You have until 7 January to comment on new information put forward by the West of England councils to support their plans for thousands of new homes in our area.

The Planning Inspectors asked the councils to look again at the transport and infrastructure issues and the sustainability of the places where they say homes should be built. The councils have now published 8 new technical documents and an explanatory note, with a further document to be published on Monday 26th November. You can find them all here along with information on how to have your say.

Coalpit Heath/Westerleigh by-pass?

Most significantly for our area, the councils are now suggesting there should be a Coalpit Heath/Westerleigh by-pass built to link the proposed new J18a on the M4 with Yate. They don’t say exactly where this by-pass would go but have written to all landowners that might be affected. They argue the by-pass would reduce traffic on the A432 Badminton Road so buses can run more reliably, support the new employment land between Nibley and Westerleigh and reduce rat-running through Westerleigh village.

New Park and Ride?

It’s now 11 years since the Conservatives shelved the planned Nibley Park and Ride and spent the money on a white elephant at Parkway. These new documents suggest 4 new possible locations for a Park and Ride between Nibley Lane and Coalpit Heath.

You can see the map on the left showing the new transport options for the Coalpit Heath area on page 14 of the Emerging Findings Transport Report. The options for Park and Rides on the A38 on page 32 may  be of particular interest to those from the Tytherington, Itchington and Latteridge areas.

The Inspectors already have your previous comments so you don’t need to repeat them, you just need to comment on the new documents. Please let us know your views too so we can speak up on your behalf.