Victory for Locals in Opposition to Severnvale Stadium

January 2004

I am delighted at the news that Redrow homes have dropped plans to take proposals for a stadium and large-scale housing development in Severnvale to the South Gloucestershire local plan inquiry.

I was joined by residents of Easter Compton and Pilning outside the South Gloucestershire Council offices at Thornbury on Monday 5th January to protest at the plans to build 2,000 houses and a 30,000 seater sports stadium on land between the two villages.  The Council Cabinet voted unanimously against the measure, and the developers withdrew their proposals.

This represents a victory for local people. Developers need to realise that they must work with local people and listen to their concerns rather than trying to impose their plans against their will.

However we must remain vigilant. Redrow have certainly not given up their ambitions for major development on Severnside. I hope that they will now enter into genuine dialogue with local people about the future of Avonmouth and Severnside and come up with proposals that will improve the quality of the local area.

At the end of last year I carried out a survey of the views of local residents, which revealed high levels of opposition to the proposals. Many residents said that they were worried that on match days people would park in Easter Compton and walk to the stadium, creating parking and traffic problems, as well as the potential for hooliganism and disorder.
 

To find out about the history of this campaign, click here.