South Gloucestershire Council

Published: 07/11/2013

The 2,450-home scheme north of Brimsham Park is a key element in South Gloucestershire’s long-term development plans and will help to deliver many of the new homes, jobs and community facilities and infrastructure the district will need in the coming years.

As a ‘sustainable’ development the scheme aims to create a self-contained new community with residential areas and 12 acres of employment land set around a new local centre with shops and a pub, two primary schools, a mixed-use community centre with a police post, sports facilities, allotments and play areas.

One-third of the new homes will be affordable housing and will include ExtraCare units supporting independent living for older people with special care needs.

The scheme will also preserve and enhance the site’s ecological characteristics and will include a woodland area based on existing trees, a recreational loop following an existing green lane, and a new meadow landscape area incorporating the site’s existing watercourses and floodplain.

Chair of the council’s Development Control (East) Committee Cllr Colin Hunt said: “This is a very significant strategic development for South Gloucestershire that underlines our commitment to working positively with developers to deliver the homes, jobs and infrastructure our communities will need in the coming years."

He added: “I am very pleased that in granting outline planning permission we have again been able to demonstrate the viability of South Gloucestershire’s housing land supply which means that as a council we are in a stronger position to defend the parts of the district where we do not believe development should occur.”

Outline planning permission for the scheme was granted subject to a detailed ‘Section 106’ agreement between developer Heron Land Developments and the council, which will see investment of approximately £20m in local services, amenities and infrastructure.

These will include contributions to local library, education and health services, as well as the development of sustainable travel options for new residents including new bus services, cycle and walking routes and a ‘travel planning’ scheme to promote travel alternatives to the private car.

Some £4m will also be allocated to significant strategic works to upgrade Yate’s sewerage infrastructure.

The site north of Brimsham Park will make up the main part of the 3,000-home North Yate New Neighbourhood anticipated within South Gloucestershire’s emerging Core Strategy.

Its 2,450 new homes will be completed in phases over the next 14 years, with initial work set to being on site in the 2014/15 financial year.

Following today’s granting of outline planning permission, further planning stages will follow addressing the detailed planning of the site.