We met our MP, and we're taking your voice to Downing Street!
On Friday 18th September we sat down with Sadik Al-Hassan, MP for North Somerset, together with Paul Gardner, Chair of Portishead Town Council. In twelve days we hand the petition in at 10 Downing Street. Here's where things stand and what you can do next.
Our meeting with Sadik
The meeting followed several months of letters to Sadik since July, and it was a good one. We came away encouraged.
We used the time to explain one thing in detail: the Green Belt between Portishead and Weston Big Wood is the wood's buffer, and it can't be compromised. That boundary wasn't drawn by accident. When the Green Belt here was settled in 1988, the adopted plan named Weston Big Wood as one of the reasons for drawing it where it is. The Inspector at the time warned that taking the land out "would allow development to be taken too close to the wood." The protection already exists. It shouldn't become a strip to negotiate over at the edge of a housing estate.
We also talked about the wood's future. Weston Big Wood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and its condition is currently assessed as declining, mainly because of ash dieback. What it needs is a proper long-term plan for its recovery, with room for wildlife to increase, and keeping the open land around it is part of that.
Sadik has already acted on the wood's behalf. In August he wrote to the Housing Minister and to North Somerset Council about how Weston Big Wood will be protected, and he published both letters.
Sadik will be joining us at Downing Street on 14th October. We've also asked him for a written statement of where he stands, in particular on keeping the Green Belt buffer free of development. We're looking forward to receiving it and hope to share it with you soon.
Taking your voice to Downing Street
On Wednesday 14th October we'll hand the petition in at Number 10. At the time of writing, 10,476 people have signed online and around 300 more have signed on paper. We're also taking the picture pages children made at the Folk Hall drop-ins.
That's a lot of people asking for the same thing: protect Weston Big Wood. Not everyone who signed will agree on every detail of the planning arguments, and they don't need to. What the numbers show is serious public concern, and it is still growing.
Going to Downing Street won't decide the outcome on its own. It puts the petition formally in front of the Government while the Local Plan examination is still running. That is the moment it can count.
Handing it in will be:
- Tom Henley and Susan Henley, campaign organisers
- Sadik Al-Hassan, MP for North Somerset
- Cllr Paul Gardner, Chair of Portishead Town Council
- Cllr Rodger Whitfield of Portishead Town Council
- Cllr Caritas Charles, Chairperson of North Somerset Council
- Ruth Peacey, wildlife film-maker and producer
The petition closes on 9th October. If you know someone who hasn't signed yet, there's still time to share this with them: change.org/p/save-weston-big-wood-from-development
What we're asking for
There are two things. First, keep the Green Belt around Weston Big Wood as it is, in full. Second, put a proper plan in place for the wood's recovery and its long-term future, so it can recover and support more wildlife than it does today.
We aren't asking for a bigger buffer inside a new estate. We're asking for the protection that's already there to stay.
Preparing for the hearings
The petition is one half of this campaign. The other is the formal planning process, where the Inspectors decide on evidence, not numbers.
The Local Plan hearings open on 10th November at the Town Hall in Weston-super-Mare. Tower Farm is currently scheduled for Tuesday 8th December.
We've put together a detailed, evidence-based case for the Inspectors. It covers the planning history of this Green Belt, including two separate Inspectors who found the land beside the wood should stay open, plus the hedgerows across the site and the single road access along The Downs, past two primary schools. Written statements are due by 27th October, and we're working alongside Portishead Town Council, which is preparing its own. You can read the campaign documents here.
This campaign is your voice
None of this would carry weight without you. Every signature, every share, every conversation at the school gate or the Folk Hall has built something nobody can wave away. Thank you for sticking with it.
Please join us on 8th December
The hearings are open to the public. If you can get to Weston-super-Mare Town Hall on Tuesday 8th December for 10:00 am, please come. You won't need to speak: the Inspectors lead the discussion. A room with Portishead faces in it shows them how much this wood matters to the town. If you can't make it, that's fine too, and there will be other ways to help.
Dates for your diary
9th October: petition closes
14th October: hand-in at Downing Street
21st October: Portishead Town Council public meeting, Somerset Hall, 7:30 pm to 9 pm
8th December: Tower Farm hearing (currently scheduled), Town Hall, Weston-super-Mare, 10:00 am.
If you'd like to help, please click here for guidance.
As ever, thank you for your support!
Tom & Susan