The West of England Joint Spatial Plan was a plan, published by the English authorities of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, of where new housing and other facilities should be built within the former Avon county area.
[6] The proposal for thousands of homes in Churchill were rejected by existing residents, with Councillor John Crockford-Hawley stating that the plan would lead to houses being built "where nobody wants them".
Concerns were raised by residents that "the council failed to adequately consult on planned garden villages they fear will destroy their way of life and decimate the landscape.
[8] Residents of Whitchurch also voiced concerns over the extra homes planned for the area, along with the new proposed link road.
[9] The Buckover Garden Village proposal attracted significant criticism,[10] with constraints on the transport network noted as an argument against the development.