Below are outlined major land use planning applications which the Parish Council considers at its monthly meetings – see its meeting papers and decisions and how to speak at its meetings here.
See background to planning in Timsbury here, and planning News here.
The Parish Council can only comment on applications to B&NES Council who make the decision. See the B&NES planning page here and search for Timsbury.
B&NES makes its decisions based on its Local Plan which you can see here – see Rural Areas. They have to follow the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework.
Major Sites for Planning Consideration
Land east of St Marys School off Lansdown Crescent
The site is approved in principle in the B&NES Local Plan for development as Policy SR15 which you can see here – see Rural Areas.
The site was was fully consulted on with the Parish Council in 2018 and with overall supported by the village in public meetings. At the time B&NES required sites for 50 houses in total which included the Upper Conygre site being built now – see above. And so the west part of the field will go ahead when owner(s) of it, whoever they will be, decide to make a planning application. Curo owns the garages which are crucial for the entrance to the site and so will have a role in it somehow.
The owners will have to make a detailed planning application which will be consulted on before being built, based on the following:
Design Principles in B&NES Local Plan
1. Around 20 dwellings on the western part of the site.
2. Views towards Farmborough Common, Tunley Hill and Bath must be maintained.
3. The viewing area/plinth on Lansdown Crescent should be re-provided.
4. Have particular regard to site layout, building height, and soft landscaping, to minimise the visual
impact of the development in this sensitive location.
5. The site should be designed to safeguard the amenity of neighbouring residential properties.
6. Any development on the site must have a 15m buffer from the mature trees adjoining the western
boundary of the site.
7. The strong landscape buffer to the eastern edge should be retained and the existing hedgerows and trees improved to create a strong countryside edge.
8. Ensure that undeveloped parts of the site are given suitable landscape treatment in order to achieve an appropriate relationship with development on site and the wider area.
9. Maintain or strengthen the integrity and connectivity of the green infrastructure.
10. Any development must make provisions to enhance the site for biodiversity including native planting, mixed species seeding of lawns and gardens and the provision of nesting boxes and hedgehog boxes.
11. Undertake a detailed historic environment assessment, and where necessary evaluation, in order to identify and implement appropriate mitigation.