Weston’s MP John Penrose has written to North Somerset Council’s Leader and Executive Member For Transport, praising parts of the just-published Local Plan ‘Choices’ Consultation, but calling for major changes elsewhere.
John’s letter welcomes plans to‘Build Up Not Out’to provide more homes and investment in central Weston; that the Banwell bypass appears in all 4 new Local Plan options; and that the small town (‘garden village’) between Churchill and Congresbury has disappeared from 3 of the 4 options too.
But he calls for more greenbelt, including a Council commitment for a ‘3 in 1 out’ system where every acre of lost greenbelt has to be replaced by 3 new ones, and a block of new belt to protect villages like Congresbury, Churchill, Langford and Sandford. Plus he calls for the Council to stop ignoring problems with the M5 and Junction 21; for the garden village to be deleted from the single Local Plan option where it still appears; and for Bristol Council to return a favour by building homes to absorb some of North Somerset’s housing need, after North Somerset has spent the last 40 years doing the same for them.
John said: “the Council’s ‘Choices’ document is a lot better than their first attempt, but there’s still a long way to go. It needs changes from North Somerset’s leadership, from Government Ministers and from Bristol Council too. Let’s work together to get this right!”