While the site is not currently included in the emerging South Gloucestershire Local Plan, it was previously identified for development in the now-abandoned West of England Joint Spatial Plan, which planned for higher levels of growth.

Analysis of local housing needs has shown that the emerging Local Plan will not fully meet the Government’s extended house building targets. Our proposals for providing housing at this sustainable location will go some way to helping South Gloucestershire Council meet this shortfall.

Development of the site can help address this shortfall much sooner through the provision of a sustainable extension of Coalpit Heath. It will be for South Gloucestershire Council to weigh the benefits against the impacts of the scheme.

The Government undertook a more strategic approach to Green Belt as part of their manifesto commitment to address the housing crisis, by introducing the concept of ‘Grey Belt’ and a series of ‘Golden Rules’ for development upon such land. 

The approach within the emerging Local Plan pre-dates these changes and so does not consider whether any land represents Grey Belt.

We consider that the Frog Lane scheme meets the tests for Grey Belt land and complies with the Government’s ‘Golden Rules’ for development within such land.

A new Green Belt edge to Coalpit Heath would be formed along Frog Lane. New public open space, as suitable uses within the Green Belt, would be located beyond.

Edward Ware Homes Ltd., a Bristol-based developer, has a reputation for creating bespoke, design-led developments that respond to a wide range of constraints and factors.

Unlike large volume house building companies that build developments, Edward Ware Homes Ltd., takes pride in good urban and architectural design that creates pleasant places to live; places where people can enjoy a high quality of life and a sense of belonging for many years to come.

For more information, please visit https://www.edwardware.co.uk/about 

Whilst proposals for the two sites are being brought forward by separate developers, an overarching masterplan has been progressed to ensure integration between the two schemes, particularly regarding access and movement and provision of community amenities.

An outline planning application is a type of planning application that establishes if the principle of a proposed development is acceptable before committing to the costs of detailed plans.

Our application will cover the use and amount of development and details of the main vehicle access connection, while allowing "reserved matters" (layout, scale, appearance, and landscaping) to be approved later in a further, more detailed planning application.

For a development of this size reserved matters applications are progressed in phases as development delivery progresses. The content of these will be controlled at outline application stage by agreed parameters identifying the locations of uses, height and density of development, as well as access and movement routes.

The application will be determined by South Gloucestershire Council.

Feedback from the public consultation and statutory consultees will be carefully considered by the design and planning team as they finalise the scheme and prepare the outline planning submission in Spring 2026.

Once the outline planning application has been submitted, there will be a period of statutory consultation led by South Gloucestershire Council, when you will have an opportunity to comment further before any formal planning decision is made. 

• Outline planning submission – Spring 2026

• Planning decision – Autumn/Winter 2026

• If approved, preparation and submission of first phase reserved matters application including further public consultation – 2027

• First phase reserved matters planning decision – 2027/2028

• If approved, construction commences – 2028/2029

• First homes go on sale/completed – 2030

• Completion of site c. 2037-2039

A Transport Assessment will be produced to assess the impacts of the development. This Assessment will suggest mitigation where considered necessary.  

There is one principal access point which is proposed to be a large roundabout junction with Frog Lane and Badminton Road.  There will be other secondary and pedestrian/cycle access points on Coalville Road and Woodside Road.  

Parking will be addressed in detail during the reserved matters stage and will be in line with South Gloucestershire Council’s Residential Parking Standards. Each dwelling will be provided with between one and three car parking spaces, depending on its size. Between one and two cycle spaces will be provided per dwelling.  

Yes to both. We are currently discussing how many spaces with a commercial operator.  

It is not proposed to put traffic on streets where there are parking problems. Parking provision on the site will be arranged so that it accommodates its own demand.  

Potentially, subject to the outcome of the Transport Assessment. However, there is considered to be a good frequency of buses already on Badminton Road.  

We have taken a comprehensive approach to designing this scheme, encompassing energy and carbon reduction, efficient land use, integrated community facilities, sustainable water management, ecological enhancement, and low-impact transport options. The resulting proposals aim to deliver lasting environmental, social, and economic value while aligning with planning requirements for sustainable growth. 

Our strategy in terms of levels adopts a topography-led approach, where the site’s undulating landscape serves as the primary driver for the required on-site infrastructure. Rather than pursuing a 'blank slate' approach that requires extensive cut-and-fill operations, we are utilising the natural variations in levels and incorporating this within the scheme design, wherever possible. 

Level differences across the site allow for the creative use of terracing and split-level housing minimising the need for intrusive retaining walls and allows the built form to 'step' down the slopes, providing natural surveillance and unique character areas that reflect the local South Gloucestershire landscape, whilst still ensuring that necessary road infrastructure meets the required standards for adoption and ensuring accessibility for all. 

The undulation also informs the placement of Sustainable Drainage Systems as part of the wider drainage strategy. By aligning building heights and road hierarchies with the natural fall of the land, we ensure that gravity-fed drainage remains efficient, directing runoff toward natural collection points and attenuation ponds at the site's lowest elevations. 

As part of the ongoing design process, we are already liaising with Design West, Environment Agency and other statutory consultees and advisory bodies. Detailed ecology, drainage, heritage and other surveys will all be undertaken as part of our pre-application work.  

Secured by Design (SBD) principles will also inform the scheme’s design. SBD is an official police security initiative that works to improve the security of buildings and their immediate surroundings to provide safe places to live, work, shop and visit. 

Public consultation with stakeholders and the local community is a key part of the design process. This gives local residents and businesses the opportunity to share ideas, highlight priorities and help shape a well‑designed, well‑connected neighbourhood. 

We are particularly interested in hearing your views on: 

• Provision of sustainable connections with the existing community, including footpaths and cycleways 

• The design and use of Public Open Space 

• Specific housing needs within the local area 

• Facilities that could support and benefit the community as part of the Mixed Use area 

Your feedback will be reviewed by the consultant team, and the proposal will be refined where appropriate. A summary of all comments will be shared as part of the planning submission. 

Please note that your individual feedback will be kept confidential and will not be shared with anyone else. 

A (BS5837) Tree Survey and Habitat Survey are undertaken at a baseline stage to identify trees, hedgerows and habitats present across the Site. Those features of value are designed to be retained and enhanced, with a view to delivering an overall gain in biodiversity.

The sensitive landscaping scheme will meaningfully contribute to the future BNG (biodiversity net gain) assessment to be submitted as part of the outline application.

Specimen trees, hedgerows and a pocket of neutral grassland have been identified as being the habitats of relative importance within the site.  These have been prioritised for retention and enhancement as part of the scheme design.  Hazel dormice have been confirmed as being present and consideration to future mitigation will also be incorporated throughout the scheme design.

Yes. The proposals will deliver a quantum of new tree planting within open space, green corridors and streets.

Our proposed flood risk and drainage strategy is twofold, prioritising the site layout to avoid building homes in high-risk flood areas that are present in the northern and eastern parts of the site, and utilising a Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) that mimics natural drainage, ensuring that surface water runoff from the new development is managed responsibly and does not increase flood risk elsewhere.

To achieve this, the scheme will utilise a comprehensive surface water attenuation strategy. As desktop surveys indicate that the local ground conditions are not suitable for soaking water directly into the ground, we are designing a system that captures water via a selected combination of planted raingardens, swales, and permeable paving, then stores, and slowly releases water back to local watercourses via large, landscaped attenuation ponds located within the site’s public open spaces and green infrastructure. During heavy rainfall, runoff from roofs and roads is directed into these basins rather than surging immediately into the local watercourse.

The drainage network will be designed to handle extreme weather events and will have the capacity to cope with a 1 in 100-year storm event, with an additional 40% allowance for climate change. This "future-proofing" ensures the development remains safe, ensures that the receiving watercourses are not overwhelmed by sudden surges and that there is increase flood risk even as weather patterns become more volatile.

To deliver the necessary infrastructure for the scheme, new access roads from the A432 Badminton Road will need to cross or utilise small sections of the existing floodplain. Construction of these roads will require raising ground levels in specific locations to ensuring  safe access. To ensure these essential roadworks do not displace floodwater or increase risk elsewhere, we will be implementing compensatory flood storage effectively "reshaping" the land where floodplain exists to accommodate the roads without reducing capacity to hold water.

Beyond flood control, the scheme will include, diverse and wildlife friendly plants, which will act as natural filters. As water moves through vegetation and settles in the ponds, sediments and pollutants are removed before the water is discharged into the local ecosystem, improving the overall quality of water entering the Bristol Frome catchment.

Pre-application discussions are already being initiated with the Environment Agency and the South Gloucestershire Lead Local Flood Authority. These consultations are designed to ensure the final submission is robust, legally compliant, and reflective of industry best practice regarding flood risk and drainage.

A draft Habitat Maintenance and Monitoring Program (HMMP) will be submitted as part of the outline application.  This is a requirement of South Gloucestershire Council.  The HMMP will contain detailed regimes for the installation and maintenance of habitats to be created/enhanced/retained as part of the development.  This will be for a length of 30 years, in line with statutory requirements.  

It should be noted that tweaks to designs/habitats are often made between the outline application stage and a future Reserved Matters application.  Any changes would require be incorporated within an updated HMMP, included within the Reserved Matters application.

Heritage considerations will help shape the design from an early stage. Further investigation will be undertaken, and a Heritage Report submitted with the planning application, to ensure any surviving historic features are appropriately protected or recorded. The scheme will respond to local character through layout, materials and landscaping, with opportunities to reflect the area’s industrial history within the public realm.  

Frog Lane Farm and Fairview House will be carefully considered throughout the project. During construction, measures will be put in place to protect them from damage or disturbance. Following completion, their settings will be respected through sensitive layout and landscaping, ensuring they remain part of the area’s historic character. Any potential impacts will be assessed as part of the Heritage Report, with mitigation agreed where necessary.  

The scheme features a range of community benefits, including:  

• A new local centre, including commercial and community spaces, serving both the development and wider residents 

• Delivery of a new two form entry primary school with Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) and nursery school 

• Community parkland with areas for play, a Sports Hub and associated pitches, a forest school and allotments 

• Existing natural features, which will be preserved and enhanced, with habitats carefully managed to boost biodiversity. 

• The opportunity for Bloor Homes to exit through this site, via the roundabout on Badminton Road, which will help to reduce local traffic, particularly on Roundways, Rose Oak Lane and Woodside, as well as away from the Manor C of E Primary school.  

• Making the open space more accessible to local residents than it is currently (limited to public rights of way only). 

The proposals include a new local centre. This will include both commercial and community spaces, serving both the development and wider residents, as well as offering local employment opportunities.  

This is envisaged to include a convenience store, local businesses and a community hall. The scope of this will be agreed through the application process. 

As part of the planning process, Edward Ware Homes will be required to mitigate the impacts of development upon local infrastructure.  This most commonly takes the form of financial contributions towards any necessary infrastructure needs arising. This will include school places and local health services.  

Our proposals include additional on-site provision for nursery and primary age children with delivery of a new two form entry primary school with Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) and a nursery school.  

South Gloucestershire Council will determine the financial contributions necessary to deliver new school places, including any necessary expansion of existing secondary school facilities.   

South Gloucestershire Council and the NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) will determine the best approach with regard to local health services. 

The proposed development will be designed to facilitate low carbon living. Energy efficient homes are at the core of the scheme’s design, incorporating high-quality materials and construction methods to minimise heat loss and energy demand. This will be supported by on-site renewable energy generation to minimise the scheme’s environmental impact.