The Council is responsible for ensuring that there are enough homes to meet the housing needs both of Nailsea and more widely of North Somerset. The Council produced a plan, setting out what the area’s housing need is, and how it is to be met. As part of the Local Plan, this site has been allocated by the Council for housing development.
A Flood Risk Assessment will be submitted as part of the planning application, setting out our approach to drainage and flood risk management. The site falls within flood risk zone 1, which represents the lowest risk of flooding in the area.
Our proposals will as a minimum not make the present drainage/flooding situation worse, and may provide an overall improvement.
Subject to planning permission, we are aiming to begin construction in Spring 2025. Once planning permission is granted, we anticipate a construction period lasting around three to four years. Construction will be managed by a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP), which will be agreed with the Council if planning permission is granted. The CEMP sets out details such as construction hours, site parking, construction traffic routes, and what measures should be taken to mitigate any impacts on the local environment and near neighbours.
As part of our commitment to build homes that help address climate change, and also to manage people’s cost of living, we are proposing that our homes be fitted with air source heat pumps, with solar panels on some homes, together with increased insulation, and heat recovery systems.
Car parking will be provided in accordance with North Somerset’s parking standards. The standards set a minimum number of parking spaces for each home, ranging from 1 space for a 1-bed property, up to 3 spaces for properties which are 4-bed or more. The exact mix of housing, in terms of how many bedrooms each property will have, and therefore how many parking spaces will be provided, will be set in a later planning application at the Reserved Matters stage.
The developer will provide financial contributions towards education, health, and community infrastructure, as well as providing a new community parkland on the site with walking routes, play areas, and allotments.
A Transport Assessment will be submitted as part of the planning application. This will show that the impact of the additional vehicle trips created by the proposed development will not have a significant negative effect upon the various junctions assessed in Nailsea and Backwell.
The site is in a highly sustainable location, close to extensive local facilities, which can be accessed using sustainable modes of travel including walking, cycling, bus, and train. This will minimise the need to travel by car to access local facilities and hence reduce the traffic impact of the proposed development.