A Thornbury residents group has branded the first public workshop for the proposed Buckover Garden Village as 'public relations spin'.

Residents group TRAPP’D (Thornbury Residents Against Poorly Planned Development) had been invited to one of the workshops but declined after organisers told them the location of the proposed 3-000 home settlement would not be part of the discussion.

TRAPP'D said their boycott was 'vindicated' after the report from the first public workshop was published.

Co-chairman Colin Gardner said: "This anodyne document picks out the uncontentious issues and dodges anything difficult. This does not accord with the accounts we’ve heard of the meetings.”

Sustainability, a sense of place and entrepreneurial spirit were identified as key to the controversial housing development, part of the West of England Joint Spatial Plan (JSP).

The workshop, the first in a series planned for this year, took place in April with more than 50 people invited from 20 public, private and not for profit organisations.

Attendees discussed four main topics: green infrastructure, movement and transport and requirements for 21st century living. The challenge caused by the A38 was also discussed.

Thornbury town councillor Maggie Tyrrell, chair of the town development committee, was involved in the transport discussions.

"They were trying to get us to come up with solutions and we couldn't and nor could they.

"There were an enormous number of issues around traffic. We just kept on posing more problems for them and they didn't have any answers."

It was suggested Buckover must sustain the demand for schools and GPs services, have a central hub and encourage the formation of new businesses.

The workshop was organised by the Tortworth Estate and its developers St. Modwen.

Robert Moreton of the Tortworth Estate said: “We want to engage with as many local people as possible to gather their views on what a future master plan for this 21st century concept might look like. We are very encouraged by the feedback from this first workshop session which we will now use to shape and inform our future public engagement sessions.”

Mark Thorne of St. Modwen added: “Should the emerging JSP be formally adopted by the UK Government and the principle of Buckover Garden Village ratified, then it is important as many people as possible have been given the chance to contribute their views and help shape the final proposals.”

The workshop has been summarised in a report which will be used to shape further workshops in the coming months.

To read the full report visit tortworthestate.com/sites/default/files/First%20Workshop%20(April)%202018%20report.PDF.