News that 370 homes have been prevented from being built in Thornbury has been greeted with joy among councillors and campaigners.

The Bovis Homes development on land south of Gloucester Road will not go ahead after a planning appeal was turned down.

Plans were rejected unanimously by South Gloucestershire Council's development control committee but went to an appeal after the council was unable to make a formal decision in the allotted time.

A request from the leader of SGC, councillor Toby Savage, that the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government James Brokenshire, exercised his powers to recover the appeal from the planning inspectors, and make the decisions himself was not met.

The appeal, held in January and February this year, has now been dismissed by planning inspector George Baird.

Residents made their feelings known at the inquiry with concerns raised over the designs of the housing, the impact on traffic on Crossways Lane, and the lack of jobs, school places and healthcare facilities to sustain and increased population.

In his report Mr Baird highlighted the harm that would be caused to heritage buildings, including the grade 2* listed Morton Grange.

"Heritage assets are an irreplaceable resource and they should be conserved in a manner appropriate to their significance.

The development would further weaken the degree of separation enjoyed by Morton Grange and remove the separation enjoyed by Yew Tree

Farmhouse and materially obscure the functional and historic relationship with the wider countryside," he said.

Cllr Toby Savage, leader of South Gloucestershire Council, said: “I am delighted that inspectors agree these plans are not right for Thornbury. This Council is focused on a plan-led approach and it is vital we oppose speculative development that does not offer the infrastructure to support services and facilities in Thornbury."

Cllr Steve Reade, new Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Strategic Environment, said: “South Gloucestershire has fought hard to demonstrate a five-year land supply, and we were pleased that the Council’s team made successful and strong arguments as to this applications impact both visually and on the landscape in Thornbury”

Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall said: “This decision by inspectors is a win for our town and sends a clear message that developers can no longer put forward speculative applications and expect the Council, and residents to not fight back."

Cllr Maggie Tyrrell, (Lib Dem, Thornbury) chair of Thornbury Town Council's development committee said: "I'm hugely relieved and pleased by the inspector's decision to refuse the appeal.

"However, there are some worrying aspects of his report, as his refusal is based on quite technical details about landscape and heritage. The other important issues of distance from the town and lack of infrastructure that have been of so much concern, do not feature as reasons for refusal, which may have implications for future applications.

"Even so, we should be celebrating this success and thank all those local residents, particularly members of TRAPP'D, who put in many hours of their time helping to fight the application."

A spokesman for TRAPP'D said: “We are delighted with the result of the Appeal and the reasons given by the Planning Inspector. 

"However, this still leaves the door open for SGC to press ahead with the plans to develop Buckover Garden Village within the auspices of the Joint Spatial Plan.

"Following Cllr Toby Savage’s statement before the recent Local Elections, which “includes supporting an extension of the Green Belt to the north and east of the town”, it will be interesting to find out how far the controlling Conservative Group are prepared to go with this promise. 

"We also have reservations about where this leaves the recent Barwood Homes planning application which lies to the west of the town!”