MORE than 100 residents have objected to plans for homes at Marsh Farm in Pucklechurch.
Developers IM Land want to create a 100-home estate on a field at the corner of Feltham Road and Abson Road.
They hope the Government’s drive for housebuilding will mean that the site can be removed from the green belt.
But the scheme they have submitted to South Gloucestershire Council has met local opposition. Many residents say further development would spoil the village setting, which was the reason they moved to Pucklechurch in the first place.
Other concerns include pressure on local infrastructure such as school places, healthcare and shops, as well as poor public transport links, which would inevitably mean more cars on the roads.
There are also fears that development could lead to flooding in Abson Road and Feltham Road.
One resident commented: “The Name ‘Marsh Farm’ should provide a clue here.”
Residents say the proposed access from Abson Road and the planned pedestrian access on the corner would both cause problems.
Others are worried about the impact on popular walking routes, while Historic England has expressed its concerns on heritage grounds.
Pucklechurch Parish Council has put in a detailed document objecting to the proposed development.
It says the site is greenfield agricultural land in open countryside and should not be downgraded to ‘grey belt’ status.
The parish council says that if the plan is given the go-ahead, the developer should contribute towards pavements on Abson Road and on Feltham Road from Abson Road to Castle Road, a zebra crossing from the estate, and towards improving the community centre and the play area on the recreation field.
HistoricWard councillor Marilyn Palmer said she believed the plan was a speculative and opportunistic application seeking to gain consent before South Gloucestershire’s Local Plan was adopted.
The Local Plan has been submitted to the Secretary of State and is expected to be examined in public next year. If approved, it would be in place by the end of the year.
The Marsh Farm site is not designated as suitable for development in the draft Local Plan, although a neighbouring site for 60 homes off Abson Road is included.
IM Land held a consultation event in the village before putting in their plan, which is for a mix of two-storey homes, half of which would be designated affordable, to the council.
The plan can be found on the South Glos planning website using the reference P25/02362/O