Plans have been submitted to construct an additional 500 homes in the village of Backwell, where approximately 800 homes are currently being built.
Mic Mac, a property developer, has lodged an outline planning application with North Somerset Council to extend the village eastwards, on 29 hectares of land between Farleigh Road and the railway line. This forms part of North Somerset Council’s new local plan, which designates the area for housing development.
The application proposes the creation of a mixed-use community featuring a generous, well-connected landscape. It covers about half of the area earmarked for around 900 new homes in the local plan. The development also includes plans for constructing roughly half of a new road crossing the railway line to help alleviate traffic on Station Road, with expectation that adjacent developers will continue the project.
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Backwell has seen rapid growth with major extensions underway, including another development to the west and controversial housing on the cherished Farleigh Fields.
The planning proposal has drawn 61 objections from concerned residents. One expressed deep disappointment, stating, “I am completely dismayed by this proposal of yet more housing for this area. This area is already overwhelmed by traffic and new housing. The wildlife within the area has already been decimated and is in decline.”
Another objector labelled the plans “flabbergasting,” arguing that Backwell has already exceeded governmental housing requirements with an additional 800 houses permitted, amounting to a substantial 40% increase. They added that the application targets valuable grade 1, 2, and 3a agricultural land disproportionately.
Despite the opposition, the proposal has garnered seven supportive comments. One prospective resident commented, “I think this is great! Me and my husband are looking to move to Backwell in the next few years and this would be brilliant for us.”
Signs opposing the extensive housing developments are widespread across the village, with slogans such as “Save Our Fields” and “Save Our Village” displayed at many homes. Backwell’s location on the edge of the green belt and proximity to the Bristol-Exeter main line, featuring the first station outside Bristol, makes it a prime target for developers.
Residents and interested parties can view and submit comments on the application through the North Somerset Council planning portal.