1. Strategic Development Locations

1. The I&OD includes four areas for development that are described as Strategic Development Locations (SDLs).  Given the forecast population growth in the WoE and in North Somerset, I am not against the proposals for some large development sites, as they can deliver the required infrastructure in terms of local amenities. However, I do object to the proposed sites at Nailsea and Churchill/Mendip Spring. 
2. Of the SDLs included in the I&OD, I can see that Banwell and Backwell may have their merits.  Banwell is close enough to Weston-super-Mare for new residents to travel to work in Weston by cycling or new public transport services.  Meanwhile, Banwell village has long needed a bypass and construction of new houses will contribute to the cost of its construction. (I am not convinced that the additional houses should be located north of the proposed bypass but that matter is for a later stage of plan making.  Backwell is well served for non-car travel by train and by regular bus services along the A370. So I can see the case for modest growth of Backwell too.
3. In contrast, I am completely opposed to the proposed SDL of 2675 dwellings with employment land at Churchill/Mendip Spring because the site is simply too isolated and too far from the employment centres of both Bristol and Weston-super-Mare. There is little prospect of providing a frequent bus service to attract travellers away from their cars to these destinations. So residents working in those locations will be forced to travel by car adding to traffic on the routes to the west and north, including both the A370 and the A38. The A38 to the north of Bristol Airport already needs improvement (even before the airport applies to expand its passenger limits).  The A370, with several villages straddling the road between Congresbury and Flax Bourton, is not capable of carrying significant growth in traffic without harming those settlements through declining air quality, noise, vibration, severance and an increased risk of accidents. 
4. I also have concerns about the allocation of an SDL for 2575 dwellings with employment land, within the Plan period, located to the south-west of Nailsea.  Here, I can see that there may be scope for some development but the location appears to me to be on the “wrong side” of Nailsea, as it’s too remote from the town centre. It seems to me that it would be better to concentrate development at Nailsea on the north and north-east side, where it would be closer to and easier to integrate with the existing town.   Extensive development to the south-west would also concentrate development traffic on the A370. Even with the suggested transport mitigation package, the JSP Transport Topic Paper (Update) WED007 predicts increases of traffic of several hundred vehicles in the AM peak, which is probably beyond the capacity of the existing road.    Allocating land to the north and north-east would channel additional traffic onto the B3130, where it would impact on far fewer residents.

Location is on the wrong side of Nailsea. Better to concentrate development at Nailsea on the N/NE side, where it would be closer to and easier to integrate with the existing town. Extensive development to the south-west would concentrate development traffic on the A370. Even with the transport mitigation package, the JSP Transport Topic Paper predicts traffic increases probably beyond existing road capacity. Development to N/NE would have less impact by channelling traffic onto B3030.