Backwell Parish Council would welcome your input on two key issues affecting our community.

2381 PROPOSED NEW HOMES FOR BACKWELL

North Somerset Council (NSC) are currently running a consultation on possible new sites for building in and around Backwell.  They have been asked by the government to find 8500 new homes across the whole of the district. The consultation ends on 21st March. At the end of April, NSC will then issue draft proposals for which of these sites they would welcome planning applications, as part of the process that will lead to the adoption of a new Local Plan for North Somerset. You can access the consultation at:

https://n-somerset-pp.inconsult.uk/Reg19AddSites/consultationHome

If you head for the section relating to Backwell, you will be able to comment on each of the potential building sites for our village. The total amount of proposed houses if all these sites were developed is 1,785. This does not include the 125 homes in Farleigh Fields currently being built, or the proposed development of 515 new homes at Grove Farm – on which we expect a decision very soon. If all these houses were built, that’s a total of 2,381 – that would mean Backwell would almost double in size in the coming years. To expect a small village like ours to provide 25% of the required total for the whole of North Somerset is disproportionate and unfair.

Thanks to Backwell Residents Association (BRA) for allowing us to use the map they have prepared showing possible development sites.

Proposals on this scale present a genuine existential threat to our community, with no thought for the impact on local services, transport and our environment.

Please use your local knowledge to comment on all the sites in Backwell, particularly those that will impact you directly.

There will also be a public consultation meeting, organised by NSC, at Backwell WI Hall on Monday 10th March between 3.00pm and 6.00pm. Given the number of people who attended last year’s BSIP consultation, we expect this meeting to be very busy. We lobbied NSC for a larger venue or a longer time slot, but they declined.  Please do your best to come along and make your views known.

DARK LANE TRAFFIC PROPOSALS

Some local residents will have received a letter from Stantec, on behalf of Charles Church Ltd, in relation to traffic proposals for the proposed development on Farleigh Fields West, with access via the demolition of 23 Dark Lane. Affected residents will also have received a leaflet from us about this – many thanks to the volunteers who helped deliver it. An independent traffic consultant employed by the Parish Council and BRA has found many flaws with the proposals. A final decision on whether this scheme can go ahead will be taken by an Independent Inspector at a hearing at Weston Town Hall from 10.00am on Thursday 13th March (reserve day on Friday 14th March).  Members of the public can attend the hearing, or you can make representations online by searching NSC’s planning portal for ‘Land off Dark Lane Backwell, 24/P/1185/OUT. Please do this as soon as possible. Thank you for your support.