A CRUNCH planning decision on a housing development in Old Sodbury is looming after an appeal.

The case, which was brought by Redcliffe Homes against South Gloucestershire Council, will decide whether a proposed 35 home development in the village should get the go ahead.

The case opened on November 15, with the decision set to be announced on or before January 10, 2023.

The application site consists of 1.5 hectares of ground that has been used for grazing animals plus a small area of land that formed part of the garden of the Sodbury House Hotel.

Redcliffe's initial planning application for the development was turned down on January 28 this year, when South Gloucestershire Council rejected it for a number of reasons. One of the issues it cited is that the land is in the open countryside beyond the defined settlement boundary for Old Sodbury and is not an allocated site for housing development.

Seventy objections have been made to the plans - online via the South Gloucestershire Council planning portal - with five comments offered in support.

Sodbury Town Council was one of those to object to the plans.

The council commented: “We have been advising South Gloucestershire Council for years of our concerns over safety on the A432 Badminton Road. Until action is taken to address this concern the Town Council cannot support any residential application.

They added: “The Town Council does not believe that the facilities available in the village and the public transport system are sufficient to support this development.”

They also noted that there was insufficient parking and overflow parking, and that the visual impact of the development “was not in keeping with the character of the village”.

A member of the public who commented in support of the application said: “Great news that more houses will be available - lots of people have to move out of the area they've grown up in because there’s not enough houses.”

Another said: “I am very pleased to see the development of much needed social housing albeit a small number - there are so many people in desperate need of housing.”