"Roads can't cope" as proposal for 3000 new homes in Warmley divides

Bristol Live readers are concerned that the entire character of a village and its nearby regions in South Gloucestershire may undergo a complete transformation if the proposed construction of thousands of homes on existing green spaces proceeds. Currently, Warmley and its adjacent areas, Siston and Bridgeyate, enjoy the luxury of being nestled within expansive countryside and verdant areas.

However, this could significantly change with the exploration of potential sites for upcoming housing developments in South Gloucestershire. Readers have been airing their opinions in our comments section.

Warmley is renowned for its historic walking paths that traverse ancient Roman roads and numerous historic sites. It's also home to a sprawling forest and community amenities like the local skate park and scout hut. However, proposed development plans suggest that a significant portion of the forest and adjacent parkland may be subject to construction, potentially restricting access to these areas.

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Local residents are concerned that the A4174 Ring Road, already burdened with heavy daily traffic and disruptions, is next to the proposed development site. This road is a crucial connector to the M32 motorway and central Bristol. The prospect of increased traffic congestion is a significant worry for residents if the development proceeds.

Commenter Nick24 is unhappy with the plan: “The present road infrastructure can't cope with the traffic as it is at present without building more houses to add to the chaos. The ring road is a nightmare, not helped by the A432 bridge problem which SGC has done very little to help move the traffic on.”

Jimbobjonesthefirst writes: “The greenbelt is an outdated concept that was implemented when the population was over 10 million people smaller than it is today and so it must be updated to reflect not only the current population but future increases as well. Part of this can be done by identifying what areas are actually green first off and then by identifying the various types of green land that are present, while also changing the shape of the greenbelt from its current form as a belt around some towns and cities to something closer to that of massive rows of hedges as other people far more knowledgeable on the subject than myself have suggested over the years.”

AdvisoryService101 replies: “The population continues to increase, greenbelt laws stop over development. Developing green belt will not solve any problems in the long term as population growth is exponential and accommodation is drip fed to keep the economic property market share high. So, in say 15 years all the green belt will be gone and we will still have a housing shortage, but less green space and a resulting lower quality of life. The best way to stop city population growth is to massively increase the price of accommodation, so people look somewhere else."

Jimbobjonesthefirst writes: “You're massively overestimating just how much greenbelt land is actually needed for housing. There was an article done a while ago that calculated that the greenbelt in England ALONE could accommodate something like 70 million new homes, for comparison the UK as a whole has just under 68 million people living in it. So with that in mind it would take significantly longer than a mere 15 years to completely get rid of the greenbelt. All this is failing to mention just how little of the country the greenbelt actually covers to begin with, so the thought that we would suddenly run out or just have significantly less green space is utterly ludicrous.”

Over on Facebook James Parker says: “Already happening In little villages all over the southwest. No improvement to roads or infrastructure, just hundreds of houses going up. However, crazy mortgage rates make them still too expensive to buy.”

Julie Dyer thinks: “A bit of an exaggeration- Warmley does not have ‘vast forests’. Yes, wooded areas and lovely places to walk, especially along the Bristol/Bath cycle track but not what you would call a forest. It’s not a little village as shown in the picture above either. Yes, there are rows of ex-miner cottages, but there are also many modern houses and a couple of small trading estates. The area sits on the edge of Kingswood and is basically joined to all the other suburbs around it - Oldland Common, North Common, Bridge Yate. It would definitely be a shame for all these green areas to be built on, but Warmley is not a little village in the countryside.”

Simon Ripper Amblin thinks: “Good, we actually need more homes and less homeless…". Edith Clarke Duvivier-Stuart points out: “People have to live somewhere.”

Brenda Brown writes: “Get them built!”

How do you feel about more houses in Warmley? Should the development go ahead? Have your say in our comments section.