Residents are furious over plans for 1,600 new homes that will double the size of their village and ‘destroy’ the picturesque countryside. 

Outline planning permission has been approved for 800 proposed homes in Backwell, criticized as a ‘total shambles’—with an additional 800 homes now designated in the upcoming local plan.

Locals fear the North Somerset village ‘won’t be able to cope’ and fear it will turn their rural community in a ‘small town’.

The village currently comprises roughly 2,000 homes and offers several facilities and amenities, including a GP, train station, cafes, takeaway shops, and a dentist.

Residents have labeled the extent of the development as ‘unsustainable,’ voicing concerns that Backwell lacks sufficient infrastructure to support the planned number of houses.

Signs reading ‘save our fields,’ ‘save our village,’ and ‘save our wildlife’ have been placed outside homes to express opposition to the development.

Other banners read ‘RIP our little village’ and ‘no entry to profiteers.’

Locals fear the village will become ‘overpopulated’ with nightmare traffic and causing issues with wildlife.

Julie Lewton, 62, who runs a garage fears the village will ‘not be the same again’.

She said: ‘We are a village and we are not going to be a village anymore.

‘We might have a train station, a doctor’s GP, a dentist and a couple of local shops but the infrastructure is not in place.

‘The roads here are very narrow and they can’t take extra traffic – I mean every single house has two cars each.

‘It also worries me that there is no wildlife anymore. Where are they going to go?’

Outline plans have been approved for 800 homes but developers have held ‘consultation events’ for a further 800 on land next to the village.

Ms. Lewton stated that with the ‘extra traffic coming’ to the village, parents will be reluctant to let their children walk to the two schools by themselves.

‘Drivers try and be careful but some people aren’t. So it is an accident waiting to happen,’ she added.

The houses are planned to being built in at Grove Farm on the edge of Backwell and Farleigh Fields, a group of fields overlooked by the village church and where many locals say to use for daily walks.

Lorraine Hopkinson Parker, 60, administrator said to have a ‘long list’ of concerns, including wildlife, biodiversity, food security and social cohesion.

She fears ‘worrying times’ for Backwell.

The mother-of-two said: ‘Most of those 800 houses are being built in Grade II agricultural land at Grove Farm and Farleigh Fields both near the junior school.

‘Backwell is expected to take more housing than any other area in North Somerset – it is just too much and absolutely ridiculous.

‘We are going to fight – it is a step too far.’

She added: ‘On top of that we have two further developers who have put in planning application who may want more houses on top of what is already planned on Backwell on Grade I agricultural Green Belt Land. This land has always been protected.

‘Yet North Somerset Council have allowed this to be included in their plan. They said they want to build an extra thousand.

‘It is completely unsustainable that increase.

‘We don’t have the infrastructure and it will overwhelm the village. People are very concerned in the village.

‘It is not just about Backwell turning into a small town anymore but about the extra development.’

Aimee Davies, 39, who owns Aimee’s Wine House shop in Backwell, is unsure if more people coming into the village will in any way benefit her business.

She said: ‘I feel that catchment of people that are buying the new houses might be more inclined to order stuff online.

‘I’d hope they would come and use the local facilities a bit more. But I am always a bit dubious on that.’

Aimee who drives everyday from Weston-Super-Mare on A370 fears the traffic will be a ‘nightmare’.

She said: ‘Using that A370 coming from Weston especially if they decide to do roadworks it is an absolute nightmare.

‘I haven’t heard anything good from anybody. All I have heard is negative remarks.

‘A lot of our costumers commute into Bristol. That train station is pretty handy for a lot of people. I know it is already a bit of a nightmare getting the train.’

Resident Keith Riches, 77 has condemn the decision, stating that developers should be building houses where employment is.

Mr Riches who moved to Backwell 40 years ago said: ‘There’s no employment opportunities around here.

‘The railway is at capacity certainly at work times.

‘What has already been approved will be a massive change to this village and we think it is already too many for a village to absorb.

‘We start at the moment from a level of 2,000 houses in this village so sticking 800 here is 40 per cent more.

‘To do that without any proper consideration of this infrastructure is to me unsatisfactory and what we don’t want is further on top of that.’

Mr Riches added: ‘There are about 2,000 homes in the village and 800 homes coming in planning applications that we already known are coming and have already been approved in outline.

‘The thing that is making people extremely worried and upset is we know North Somerset Council has already decided to propose further allocations to grade one agricultural land right next to the village.

‘Two developers have already had events in the village hall, one talking about 400 homes and the other about the same.

‘That would almost double the size of the village. Nobody seems to think about the consequences. They just chuck up the homes and then try and sort the mess out years later.

‘The vast majority of the village is totally against this and will fight this at every opportunity.’

One resident who did not want to be named and moved to the village five years ago said there is not ‘infrastructure’ in the village.

She said: ‘They are not bringing any amenities at all and the roads can’t cope as it is so there will be additional traffic and they are just not thinking through and they are not listening.’

‘They are also not considering the fact that this is a zone of special area of conservation for the horseshoe bats.’

She is considering moving out as they moved there for the green space.

‘We have got a dog that we walk on a daily basis that we are not going to be able to walk. We use that field every single day,’ she said/

‘Our leisure centre is falling down – it is disgusting. It is in a massive need of some redevelopment.

‘It is just bringing more people and that is the problem because it is a village. It is not a town, it is not a city.’

One resident who moved to the village 50 years ago said: ‘It is total shambles. Everybody’s objections were ignored by North Somerset Council. There is no organisation. Nobody seems to know what they are doing.

‘I could see from the first consultation five years ago it wasn’t a feasible option, but everybody’s objections were ignored by North Somerset Council.

‘Roads are often blocked but my worry is how dangerous it is to young people trying to get to school.

‘The traffic is far too big for the roads that were built in the 50s.’

North Somerset Council said: ‘The Government requires a big increase in the number of houses built across the country, including 23,700 within North Somerset by 2041. To address this, we have engaged with our communities to identify where the new housing should be located as part of the preparation of the new Local Plan and will undergo further consultation before submitting the plan for examination.

‘The Local Plan will set out where new housing, employment and other developments should be built to help deliver sustainable communities.

‘We recognise that people have concerns about the capacity of existing infrastructure to accommodate the large amount of new housing required by Government, so we are also working with partners to identify what needs to be provided alongside the new housing to ensure our communities remain places where people want to live, work and visit.

‘Residents can keep up to date with the emerging Local Plan by visiting our website where our consultation will be published. ‘