The proposal is submitted under the national policy tests setting out a presumption in favour of sustainable development with the current local plan out-of-date and the emerging plan utilising transitionary mechanisms to provide for less housing than identified under the up-to-date standard method. 

This emerging plan position also fails to address unmet need within the urban authority of Bristol, which will be obligated to be addressed by the future Spatial Development Strategy for the West of England area including South Gloucestershire that will progress in the coming year.

Further housing is therefore required to meet the needs of the wider area and reliance on future policy compounds this ongoing unmet need.

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 has been carefully considered by the design and planning team as they finalise the scheme and the outline planning submission is now available to view on South Gloucestershire's Planning Portal, quoting reference P26/01208/O .

There will now be a period of statutory consultation led by South Gloucestershire Council, providing you with 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

The planning application is accompanied by a detailed Transport Assessment as an appendix within the Environmental Statement. This sets out how traffic has been analysed and forecast from the development, as well as relevant mitigation measures to help reduce single occupancy car trips.

Through the scheme's mixed-use approach, active travel and public transport connectivity, a mobility hub, travel plan and targeted enhancements to existing pedestrian, cycle and bus infrastructure the scheme can minimise single occupancy trips.

While traffic inevitably will arise from the development, the Transport Assessment details how the scheme will maintain the safe operation of the highway network with acceptable impacts.

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 liaised with Design West, Environment Agency and other statutory consultees and advisory bodies. Detailed ecology, drainage, heritage and other surveys were undertaken as part of our pre-application work.  

Secured by Design (SBD) principles have informed 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. 

The scale of development responds to the site opportunities and constraints, and broader strategic housing need position within the authority. Since consultation in February 2026, the number of proposed units has been reduced from 900 to 860. 

The application is accompanied by a dedicated Ecological Impact Assessment. This includes that the site comprises of large fields of cereal crop of low ecological value, with hedgerows with trees and species-rich hedgerows. Loss of these features is minimised within the proposed development and opportunities for reintroducing and enhancing vegetated boundaries are proposed.

The proposal also offers new habitats in the form of various grasslands, traditional orchard and broadleaved woodlands, swales and ponds, mixed scrub, new native hedgerows and tree planting.

Protected species are present on the site and are subject to detailed analysis and mitigation measures, as detailed within the Ecological Impact Assessment. This will include integrated bird, bat and bee boxes, hibernaculum and hedgehog highways. 

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

The application is accompanied by a Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Strategy that forms an Appendix to the Environmental Statement. The area of proposed development lies predominantly in areas of low risk for flooding, with surface water flood risk reflecting the site topography. Infiltration testing has evidenced that the site has low levels of permeability. This means that surface water currently flows off of the site to the surrounding land.  

The development would capture this through a series of sustainable urban drainage interventions and store this within the site ensuring discharge is better than the current greenfield run-off rate allowing for climate change and safety factors, before managed discharge to the surface water network. This will in actuality offer a betterment over the current site arrangements. 

The limited areas of flood risk are focused around Frog Lane and the A432 Badminton Road access point associated with the Tubbs Bottom Watercourse. This will be addressed in the new access design with compensatory flood storage capacity created to the land north of Frog Lane, and via emergency access redundancy from the south-west of the development via Coalville Road and Woodside Road. Overall, this intervention will provide a betterment to the use of the A432. 

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.

The application is accompanied by a Coal Mining Risk Assessment. This identifies that historic early surface mining activity was likely present at the site, as corroborated by the Heritage Assessment. These would have presented as shallow bell pits and do not preclude development from occurring. Earlier assessments also assigned higher levels of risk to later commercial mining activity in the area with potential for two shafts located to the western portion of the site. Further intrusive site investigation has concluded that this was likely a result of weaker layers within the rock strata, having located no further evidence of such shafts from further intrusive survey work.

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.  

Within the outline planning application , the Design and Access Statement sets out how the proposal responds to relevant design considerations. 

The scheme will provide 50% affordable housing at a mix to be agreed with the Council. This addresses one of the policy tests for development upon 'Grey Belt'. While concern on social housing is acknowledged, this addresses an explicit housing need within the wider community and as set by Government. 

The scheme also 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. 

The scheme provides for a range of on-site infrastructure including a two- form entry primary school, pre-school, forest school, community building, sports/playing fields and open space.

Additional off-site infrastructure will be agreed with the Council and relevant consultees to address the impact of the development and secured through a section 106 agreement.  

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.