There was only one certainty coming out of the Nailsea Town Council public meeting on Friday and that is Nailsea is going to get nearly 4,000 new homes in the next two decades whether it likes it or not.

That is a government- imposed fait accompli which just leaves the nuts and bolts of the accompaniments to discuss/debate and/or consult – type of homes, exactly where they are going, new roads, schools, shops and jobs.

‘New Town’ Nailsea of the 1970s-early 1990s when bored teenagers with nothing much to do has sadly metaphorized into ‘Old Town’ Nailsea dominated by senior citizens and sheltered housing complexes.

For 90 minutes the hardly souls who braved the wind and rain talked about the future and how to maintain community cohesion.

It falls to North Somerset Council to prepare a Local Plan for the period 2018-2036 which will set out detailed policies and allocations to deliver a new planning policy framework.

As part of this process and to generate feedback the town council was asked to produce a ‘vision’ for the town.

But the vision which has no legal standing in planning law and has been dubbed either ‘aspirational’ or ‘fairyland’ depending on what side of the Nimby fence you are standing.

Some also said it lacked any ‘joined up thinking’.

Fears were voiced about a lack of faith in a district council which gave itself planning permission to build houses on its own land at The Uplands that many believe had ‘open space’ status.

Residents also reflected on its decision to put speed bumps along Station Road which is resulting in juggernauts seeking alternative routes creating rat runs through rural areas – an example of failing to see wider implications.

Infrastructure before development was like a chicken and egg dilemma but a suggestion from the floor to go back to Roman times when roads were built first in a straight line and a community built at the end was one solution put forward.

Probably the most controversial part of the council ‘vision’ is a proposal to move the Green Belt which currently protects countryside to the north of the town (and includes the ruins of a Roman villa), building a new road linking the industrial estates to the B3130 and bringing the Metro bus to Nailsea.

Ideally it would have been better to move the trading estates but the complexities of multiple ownerships and using compulsory purchase orders wasn’t in the remit of a town council and concerns if companies were asked to relocate to another site they might end up leaving Nailsea all together and taking vital jobs with them, the meeting was told.

Fewer than 100 people were at the Scotch Horn Centre with some taking to social media afterwards to blame non-attendance on lack of pre-publicity, the weather and/or the choice of night/time.

But the meeting had been widely flagged-up on various Facebook pages, advertised on two widely read door-to-door publications and councillors had manned a stall at the monthly farmers’ market to tell people all about it.

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Energy self-sufficient

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The most important part of the evening centred around providing ‘affordable’ homes for young people and a revolutionary suggestion by one of the few persons in the room aged under 30 that for the vision to become truly inspirational it should include making the town energy self-sufficient with superfast broadband available to every home.

The Uplands newcomer who moved from Bristol a year ago said: "Aim for the stars, look to make Nailsea energy independent by using modern technologies - biomass, solar, wind."

Broom Farm Close resident Mike Stone said: “I have lived in Nailsea for 45 years and my children have grown up in the town and I now have grandchildren in North Somerset as well.

“The biggest thing is affordable housing – this is an ageing town and a lot of us here won’t be here in 30-40 years time.

“I am surprised there aren’t more youngsters here tonight – this and the infrastructure are the two big things.”

Windfarms and a sports village were also mentioned along with worries about the delicate ecology of the flood plains earmarked for development.

At the top table presenting the evening sat Nailsea Town Council chairman David Packham, finance chairman Neil Middleton and chartered town planner Lucy White who has been appointed by councillors to guide them through the process.

New town clerk Jo Duffy who takes up the post in December was also present.

There were calls to support the town centre shops and to reintroduce adult education classes.

Mr Packham said: “I know we are all guilty of online shopping, but we need to support our town centre stores and one of the benefits of more people coming into the town is more customers for our shops.”

With development comes cash windfalls and Nailsea Town Council is hoping homes at Engine Lane on part council-owned land will go ahead next year if issues with National Grid can be resolved.

All new homes pay a 15 per cent local levy which would allow the town council to fulfil some of its ‘vision’ while not taking over roles which come within the remit of a unitary authority like cutting grass verges, the meeting was told.

Mr Packham said: “Town councils can if necessary now borrow money if a good business plan can be made.”

But Mr Middleton added a note of caution saying ‘running costs’ have to be considered when spending capital receipts.

Its town centre base at 65 High Street, which was bought with ‘borrowed money’, is being developed as a ‘health and well-being’ centre under the auspices of retired town clerk Ian Morrell.

The list of improvements for GWR including the long promised disabled access on the down line and an extended platform at Nailsea & Backwell railway station are a necessity to get more using public transport, those present learned.

Mr Packham said his council was ‘fighting very hard against any link between the M5 and A370 Long Ashton bypass’ which would be 'a bridge across a flood plain'.

Asking people to write to the council with feedback was given as an example of being out-of-touch with youngsters who use their phones for all communications, added one speaker.

Mr Packham said he thought it was possible to use its contact form at https://www.nailseatowncouncil.gov.uk/contact/.