For the last four years, we have been fighting the proposals to double the size of both Charfield and Coalpit Heath, build a 3,000-home Buckover ‘Garden Village’ just metres from Thornbury, and dramatically expand Iron Acton.

Together, we have waged a fierce campaign to protect our exceptionally beautiful communities. We know that building thousands of houses, without the transport infrastructure, community services and medical facilities to support them, is completely unsustainable.

As the local MP I have fought these proposals every step of the way. I took the fight to Government Ministers and held debates in the House of Commons, raised the community’s concerns at the highest levels in Government, helping to ensure Ministers did not back the Buckover element of the proposals.

I worked with residents and campaigners, including key groups such as TRAPPD, VALID and Fighting for Charfield in their battles with South Gloucestershire Council and presented robust technical submissions at every consultation opportunity and conducted a local development survey demonstrating our opposition to the proposals.

I wanted to update you that I have received the Government inspector’s official response to the proposals.

It echoes the 2017 speech I made in the House of Commons against the plan and they have recommended that the plans are completely withdrawn.

Together, we have defeated these plans, for now, and the Council will have to go back to the drawing board and start again.

But the plans to build thousands of houses without and real infrastructure next door to us could still be brought back in the months and years ahead.

Every day that I serve as your Member of Parliament, I will work to ensure we have real influence, and I will always fight to protect our beautiful community.