NAILSEA
PEOPLE
Property people
HENSONS the estate agents sponsor the Nailsea People property page.
With more than 80 networked offices in the south west and London the Nailsea office is at Ivy Court, 61 High Street, Nailsea, Bristol, BS48 1AW
Telephone: 01275 810030
Email: info@hbe.co.uk
See every property at: www.hbe.co.uk
ESTATE AGENTS, SURVEYORS, VALUERS, AUCTIONEERS, PROBATE SPECIALISTS, RESIDENTIAL LETTING & MANAGEMENT, COMMERCIAL PROPERTY CONSULTANTS, LAND NEW HOMES.
MORE THAN 112 YEARS IN PROPERTY - Est 1909
2023
The climate crisis is continually worsening across the globe as global heating persistently rises. In the UK, our national pledge to become Net Zero by 2050 relies heavily on our ability to decarbonise our homes.
With some of the oldest homes in the world and worst insulated in Europe, UK homes lose heat three times faster than that in Norway and Germany, producing 16 per cent of our overall emissions each year and costing huge amounts to heat.
Tackling efficiency in homes is therefore a priority to achieve our environmental commitments.
Stonewood Homes is taking the lead on sustainable housing with the construction of Elm Grove – 52 Passivhaus homes on The Uplands, Nailsea, – setting the standard for low carbon living in the South West.
Passivhaus is an internationally recognised and world-leading standard for energy-efficient construction and design.
It utilises a ‘fabric-first’ approach where emphasis is on the building’s materials and quality of construction before considering sustainable technologies.
Passivhaus buildings retain heat thanks to their thick insulation, almost total airtightness, mechanical ventilation heat recovery systems (MVHR) and positioning to the sun, which reduces their energy demand by up to 90 per cent.
Solar panels and battery storage also supply the house with green electricity.
With lower energy demands, Passivhaus homes reduce the nation’s call for fossil fuels which in turn reduces the burden on our planet.
They’re Net Zero Ready, meaning they’re futureproofed to the Net Zero transition and can run solely on clean, renewable electricity.
There are economic benefits too: with significantly lower energy demand comes significantly lower energy bills, offering resilience to homeowners in the face of unstable electricity prices.
Passivhaus homes also provide social benefits to homeowners: they have
superior air quality that’s filtered and pollutant free – an important factor in the face of rising air pollution, and valuable to those suffering with respiratory health issues.
Furthermore, the ability of a Passivhaus to regulate and maintain internal temperatures will provide further resilience as the summers get hotter.
The emergence of larger-scale Passivhaus schemes in the UK represents a welcome and necessary shift towards sustainable development.
Having one of the UK’s largest mixed-tenure Passivhaus developments in Nailsea puts the town at the forefront of low-carbon living.
Artists' impression of The Uplands, Nailsea
Net Zero homes coming to Nailsea
Backwell villagers are up in arms after North Somerset Council executive voted to include 515 houses at Grove Farm and Burnt House Farm in their Local Plan.
This is despite:-
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Nearly 100 houses being built recently at Coppice Place, Moody's Acre, The New Inn and other infill sites;
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125 houses APPROVED at Farleigh Fields; and
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65 houses APPROVED at Rodney Road, behind the Scout Hut (although access issues are still unresolved)
That's a staggering 705 houses in a village that currently has less than 2,000 houses in total, say protestors.
Spokesperson Lorraine Hopkinson-Parker said; "This huge and disproportionate increase would see Backwell become a small town.
"We know that Taylor Wimpey will not stop at 515 houses on Grove Farm and Burnt House Farm.
"They were very open about their intention to build more if they were granted permission at their recent event, and the number would almost certainly end up being around 700.
"This takes our total for Backwell to just over 1,000."
Lorraine, former North Somerset councillor and currently parish councillor Karen Barclay who is also an executive member of Backwell Residents Association along with Barbara Harland an active community volunteer are all part of a newly launched a Save Our Village campaign.
Its aim is to:
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Call on North Somerset Council to remove Grove Farm and Burnt House Farm from the final version of the Local Plan.
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Remind North Somerset Council that Backwell has not said no to housing, as the figures above clearly demonstrate.
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Remind North Somerset Council that Backwell was in fact, one of the first villages in the country to draw up and adopt a Neighbourhood Plan with a sensible, strategic, sustainable and proportionate number of houses.
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Remind North Somerset Council that the Neighbourhood Plan was voted on and supported by 96 per cent of villagers in the referendum.
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Remind North Somerset Council that the agreed Vision Statement of Backwell's Neighbourhood Plan states 'To safeguard Backwell for future generations as an attractive place to live with a sustainable village feel in proximity to the countryside'.
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Call on North Somerset Council not to destroy our fields, wildlife, agricultural land and our village.
There is a six week public consultation period before the final version of the local plan will be voted on by all North Somerset Council elected members.
Loirraine added: "We need to send a strong message to our elected representatives to ensure they listen to the wishes of the residents they serve."
Backwell is a village
A Keynsham auction house has a Nailsea High Street cottage for sale.
The terraced home was until last year a hairdressing business and had been posted as 'sold' for a time but this sale fell through.
City & Rural Property Auctions has included the property in its online auction from 7pm on Wednesday, November 15.
It has a guideline price of £175,000.
And the blurb says: 'A very rare opportunity to acquire this delightful cottage situated in central Nailsea. Originally used as a business the accommodation could be altered to create a two or three bedroom home. The rooms have been listed as 'proposed' with a vision for possible future use and would be subject to necessary planning consents. Properties of this type are very rare to the housing market and therefore interest is likely to be very high. We have been advised by the sellers that residential planning permission has already been applied for. The floor plan is for viewing purposes only and should not be relied on for total accuracy. Early viewings strongly suggested. (with flying freehold).'
For more details go to https://cityandruralpropertyauctions.com/
A haunted Nailsea cottage for auction
North Somerset Council New Local Plan is being discussed on Wednesday, October 18, at Weston town hall and it contains some 'interesting' revelations.
Contained in the 584-page agenda papers which can be viewed by clicking HERE is the overarching plan for future development in North Somerset.
This gem is found on page 42:
'The Preferred Options proposed that Nailsea/Backwell be identified as a strategic growth location subject to the deliverability of infrastructure to address the serious constraints on the highway network. Further work has indicated that the delivery of a new road either over or under the railway to better connect Nailsea to the A370 and relieve congestion at key junctions is unlikely over the plan period. It is therefore proposed to remove sites at South Nailsea and East of Backwell (also Green Belt).'
It also says that the council has identified a housing supply of 15,804 dwellings when its target 14,985 dwellings sites.
Extending the Green Belt to protect the strategic gap between Nailsea and Backwell is in the draft.
And on pages 277 and 285-287 are its proposed Local Green Space allocations for North Somerset.
They includes parts of Farleigh Fields, Backwell Lake, the parkland near West Leigh Infant School, Scotch Horn Park (now Millennium Park, Bibury Close open areas, Nowhere Woods, Blackthorn Way archaeological site, Hannah More Park and the disputed open slope off The Perrings!
The Executive meeting is on Wednesday, October 18, at 2.30pm in the New Council Chamber.
It will be broadcast live via the weblink https://youtube.com/live/tWFy688iTAQ
The numbers game
PLAY GROUND: North Somerset MP Liam Fox offically opening the new playground at the Ryves Vale development on the edge of the Tickenham village he calls home. The stunning new development of 32, zero carbon three, four and five bed homes has just one remaining four bed Sherston design house left for sale at £629,000. Dr Fox said: "Great to see the high quality of the finished homes and that carbon neutral can be both functional and beautiful simultaneously."
For sale
This is an exceptional individual contemporary ‘smart home’.
It stands in a private but not isolated setting at the head of its own private lane on the edge of the ‘old village’ of Nailsea.
Yet it is within easy reach of local amenities.
The house offers over 255sq.m (2,750sq.ft) of floor space with a selection of outbuildings.
It is for sale at a price just over a million at £1,195,000 by Hensons the High Street estate agents.
The key selling points of the property at St. Marys Grove, Nailsea are:
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Detached
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Open plan living
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5 bedrooms
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3 bathrooms
To arrange viewing email
info@hbe.co.uk or call
01275 810030
Developer goes door-to-door...
The developer who bought part of a Nailsea community park has gone door-to-door introducing himself to neighbours!
The land was bought at auction for £28,500 in mid-February.
The new landowner told them he intends to build houses on this plot of Trendlewood Park which is currently subject to a North Somerset Council blanket TPO (tree preservation order) and subsidence property issues with an adjoining home.
Nailsea Town Council has also started ‘town green’ moves to further protect the open buffer between Bibury Close and Birdlip Close against any speculative planning applications.
Clerk Jo Duffy reported to the December that the process is underway - see below extract from council agenda papers.
Problems date back to the 1980s when the then Woodspring District Council failed to adopt this land and others dotted all over the town which are currently being auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Grass verges along Queens Road were recently sold by a London auction house.
The story also posted on our Nailsea People Facebook page reached 5,000 readers in the first 24hrs and here are some of the comments it attracted:
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Patricia Adams said: "Sounds like a very speculative purchase to me."
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Jessica Amy Payne said: "Tell them to go away."
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Nicky Sheehan said: "Come on Nailsea Town council and get that Town Green status."
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Derek Iles said: "Shame to see houses being shoehorned into these relatively small, recreational spaces.:
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New town councillor James R Turner said: "Anyone with concerns around this can email me at james.turner@nailseatowncouncil.gov.uk and I will raise it at the next council meeting."
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Angela Searle said: "They’re going to be tiny with no garden. Absolutely ridiculous! It the developer comes to my door I’ll give him short shrift!"
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Jeremy Parker said: "Gardens don’t make sense for property developers, it’s a case of cram as many expensive houses on the smallest possible space these days, all about greed."
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Lorna Wilmot said: "Jeremy you're right, have you seen the new houses in Tickenham where the garden centre by Tickenham Garage used to be? Huge houses literally looking into each others' bedrooms, the gardens are so small."
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Stacey Bamford asked: "I want to know what these people plan to do with the grass verges they've purchased. I'd be fuming if my house backed onto or faced one of those and they started building some monstrosity on them."
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Debbie Anne said: "As a property owner with a tree on the verge damaging my property, I have to say I’d rather a house."
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Sammy Fothergill said: "I really thought you couldn’t build on it, I looked at the planning, that’s why it went so cheap, goes against everything if they allow planning."
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Jeremy Parker added: "They probably can’t build on it but just don’t know that yet, it’s no doubt a speculative purchase. "I’d be surprised if any money has been transferred yet anyway and the people who bid at auction are probably trying to find out more, hence their visit. It no doubt probably explains why two previous sales fell through. "I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s back on the market again fairly soon."
Louise Bateman said: "We have a WhatsApp group for Birdlip and Bibury residents.
"A petition has been ongoing since the first land sale last year and there are other steps being taken.
"The tree preservation has been confirmed as being in the provisional stage.
"Please do sign the petition we were up to 400 signatures yesterday!
"Really wish the developers had knocked on my door I would have had a few choice words.
"Would I prefer to hear owls or building site not much more I can say."
Zoltan Ecseri posted a link here https://chng.it/f2hBBqVDcL to a petition to Save The Green Space Between Birdlip and Bibury Close as parkland.
It says: 'The beautiful small piece of land between Birdlip Close and Bibury Close has been sold with the possible potential for it to be developed, although we don't yet know who has bought it. It could mean we will loose the wonderful place to walk our dogs, homes for the local wildlife including owls, and two oak trees amongst the many other animals and trees.This is a beautiful area and also forms a natural soakaway for the houses that back onto the property, local footpath and nearby bus stop. The area is used by dog walkers, schoolchildren, ramblers and for people cutting through to walk towards the local pub and Trendlewood Road.If you don't want to see this area developed in to yet another housing estate causing chaos, disruption and the destruction of the fabulous trees and wildlife please sign our petition and hopefully we can stop any potential developers from wanting to build on this land.'
Nailsea Town Council elected representative of Golden Valley ward James Turner asked questions at the planning committee on Wednesday, February 15.
He posted on Nailsea People Facebook page after the meeting.
James said: "I raised this issue at tonight's council meeting and there are numerous reasons why the land is unsuitable for development:
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It has a public footpath running through the middle of it;
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It has a TPO on it;
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it is part of the application for a Town Green which is being progressed;
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The land owner is currently being litigated against for subsidence damage to houses caused by trees on the land;
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It's a prescribed open space that has proven access rights.
"The auction house selling these plots has no local knowledge and the companies buying these plots see a spot of green space, by a road, surrounded by houses and speculate that they can make money by buying them and building on them.
"If they can't they write it off as a tax loss.
"With pending litigation it would be remiss for the council to buy it and spend public money on defending the litigation.
"My question and the answers by my colleague planning committee chairman and also a Golden Valley ward councillor Rod Lees will be covered in the latest minutes when they are published,
"I felt it important to get it on the record.".
Back on market
Backwell House is back on the market at a reduced price.
The former hotel and restaurant Backwell House was once popular for weddings, situated just five miles outside of Bristol, but was shut in March 2022 after six years, citing the pandemic as the key reason for its closure.
The marketing was put on hold during the summer while planning consent was obtained to revert back to use as a dwelling house.
The property has now been relisted for £3.45 million with Burston Cook to exclude the sale of the other standalone cottages, which will be retained but could still be purchased separately if the buyer so wishes.The blurb says: ‘A sweeping driveway leads to Backwell House which has been extensively refurbished and fitted out to the highest standard and ideally suits a family home. This Grade II listed Georgian country house is set against the rolling hills of the North Somerset countryside, yet within just 15 minutes drive time of Clifton suspension bridge, situated on almost 15 acres of land.'.
It initially went on the market in Spring of last year and was listed for £ 4.95 million, which included three cottages on the outer edge of the grounds’.
To download a brochure click HERE.
Farleigh Fields build 'on hold'
Backwell Parish Council has been told following many adverse comments on North Somerset Council online planning page that Persimmon Homes has put Farleigh Fields build on hold.
Residents have been raising concerns about flooding, the outfall, design parameters and landscaping, forcing the builders to withdraw its current design for Reserved Matters and go back to the drawing board.
The parish council said these matters are being reviewed with a view to making a fresh submission in the future.
Persimmon say it remains committed to delivering this scheme in Backwell ‘with quality design, placemaking and customer service at its heart’ and want to work with local people ‘in a spirit of partnership and collaboration’.
In short, this means that although Persimmon still have permission to build on the land there will be no work on this site until a further plan is received.
At this stage it is not clear if and when this might happen.
Nearly 20 detailed online comments from local residents and organisations have made their views known and highlighted the A370 flooding in the recent bad weather, downturn in the market and several adverse newspaper articles slatting the construction quality of this building company.
Backwell lake, the main road and football pitches have recently flooded in the village.
Learning skills on Nailsea building site
Barratt Bristol apprentice Owen Goodland, based in Parish Brook, Nailsea, is helping the housebuilder celebrate National Apprentice Week, which runs from Monday to Sunday, February 6-12, as one of 10 trade trainees.
Owen’s apprenticeship combines on-site work as a trainee carpenter with college work that teaches him his Level 2 Carpentry skills.
Owen, aged 17, comes from a family of carpenters so was keen to get stuck into the trade.
He also wanted an apprenticeship close to him so leapt at the opportunity when he heard that Barratt Homes were taking on trainees at their Parish Brook development in Nailsea.
This year’s Apprentice Week theme is Skills For Life which aims to show that apprenticeship programmes across the country are equipping those involved with the skills they need to progress within their careers.
Owen said: “I’ve always wanted a hands-on job and knew if I worked in the construction industry no two days would be the same.
"What I am enjoying most from my apprenticeship is getting my hands dirty and working with the team on-site who are there to support me when I need it.
"It’s great learning new skills and techniques and it’s satisfying to see my work get better each day.”
It's not just the on-the-job experience that attracts young people to apprenticeships.
For Owen, benefits are also important.
He added: “Barratt offers a good package of benefits including a travel allowance which is so important with costs increasing at the moment.
“I am very grateful for the opportunities and experience I’ve gained so far on my apprenticeship with Barratt Homes.
"The apprenticeship has really boosted my confidence and not just made me into a competent carpenter but has taught me transferrable skills like problem solving and team work.
"While I’m only on the first year of the apprenticeship, I’d like to push myself and go for Level 3 in the future.”
Barratt Homes Bristol sales director Andrea Pilgrim said: “It is great to hear the positive experiences of our apprentices who are valuable members of the site team.
"We are committed to continue supporting the future generations of tradespeople and the future leaders of the construction industry.”
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Parish Brook, off Engine Lane, Nailsea, offers a range of two, three and four-bedroom high quality and energy efficient homes.
This new community is on the edge of the North Somerset countryside and is the perfect location for first time buyers, downsizers or commuters say Barratt with great access to the M5 and Nailsea & Backwell railway station. Barratt Homes Bristol is committed to investing in the communities that it builds in and has already made donations to Nailsea Junior Football Club and Grove Pre-school.
Selling, renting it is all here
Plot 13 The Chepstow, Paddock Rise, Nailsea, is on the market for £625,000.
This four bed house with two bathrooms and two receptions is currently under construction for Woodstock Homes in a cul-de-sac off The Perring and is part of a small development on the edge town.
You would think one housebuilder would buck the trend for naming places in Nailsea with an original idea to save confusion.
We already have Bucklands/drive/place/view/rise/end/lane and a pub/café and converted office block both called Coates House and now it looks like another paddock?
We have Ploughed Paddock already...anymore duplicates?
When we asked on our Nailsea People Facebook page readers suggested many tongue-in-cheek alternatives.
More details here https://www.andrewsonline.co.uk/properties-for-sale/house-for-sale-in-plot-13-the-chepstow-paddock-rise-nailsea-bristol-somerset-bs48/55557.
At Somerset Square M&Co is still trading despite the notice on the shopfront and news that the company has fallen into administration.
The company announced its collapse on December 9 and now needs to find a buyer to avoid disappearing from the high street forever.
All of its 170 shops should be open and running as normal for now, while its administrators Teneo Financial Advisory looks for another company to take over.
We are told the Nailsea shop has enough stock to keep going for a bit and it has displayed 'closing down sale' signs before and it didn't shut, fingers-crossed.
Istabul Barbers said it will open this week in Nailsea High Street - see photos of progress including nice interior shot supplied by owners on our Marketplace page HERE..
Golden Horse is closed for what we believe is its annual Chinese new year holiday although one eagle-eyed Nailsea People reader spotted the premises is up for rent on Prime Location along with other town centre businesses!
Coates House is still 'testing' the market and its details appear online.
And the old hairdressers which was being sold 'complete with ghost' as a private home also appears to be back on the market?
Backwell Camera Club has started a rolling exhibition of prints by kind permission of Hunter Leahy, its estate agent shop window on Nailsea High Street.
The prints will be changed fortnightly.
Since the window is lit up at night the pictures can be viewed at any time.
If you are interested in photography, then see www.backwellcameraclub.club for more information including programme, meeting details and contact information.
We welcome new landlord and landlady Jess and Wayne at the Ring O'Bells, see details on our Food and DrinK page HERE.
The affect the recent January rain had on the countryside surrounding Nailsea can be viewed in a slideshow on our Breaking News page HERE.
And finally scaffolding has gone up in the High Street on the old Decades nightclub which has planning permission for a third storey apartments...watch this space...
ON TREND: A London auction house has re-advertised part of Trendlewood Park for sale. The open space which Nailsea Town Council wants designated as a ‘town green’ is advertised as a freehold plot of approx 37,106 sq ft. It has a guide price of £10,000+. This is second or third time the green space has been put in the market as it is believed the first sale in October 2022 fell through. The London Auction House lots go under the hammer on Wednesday, February 8, at 9am. Scroll down to read previous stories or go to the 2022 property page...