Five huge new communities will be created near Bristol and three villages expanded in South Gloucestershire’s blueprint for where homes should be built over the next 15 years. The new neighbourhoods, comprising more than 15,000 houses and flats, make up about two-thirds of the 22,573 properties in the newly published Local Plan for 2026-41.
The housing estates are so massive that each will have their own South Gloucestershire Council planning policy setting out what developers must include to get permission, such as GP surgeries, schools, leisure and transport links. Here are the eight major new developments in the council’s Local Plan:
New Woodlands
A total of 2,400 homes will be built on land east of the M4/M5 interchange, over the motorway from Bradley Stoke. The new village will be across four sites, including Woodlands Golf Course which will have 1,900 of the properties, with at least 250 “age-friendly” homes for older people and 30 per cent affordable homes.
There will also be a shop, cafe/restaurant, indoor leisure, community meeting spaces, nursery, doctors’ surgery, primary schools, offices and small affordable workspaces. The nearby bridge across the M4 will be widened for pedestrians, cyclists and buses, while an outdoor sports complex will be built east of Hortham Brook, next to the West Country Water Park.
About 330 homes will be built at two sites north of the new village and 170 to the south, off Trench Lane.
North Lyde ‘ecotech’ Village
About 2,050 homes and 18 hectares of employment land, extending the Bristol & Bath Science Park, will be created north of Lyde Green and the M4, east of Westerleigh Road, extending to the railway line. The development will comprise two sites and include shops and cafes, a community centre, nursery, primary school, library, GP surgery and a central play park.
Buildings could be up to six storeys tall.
Sign up to receive daily news updates and breaking news alerts straight to your inbox for free here.
Carsons Green and Rockhouse Farm New Neighbourhoods
About 1,930 homes will be built east of the A4174 ring road between the B4465 and Carsons Road. Three sites at Shortwood will be developed, with by far the largest one, of 1,600 properties, including age-friendly homes, 30 per cent classed as affordable, and an employment zone.
There will also be a hotel, convenience store, doctors’ surgery, nursery, small affordable workspaces and cafe with apartments above, along with a nearby primary school, community centre and play area. The other two sites will have 40 per cent affordable housing, with agricultural buildings at Rockhouse Farm being converted into a mobility hub next to the site entrance on Cattybrook Road.
North Warmley New Neighbourhood
A total of 1,060 homes will be built across four sites between London Road and Webbs Heath. The vast majority will be on one plot of land and will include business space, a cafe, shop and nursery, with 30 per cent of the homes classed as affordable, while the other three will have 40 per cent.
Existing stone farm buildings will be repurposed into homes and business space.
Land at former Filton Airfield – Brabazon
South Gloucestershire Council granted planning permission last February for 6,500 homes, plus student beds, extra care accommodation, new schools, nurseries, restaurants, hotels, offices, industry, community buildings, health and sports provision. The new community will be living near Bristol Arena, which has undergone preparation work ahead of construction.
The Local Plan said: “Due to the scale and location of the Brabazon development and the aspiration to achieve higher density urban environment it will be possible to accommodate taller buildings than would be acceptable elsewhere in South Gloucestershire.”
Charfield village extensions
Charfield will undergo a “significant expansion” of 775 new homes east of New Street to the Little Avon River and on land around the southwest of the village from Wotton Road to Little Bristol Lane. The development will follow the opening of a new railway station in 2027 and kickstart a big extension of the primary school, along with new public open space
One of the two sites to be built on will provide up to 525 properties in two “distinct, well-designed character areas” with at least 75 homes for older people and 35 per cent affordable homes, along with new outdoor sports facilities, a central park, community centre and shops. The developers will have to fund repairs to the Grade I-listed St James church.
The other site, north of Wotton Road, will have 250 homes, of which 35 per cent will be affordable, an improved green infrastructure corridor alongside the Little Avon River, tree-lined streets, facilities for youngsters, allotments and a pedestrian and cycle connection linking New Street to Wotton Road/Greenway. The Local Plan said development here was constrained by capacity at junction 14 of the M5 but that National Highways had agreed that up to 775 homes could be built subject to improvements to the junction.
Almondsbury village extension
About 350 new homes are earmarked for land south and east of Florence Park, providing money to expand the primary school and create new public open space. Forty per cent will be classed as affordable and there will be at least 75 for older people.
There will also be small affordable workspaces, a convenience store and cafe. The development area, Cope Park and Florence Park, will be removed from the greenbelt.
Easter Compton village extension
Easter Compton will undergo a large expansion of about 250 homes. Around 160 of these will extend south of Prospect Close in a “sensitive extension that respects the setting of All Saint Church and the listed farmhouse”.
About 40 homes will be built on zoo land east of Bow Street Lane and 50 homes on the triangle land off Blackhorse Hill at the eastern end of the village. The Local Plan said: “This new housing will provide a significant proportion of affordable homes and help rebalance homes to jobs in this part of the district.”
South Gloucestershire Council cabinet will meet to approve the proposals on Monday, February 3, ahead of a vote at full council later next month followed by six weeks of public consultation, before the plan and comments will be submitted to government planning inspectors for public examination next year.
Try BristolLive Premium for FREE without intrusive ads and brilliant new features
No intrusive adverts, pop-ups or distractions! Just our brilliant content presented in the best way possible.
Get your free one-month trial by visiting the ‘Premium’ tab on the BristolLive app now (auto renews annually at £19.99).
If you haven’t got it already, get started by downloading our app here on iPhone or here on Android. If you already have the app but can’t see the ‘Premium’ section, you’ll need to check for the latest update. More info here.