A THORNBURY councillor has pleaded with South Gloucestershire Council not to ‘sacrifice’ a woodland so a care home can be built on the site.

Maggie Tyrrell (Lib Dem, Thornbury) says it would be ‘ridiculous’ to sell the woodland at Vilner Lane.

She said: “We have a newly built care home and two more sites already earmarked for others in Thornbury, so it isn’t necessary to sacrifice this valuable green space.

“Thornbury Neighbourhood Development Plan group has also asked that the land is officially designated as green space. There is interest in maintaining and managing the wood from various groups, including the Thornbury Community Composters and a Forest School group has asked to use it at weekends to teach children about the natural world.”

Cabinet Member Ben Burton will soon decide whether to sell the land to a company wanting to build a care home on the site.

He said: “The decision to sell land at Vilner Lane to a care home provider was made by the Council’s Resources Sub-Committee in May 2014 following public consultation, with the recommendation actually being proposed by one of Cllr Tyrrell’s Liberal Democrat colleagues.

“Indications are there is demand for a care home within the Thornbury area. As such, we are now simply looking to amend the existing approval to sell direct to this developer.

“If we go against the previous decision, it would result in a significant gap in the financing of key projects.”