1,000 for Charfield, and 1,500 for Coalpit Heath.

Mr Hall referenced a survey conducted by his office, which suggested of the 14,000 residents taking part, that 96 per cent outright opposed the JSP, with 92 per cent of residents in Thornbury and Alveston against Buckover.

In his speech, Mr Hall called on the minister to ask Mr Javid to issue a holding direction on the JSP, which would suspend the proposals to allow a government inspection.

Mr Barwell responded by saying that although he could not comment on independent development proposals, the government had already declined South Gloucestershire Council’s application for Buckover to receive garden village funding on the grounds that it was not a community led scheme.

He added that despite the JSP plans still being in its infancy, with two more stages of public consultation ahead of a final draft 2018, he would propose the idea of a holding direction to the Secretary of State and said he would be willing to meet with Mr Hall to discuss his concerns further.

Speaking after the debate, Mr Hall said: “I am delighted the minister will relay my request for a holding direction to the Secretary of State, and that he will also be meeting with me to discuss our community’s serious concerns over the housing plan.

“It is significant that the minister reiterated that it is vital and a priority consideration that any garden villages must have the support of our community before any assistance is given to progressing the plan.

“As a local man I understand these developments would put extreme pressure on our schooling, medical services and crucially, our transport infrastructure.

“Our communities in Thornbury and Charfield and Coalpit Heath could not be clearer that this plan needs to be paused, looked at again, and reconsidered.

“Armed with thousands of residents’ views from my recent survey, I will be urging the government to take the unusual step of intervening to pause the plan to ensure we get a fair deal for our area.”

Colin Gardner, co-chairman of Thornbury residents action group TRAPP’D said: “We are delighted to see Luke Hall table a debate at Westminster Hall today, where he correctly raised a number of issues of concern about the JSP. We fully endorse his comments about satellite developments, such as Buckover and Thornbury being distant from the areas where growth in employment demand occurs, thereby creating commuter misery and changing the character of the town and our countryside.

“We are also pleased to hear him refer to the strong level of local opposition to these developments, and the role of organisations such as TRAPP’D giving a voice to the residents”

A spokesman for South Gloucestershire Council said that they were legally unable to comment on the matter due to upcoming mayoral elections.

The Tortworth Estate, meanwhile, declined to comment.