Councillors have given the green light to an American company to build a 90-acre technology campus across the narrow stretch of green belt between Long Ashton and Bristol.
Healthcare technology company Epic said building its European headquarters in North Somerset would bring 2,150 high quality jobs in life sciences and £140m in gross value added to the economy per year. Brandon Reynolds of Epic said: “This would make us the largest private employer in North Somerset.”
But the plans have been majorly controversial. The fields between the Long Ashton Bypass and South Bristol Link Road where the company chose to build the office buildings, 3,000-seater auditorium, and solar field are considered to be the most valuable stretch of green belt in North Somerset.
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Planning officers at North Somerset Council had agreed the plans were inappropriate development in the green belt — but recommended it should be approved anyway due to the major investment in the local economy. But as North Somerset Council planning committee met to decide the plans on January 15, local councillor Ash Cartman (Long Ashton, Liberal Democrat) asked: “Do they need this site to deliver those economic benefits?”
He said: “It’s clear to me from this application that Bristol gets the jobs, Weston gets the money, and Long Ashton gets the hassle.”
Councillors on the planning committee voted 9-4 to approve the plans, to shouts of “shame” from the public gallery. Debating the plans, planning committee member Terry Porter (Hutton and Locking, Conservative) said: “This is the biggest opportunity I have seen us have. It’s also the hardest one, there’s no doubt about that.”
US medi-tech firm EPIC want to build a new office campus on fields between Long Ashton and Bristol
(Image: Epic)
The majorly divisive plans caused a split on North Somerset Council’s executive committee. The executive member responsible for sustainability Annemieke Waite (Winford, Green) warned the plans would set a “dangerous precedent,” while the executive member responsible for economy, Mark Canniford (Weston-super-Mare Hillside, Liberal Democrat), said it would be a “game changer.”
Long Ashton’s other local councillor Stuart McQuillian (Green) sits on the planning committee and urged the council to refuse planning permission for the plans. But only he, fellow greens Ms Waite and Dan Thomas (Congresbury and Puxton, Green), and Peter Crew (Weston-super-Mare South Worle, Conservative) voted against approving the plans.
Long Ashton Parish Council said it felt “profound disappointment” at the decision. The parish council said: “The development will transform Long Ashton from a distinct rural community into what will effectively become a conurbation of Bristol, causing significant and irreparable harm to local heritage assets and valuable agricultural land.
“The approval contradicts overwhelming local opposition, with 96% of submissions to the Planning Portal objecting to the development. It also disregards formal objections from numerous statutory bodies, Bristol City Council, and other parish councils in North Somerset.”
US medi-tech firm EPIC want to build a new office campus on fields between Long Ashton and Bristol – The view from the South Bristol Link Road shows the fields in question on the left, with Long Ashton in the distance
(Image: Google Maps)
More than 700 people had lodged their objections to the plans. Addressing the planning committee, former Long Ashton parish councillor Charles Cave called the plans a “monstrous carbuncle.” He told the committee: “It would effectively join us to Bristol and we do not wish to be subsumed into Bristol.”
Parish councillor Chris Davis added: “If the green belt is lost, the semi-rural character of Long Ashton will be lost as well.” Also speaking against the plans, Claire Horn added: “This is not grey belt land. It is high quality undeveloped green belt.”
But the plans had the support of Weston College principal Pat Jones and Business West’s Phil Smith at the meeting for the new jobs it would create. Mr Smith said: “We see the creation of skilled high quality jobs to help our NHS and our healthcare sector being of national importance and a large vote of confidence in North Somerset.”
Although the plans have been approved, it will now need to be sent to the secretary of state — who has a chance to call-in the plans — because it is inappropriate development in the green belt.
US medi-tech firm EPIC want to build a new office campus on fields between Long Ashton and Bristol
(Image: Epic)
Speaking after the vote, Mr Canniford said: “I’m delighted that it’s gone though. This poses a huge opportunity for the whole of North Somerset and shows that North Somerset is open for business and we want to see opportunities like this all over the district.”
But Ms Waite said: “For everyone who lives along the A38, this is a bad decision. And we are going to live to regret it.”
Mr Cartman said: “This council has become institutionally corrupted by an application which shows they know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”