A NEW town the size of Clevedon is due to be built in North Somerset, bordering Barrow Gurney and Long Ashton. More than 9,000 new homes must be built on the edge of Bristol and 9,000 more on the outskirts of Weston by 2026, according to the Regional Spat

A NEW town the size of Clevedon is due to be built in North Somerset, bordering Barrow Gurney and Long Ashton.More than 9,000 new homes must be built on the edge of Bristol and 9,000 more on the outskirts of Weston by 2026, according to the Regional Spatial Strategy which is due to be approved by the Government next year.North Somerset Council has come up with four possible locations for the houses in the south Bristol area and is currently consulting parish councils and residents to find the best site.But people living in nearby villages fear their already congested roads will grind to a halt with extra traffic from the new developments as well as the increase in flights from Bristol International Airport.Barrow Gurney Parish Council chairman, Geoff Coombs, said: "The roads from Barrow Gurney into Bristol are already extremely congested and we are concerned how much impact any proposal will have on the road network."Our other concern is the wonderful quality of the landscape in this part of North Somerset."At the moment it's protected by the green belt but if any development takes place it must respect some of the best quality landscapes there are in the area. It must be very carefully placed."The first development proposal involves building on the parkland at the former Barrow Hospital site, as well as land to the north and south of Long Ashton.The second option would mean one new community being built around Barrow Gurney, the hospital site and Yanley.To improve transport links, the third option is two developments built around future proposed transport routes, including the Orange Route, which links the A38 and the A370, and the Red Route, around south Bristol.And the last proposal suggests dispersing the developments and attaching new homes to the existing communities of Failand, Flax Bourton, Barrow Gurney, Long Ashton and the edge of south Bristol.Speaking at a consultation evening in Barrow Gurney, Mike Reep from North Somerset Council said the authority would not be making any quick decisions about the location.He said: "We are concerned with quality rather than quantity. We want to avoid another Bradley Stoke."We need to provide extra services from the outset, such as transport, waste and community facilities ready to support new residents."Consultations are still in their early stages and there is no timescale for when development is due to start.Anyone interested voicing their views on the proposals must do so by Friday at www.n-somerset.gov.uk