South Gloucestershire Council New Local Plan Site Submission Form

GUIDANCE ON COMPLETING THIS FORM

Please return this form if you are suggesting a site to be considered in the New South Gloucestershire Local Plan. Previously submitted sites are available to view on an online map at: www.southglos.gov.uk/callforsites

For each site please complete a separate form and provide a map that clearly and accurately identifies the site boundary.

Completed forms and site location plans should be emailed to: [email protected] .

Identifying a potential site does not infer that the council in any way supports the development of the site. Sites will be assessed through the plan making process and will be subject to normal planning procedures.

Data Protection Statement: This information is collected by Bath and North East Somerset Council, Bristol City Council, North Somerset Council and South Gloucestershire Council as data controller in accordance with the data protection principles in the Data Protection Act 1998. The purposes for collecting this data are: to assist in plan making, to contact you, if necessary, regarding the answers given on this form, and to keep you informed of progress with plan making. Some of the data relating to specific sites will be made public as it will form part of the evidence base used to inform the creation of planning policy documents. The above purposes may require public disclosure of any data received on the form, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

. 1. HAS THE SITE PREVIOUSLY BEEN SUBM ITTED TO THE COUNCIL ? Previously submitted sites are available to view on the online map accessible from: www.southglos.gov.uk/callforsites (Click on the site to see the site reference number and information previously submitted).

Pl ease enter the relevant Site Reference number from www.southglos.gov.uk/callforsites Has this site previously been Yes / No To the JSP call for sites. submitted?

If the site has already been submitted, how does the information provided in this form change the information you have previously provided to us?

No change.

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2. YOUR DETAILS

Name

Company/Organisation Jarvis Jefferies Architects LLP (if applicable)

Address Teazle Barn, Gloucester Road, Whitfield, South Gloucestershire GL12 8DU

Telephone 01454 260545

Email [email protected]

Status (please tick all that Owner of (all or part of) the site [ ] Land Agent [ ] apply Planning Consultant [ v ] Developer [ ] Amenity/ Community Group [ ] Local Resident [ v ] Registered Social Housing Provider [ ] Other (please specify) [ ]

If acting on behalf of Landowner / developer please provide client name and address details:

I (or my client)… Is sole owner of the site [ ] Owns part of the site [ ] Do not own (or hold any legal interest in) the site whatsoever [ v ]

If Owner/Part Owner, have Yes [ ] No [ ] you attached a title plan and deeds with this form?

If you are not the owner, or The site is owned by The Tortworth Estate Company. We own only part understand that there are privately owned homes at Avening Green. of the site, do you know who owns the site or the remainder of it (please provide details)?

Does the owner (or other The Tortworth Estate Company support and promote this type of owner(s)) support your proposal and actively promote the Garden Village Concept. proposals for the site?

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3. SITE DETAILS

Site Address (including Tortworth postcode where applicable) Wotton-under-Edge South Gloucestershire GL12 8HF

Site Area (Hectares)(if known) Approximately 2000 Hectares

Current land use(s) Agricultural (Grade 3)

Adjacent land use(s) Agricultural

Relevant planning history (if known) The site is not in the Green Belt or subject to other designations and constraints. Permission has recently been granted for office and business park developments in the vicinity.

Please tick box to confirm you have provided a site plan [ v ]

4. POTENTIAL USES & CAPACITY Suggested uses (please tick all that apply and where mixed use indicate % of overall site for each use)

USE Capacity (number of units) and indication of possible residential tenures, types and housing for different groups Residential Yes/No Approximately 3200 houses of various types. The site is a potential site for a new Garden Village.

USE Floorspace (m 2) / number of floors/pitches / notes Office, research & development, Yes/No There are also a number of existing offices at the site light industrial (B1) which can be expanded. General industrial (B2) / Yes /No There is an existing business park on the opposite side of warehousing (B8) the B4509. Sports / leisure (please specify) Yes/No There are existing football, cricket and scouting facilities at the site which can be expanded. Some of these have already expressed an interest in improving their facilities. There are already swimming pool and gym facilities in the vicinity at the nearby hotel. Retail Yes/No There is an existing farm shop, cafe and restaurant at the site which could be expanded. There is an existing plant nursery at the site. Gypsy and Travellers / Yes/ No Travelling Showpeople sites

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Other (please specify) Yes/No There is an existing primary school at the site which would benefit from increased pupil numbers and there is sufficient space around Tortworth Primary School to allow it to extend to cater for the new population, in the interim it currently has spare capacity for an additional 50 pupils.

There is existing preschool provision at the site which could be expanded.

There is space for other employment uses alongside the B4509.

Additional notes about potential uses:

The existing Tortworth Estate Company already based at the site will need to be expanded to maintain this development.

5. SITE SUITABLITY ISSUES

Question Further details including details of further studies undertaken / mitigation proposed Does the site have any physical Yes/ No The majority of the site is gently sloping and open constraints (e.g. topography, access, fields. Existing woodland copses can be retained. severe slope, vegetation cover etc.)? There are no SSSI or SNCI.

Is the site subject to flooding? Yes/ No There are no flood zones within the site; there is a small area of flood zone at The Little River Avon below the proposed site so any surface water runoff will need to be attenuated. Is the site affected by ‘bad neighbour’ Yes/ No There are no overhead pylons crossing the site. uses (e.g. power lines, railway lines, There are no major highways crossing the site. major highways, heavy industry)? There is no heavy industry at the site. There is no railway line crossing the site but it is well placed for an existing main railway line to the northeast which could be the location of a new station serving both this site and Charfield Village. Is there a possibility that the site is Yes/ No contaminated?

Can satisfactory vehicular access to the Yes/No The site has excellent opportunities for a dedicated site be achieved? access directly off the B4509 without jeopardising other transport routes. It offers a number of opportunities to improve highway safety along the B4509. It has close proximity to M5 junction 14 which does not involve driving through another settlement. Has the Highways Agency been Yes / No Highways England are currently considering works consulted? to M5 Junction 14.

Is the site subject to any other key Yes/ No constraints?

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UTILITIES / INFRASTRUCTURE PROVISION Please tell us which of the following utilities are available to the site

Mains water supply [ v ] Mains sewerage [ ] Electrical supply [ v] Gas supply [ ] Landline telephone [ v ] Broadband internet [ v ] Other (please specify below) [ ]

Please provide any other relevant information relating to site suitability issues:

At recent public consultation events South Gloucestershire Council Strategic Planning team invited people to submit alternative proposals for the location of new housing.

‘Tortworth Garden Village’ is located within the Parish of Tortworth. This site is a more suitable alternative location to Buckover. The site is of comparable size, yet as it has less constraints, it will have lower infrastructure implementation costs allowing more scope for a higher percentage of affordable and social housing.

Tortworth Garden Village is considered to have potential for 3200 dwellings plus supporting infrastructure, employment opportunities and facilities in accordance with garden village principles.

This location does not compete with Thornbury as it is sufficiently distant from the town and will not be seen as an ‘extension’ of Thornbury. It also has the potential to reduce the onion ring effect of new housing on the periphery of Charfield.

Advantages • Non green belt location • The proposed site for ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ is in a discrete location which is well screened by existing woodland. It is in a shallow bowl of landscape which is not overlooked. There is no visual coalescence with any other settlement. • The proposed site allows well defined location for ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ allowing it to create its own separate village identity in accordance with the garden village criteria set out by the DCLG. • The proposed site for ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ is not bisected by any major transport routes. It has the potential to be a totally self contained settlement. • The proposed site for ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ is not a noisy location. • The proposed site for ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ does not affect any Sites of Special Scientific Interest or Sites of Nature Conservation Interest. • Proposed location of ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ should not significantly worsen traffic loads passing through existing hamlets, villages and settlements. There is direct access to and from Junction 14 without passing through another settlement. • There is one land owner, Tortworth Estate, who supports and promotes Garden Village principles. • Tortworth Estates offices are already located on site. • Most of the existing households within the ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ footprint are tenants of the Estate, not private owners, making it easier for the Estate to incorporate them into their new village ethos. • The proposed location is not in a flood zone. • There are no significant ecological constraints. • Existing large employers at Tortworth Court Hotel, Leyhill Prison and Renishaw are within cycling or moderate walking distance away. • It is not a solely car based proposal due to its close proximity to existing employers and a main railway line. • Tortworth Garden Village is on a range of existing bus routes. Yate (32 mins). Wotton (18 mins). Dursley (53 mins) Thornbury (18 minutes). Bristol (55mins) Gloucester (1hr 48mins). • It is on the school bus route for Katherine Lady Berkeley (12 mins) and The Castle School secondary schools (15 mins) • Tortworth Garden Village is in close (walking) proximity to an existing railway main line and a possible

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new station location in Charfield. It would take under take under 25mins to travel to Bristol parkway station. 30 minutes to Bristol Temple Meads station. 30 mins to Gloucester station. • There are leisure opportunities with a range of existing established footpaths and off road cycle routes into the local countryside. This includes direct routes alongside the Little Avon River, Tortworth Arboretum and Tortworth Lake. • There are existing leisure facilities including a swimming pool and gym nearby at Tortworth Court Hotel. • The Tortworth Garden Village site has no major electricity pylons and cables crossing the site or major services routes to divert. • Opportunities for a new slip road to M5 southbound to bypass traffic lights at junction and reduce traffic queuing on Tortworth Hill. • Opportunities for a new park and ride / park and share to east of junction 14. • Opportunity to add a footpath and a cycle lane along B4509 as highway safety measure. • Opportunity to add a dedicated slow lane for large vehicles up Tortworth Hill as a highway safety measure. This is also a material consideration as one of Tortworth Parish’s community aspirations is ‘Ensure highway infrastructure is suitable for traffic demand and improvements in road safety’. • Existing cycle and foot path. Option to add a second access road into ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ along this route. This road also has potential to link the village directly (via a bridge) to any new road located north of Falfield Village required to serve the construction of Oldbury power station development . • There is an opportunity for a ring road around estate on a bus route. • The proposals encourages expansion of existing offices. • Opportunity to close existing vehicular access as highway safety measure and to improve traffic flow on the B4509. New access to offices from ring road. • Opportunity to close existing busy vehicular access to school and sports ground as highway safety measure at busy crossroads and to improve traffic flow on the B4509. New access to school and sports fields from ring road. • Opportunity for expansion and improvements of existing sports fields and Charfield Football Club. This supports an existing community asset. • Opportunity for expansion and improvements of existing cricket pitch. This supports an existing community asset. • Opportunity for expansion of existing Tortworth Primary School and existing Pre School. This supports an existing community asset. This is also a material consideration as one of Tortworth Parish’s community aspirations is to ‘support and protect viability of Tortworth school and other community activities’ • Opportunity for expansion of existing Tortworth Farm Shop and cafe. This supports an existing community asset. • Opportunity for expansion of existing Avening Green scouting facilities. This supports an existing community asset. • Opportunity for employment zones at Tortworth Plants and Elm Tree Farm. • Opportunity for creating a gateway to ‘Tortworth Garden Village’. Consider a new roundabout at crossroads as highway safety measure. • Opportunity for a large parkland area and village green with Tortworth Church, the listed estate buildings and the Tortworth Chestnut as a central focus for the new village. • Opportunity for a smaller parkland area and village green around Avening Green and scout hut base. • Opportunity to reopen a railway station in Charfield on existing main line. Consider relocating station where it can be easily accessed from both Charfield and ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ to increase footfall. • Opportunity for new direct road and footpath to Charfield train station from ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ with space for large areas of car parking at the station on the western and eastern side of the rail line. • All existing woodland areas can be retained. • This proposal prevents piecemeal expansion of Charfield to the West. • Large new woodland areas to provide a green buffer and substantial green gap between ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ and Charfield.

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6. SITE AVAILABILITY ISSUES

Question Comments/further details Are there any legal/ownership constraints Yes/ No There is one landowner. Unusually the on the site that might prohibit or delay majority of the small number of dwellings and development of the site (e.g. ransom businesses within the site are tenanted to the strip/covenants)? same land owner so there are fewer constraints than most other sites. There are just a handful of private homeowners within the site footprint e.g. at Avening Green who are protected from the development by parkland buffer zones. Must land off-site be acquired to develop Yes/ No Additional land may be required to relocate the site? Charfield railway station.

Are there any current uses which need to Yes/No Tenant farmers may be relocated to other be relocated? landowner owned farms. Other existing uses e.g. the church, scouts, sports groups and Tortworth school can be retained and enhanced as part of the proposals. Is the site owned by a developer or is the The owner of the site is a potential owner willing to sell? developer, development manager and an established estate management company.

Estimated delivery rate: When do you think the site would come forward for development? (Where a development will be phased over more than one period please indicate this)

Within the next 5 years 6-10 years 11 -20 years

0 500 2700

Do you have any information to support when the site will come forward and its phasing? Please consider suitability, achievability and constraints. The site is self contained with few constraints. It does not require any major highways (e.g. the A38) to be rerouted. There are no major overhead electricity cables to divert. The site can grow at a steady pace and as it is in a discrete location it will not be an eyesore during construction. The timing may be dependent on the Highways England improvements to M5 junction 14 and the reinstatement of a new railway station in Charfield.

Due to this site at Tortworth having less insurmountable constraints than Buckover (e.g. highways conflict, pylons etc), it should have lower infrastructure implementation costs allowing more scope for a higher percentage of affordable and social housing.

7. SITE ACHIEVABILITY ISSUES

Question Comments/further details Are there any known significant abnormal Yes/ No development costs (e.g. contamination remediation, demolition, access etc.)? If yes, please specify.

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Does the site require significant new Yes/No Prior investment in local healthcare, schools, infrastructure investment to be suitable for dentists, public transport, footpaths etc will development? If yes, please specify. be required to support the existing and new community. Are there any issues that may influence the Yes/No This site has the potential to be more cost economic viability, delivery rates or timing effective and more viable than the proposal of the development? If yes, please specify. for Buckover.

Has a viability assessment / financial Yes/ No appraisal of the scheme been undertaken?

Have any design work studies been Yes/No Refer to attached Tortworth Garden Village undertaken? Concept Plan Document.

8. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

If necessary, please continue on a separate sheet and attach to this form.

To conclude, this proposal for ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ site is a more suitable location than Buckover. The site is of comparable size, yet as it has less insurmountable constraints, it will have lower infrastructure implementation costs allowing more scope for a higher percentage of affordable and social housing.

There are more opportunities to explore with this site including the support of existing established community assets such as schools, sports facilities, the scouts, the church and the shop.

There are much needed highway safety measures to the B4509 which can be provided as a result of this development.

This concept for a garden village in Tortworth Parish is more compatible with achieving the garden village principles than Buckover. It is a standalone, self contained settlement in a discrete location. Unlike Buckover, it can easily apply Ebenezer Howard’s philosophies and replicate his model of central parkland from which symmetrical layouts of housing can radiate. It also has close proximity to a railway on a mainline track giving the opportunity to link to a new station within walking distance. It would also be easier for Tortworth Estate to control and oversee as it is entirely self contained and does not have the residents of other places constantly passing through.

This location has minimal impact on other settlements. It also has the potential to reduce the demands of new housing around the periphery of Charfield. Furthermore this location does not compete or overwhelm Thornbury, as it is sufficiently distant from the town – although the nearest market towns will still require some much needed further infrastructure investment to support the wider healthcare, educational and social needs of the new residents.

This submission is a demonstration that, by not relying on developers to dictate where development may or may not occur via over reliance on the current ‘Call for Sites’ mechanism that there are other, more suitable, locations for housing within South Gloucestershire which have not yet been included in the strategy and tabled for discussion.

Completed forms and site location plans should be emailed to: [email protected] .

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Tortworth Introduction

• At recent West of England Partnership Joint Spatial Strategy and Joint Transport Strategy public consultation events, South Gloucestershire Council Strategic Planning team invited people to submit alternative proposals for the location of new housing and a garden village.

• ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ is located within the Parish of Tortworth. This site is a more suitable alternative location to Buckover Garden Village. The site is of comparable size, yet as it has less constraints, it will have lower infrastructure implementation costs allowing more scope for a higher percentage of affordable and social housing.

• Tortworth Garden Village is considered to have potential for 3200 dwellings plus supporting infrastructure, employment opportunities and facilities in accordance with garden village principles.

• This location does not compete with the market town of Thornbury as it is sufficiently distant from the town. It also has the potential to reduce the onion ring effect of new housing on the periphery of Charfield. Genius Loci – Spirit of Place Garden Village Philosophy - Ebenezer Howard The Concept

‘’At a regional level a number of garden cities would be grouped as what he called a ‘social city’, in which individual garden cities would be linked by railways.’’

‘’A town, like a flower, or a tree, or an animal, should, at each stage of its growth, possess unity, symmetry, completeness, and the effect of growth should never be to destroy that unity, but to give it greater purpose, nor to mar that symmetry , but to make it more symmetrical; while the completeness of the early structure should be merged in the yet greater completeness of the later development.’’ – Ebenezer Howard The Concept Plan Key

Community infrastructure improvements C1 Expansion of existing offices. C2 Improvements of existing sports fields and Charfield Football Club. C3 Expansion of existing Tortworth Primary School and existing Pre School. C4 Expansion of existing Tortworth Farm Shop and cafe. C5 New employment zones at Tortworth Plants and Elm Tree Farm. C6 Expansion of existing Avening Green scouting facilities.

Strategic green infrastructure S1 All existing woodland areas retained. S2 Large parkland area and village green with Tortworth Church, the historic estate buildings and the Tortworth Chestnut as a central focus for the new village. S3 Parkland area and village green around Avening Green and scout hut base. S4 Large new woodland areas to provide a green buffer and substantial green gap between ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ and Charfield.

Highway infrastructure improvements H1 New slip road to M5 southbound to bypass traffic lights at junction. H2 New park and ride / park and share to east of junction 14. H3 New dedicated slow lane for large vehicles up Tortworth Hill as a highway safety measure. H4 Close two existing vehicular access as highway safety measure and to improve traffic flow. H5 Gateway to ‘Tortworth Garden Village’. Consider a new roundabout at crossroads as highway safety measure. H6 Ring road around estate H7 New access to school, sports fields and offices from ring road. H8 New footpath and a cycle lane along B4509 as highway safety measure. H9 Improve existing cycle and foot path. H10 Improve existing cycle and foot path. Option to add a second access road into ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ along this route. H11 Future possibility of linking directly to new ‘construction’ route to nuclear power station

Improvements to public transport infrastructure P1 Ring road around estate on bus route. P2 Reopen a railway station in Charfield on existing main line. Consider relocating station where it can be easily accessed from both Charfield and ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ to increase footfall. P3 New direct road and footpath to Charfield railway station from ‘Tortworth Garden Village’. P4 Space for large areas of car parking at the railway station on the western and eastern side of the rail line. Opportunities for Tortworth Garden Village (1 of 3)

• Non green belt location.

• The proposed site for ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ is in a discrete location which is well screened by existing woodland. It is in a shallow bowl of landscape which is

not overlooked. There is no visual coalescence with any other settlement.

• The proposed site allows well defined location for ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ allowing it to create its own separate village identity in accordance with the garden

village criteria set out by the DCLG.

• The proposed site for ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ is not bisected by any major transport routes. It has the potential to be a totally self contained settlement.

• The proposed site for ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ is not a noisy location.

• The proposed site for ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ does not affect any Sites of Special Scientific Interest or Sites of Nature Conservation Interest.

• Proposed location of ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ should not significantly worsen traffic loads passing through existing hamlets, villages and settlements. There is

direct access to and from Junction 14 without passing through another settlement.

• There is one land owner, Tortworth Estate, who supports and promotes Garden Village principles.

• Tortworth Estates offices are already located on site.

• Most of the existing households within the ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ footprint are tenants of the Estate, not private owners, making it easier for the Estate to

incorporate them into their new village ethos.

• The proposed location is not in a flood zone.

• There are no significant ecological constraints.

• Existing employers at Tortworth Court Hotel, Leyhill Prison and Renishaw are within cycling or moderate walking distance away.

• It is not a solely car based proposal due to its close proximity to existing employers and a main railway line.

• Tortworth Garden Village is on a range of existing bus routes. Yate (32 mins). Wotton (18 mins). Dursley (53 mins) Thornbury (18 minutes). Bristol (55mins)

Gloucester (1hr 48mins).

Continued ... Opportunities for Tortworth Garden Village (2 of 3)

• It is on the school bus route for Katherine Lady Berkeley (12 mins) and The Castle School secondary schools (15 mins).

• Tortworth Garden Village is in close (walking) proximity to an existing railway main line and a possible new station location in Charfield. It would take under take under 25mins to travel to Bristol parkway station. 30 minutes to Bristol Temple Meads station. 30 mins to Gloucester station.

• There are leisure opportunities with a range of existing established footpaths and off road cycle routes into the local countryside. This includes direct routes alongside the Little Avon River, Tortworth Arboretum and Tortworth Lake.

• The Tortworth Garden Village site has no major electricity pylons and cables crossing the site or major services routes to divert.

• Opportunities for a new slip road to M5 southbound to bypass traffic lights at junction and reduce traffic queuing on Tortworth Hill.

• Opportunities for a new park and ride / park and share to east of junction 14.

• Opportunity to add a footpath and a cycle lane along B4509 as highway safety measure.

• Opportunity to add a dedicated slow lane for large vehicles up Tortworth Hill as a highway safety measure. This is also a material consideration as one of Tortworth Parish’s community aspirations is ‘Ensure highway infrastructure is suitable for traffic demand and improvements in road safety’.

• Existing cycle and foot path. Option to add a second access road into ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ along this route. This road also has potential to link the village directly (via a bridge) to any new road located north of Falfield Village required to serve the construction of Oldbury power station development .

• There is an opportunity for a ring road around estate on a bus route.

• The proposals encourages expansion of existing offices.

• Opportunity to close existing vehicular access as highway safety measure and to improve traffic flow on the B4509. New access to offices from ring road.

• Opportunity to close existing busy vehicular access to school and sports ground as highway safety measure at busy crossroads and to improve traffic flow on the B4509. New access to school and sports fields from ring road.

• Opportunity for expansion and improvements of existing sports fields and Charfield Football Club. This supports an existing community asset.

• Opportunity for expansion and improvements of existing cricket pitch. This supports an existing community asset.

• Opportunity for expansion of existing Tortworth Primary School and existing Pre School. This supports an existing community asset. This is also a material consideration as one of Tortworth Parish’s community aspirations is to ‘support and protect viability of Tortworth school and other community activities’.

• Opportunity for expansion of existing Tortworth Farm Shop and cafe. This supports an existing community asset.

Continued ...

Opportunities for Tortworth Garden Village (3 of 3)

• Opportunity for expansion of existing Avening Green scouting facilities. This supports an existing community asset.

• Opportunity for employment zones at Tortworth Plants and Elm Tree Farm.

• Opportunity for creating a gateway to ‘Tortworth Garden Village’. Consider a new roundabout at crossroads as highway safety measure.

• Opportunity for a large parkland area and village green with Tortworth Church, the listed estate buildings and the Tortworth Chestnut as a central focus for the

new village.

• Opportunity for a smaller parkland area and village green around Avening Green and scout hut base.

• Opportunity to reopen a railway station in Charfield on existing main line. Consider relocating station where it can be easily accessed from both Charfield and

‘Tortworth Garden Village’ to increase footfall.

• Opportunity for new direct road and footpath to Charfield train station from ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ with space for large areas of car parking at the station on

the western and eastern side of the rail line.

• All existing woodland areas can be retained.

• This proposal prevents piecemeal expansion of Charfield to the West.

• Large new woodland areas to provide a green buffer and substantial green gap between ‘Tortworth Garden Village’ and Charfield.

Tortworth

An ambitious new community located in Tortworth Parish Wotton-under-Edge South Gloucestershire GL12 8HF