GP practices serving Oldland Common will need to be expanded if plans to build up to 310 more homes are given the go-ahead.
That’s the view of local health chiefs in response to the application to South Gloucestershire Council from developer Waddeton Park for a 176.9 hectare site east of Barry Road and High Street.
The Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board says the developer would need to contribute £314,992 towards expansion and renovation at local surgeries.
It says the practices at Hanham Health’s Oldland Surgery and Close Farm Surgery are already overstretched for the existing population, while there seems little chance of a hoped-for new surgery at the Chief Trading Post development.
The ICB’s response to the plans will come as little surprise to local people, many of whom have expressed concerns that the existing infrastructure, particularly health services and transport, is not adequate for further housing development.
More than 500 people submitted objections to the planned development, which would involve moving the Green Belt boundary, before the council’s deadline for comments.
It is not yet known when the council’s planning committee will consider the outline scheme, which the developer says would provide “much needed housing and affordable housing and becomes a high-quality, sustainable community that positively enhances Oldland Common”.
The plans include a mix of housing types including 123 affordable homes, with road access from Barry Road and new walking and cycling routes, with all existing public rights of way retained. Two “mobility hubs” would support cyclists and e-bike and electric vehicle users.
The scheme envisages a commercial hub, which could include a convenience store or workspace, that the developer says would complement High Street businesses.
One objector commented: “The village of Oldland cannot cope with the additional numbers of people, together with the extra number of vehicles on the roads.
“The additional numbers of vehicles on the roads is a huge risk to the safety of our children and elderly residents.
“The doctors surgery and dentist are currently at capacity; trying to get a doctor’s appointment is near impossible.
“Also the current greenbelt fields are home to many different flora and fauna. This will kill off our local wildlife.
The site is included in the council’s draft Local Plan, which is being created to identify suitable places for development to meet the district’s housing needs up to 2041.
The Government has said that some parts of the Green Belt will have to be sacrificed as part of its drive to build many more homes across the country.
The council is expected to submit the Local Plan in the autumn for independent examination by a planning inspector.
The Waddeton Park plan can be found on the council planning website with the reference P25/01362/O