NEW homes in a small Somerset village, care units in a seaside town and a new camp-site near the M5 are among the schemes people are trying to get planning permission for in Somerset.
Every week, hundreds of planning applications are submitted to Somerset Council for determination – and we have selected some of the most interesting proposals.
Most plans will be decided by council planning officers, using their legally delegated powers, but some of the most significant or contentious will go before one of the council’s five planning committees.
Planning committees are made up of elected councillors, but the decisions they make should be decided based on the council’s planning policies, not local politics (although it doesn’t always turn out that way).
Silver Street, West Buckland
The village of West Buckland lies to the east of Wellington, a short distance from the M5 motorway and the Blackdown Hills area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB).
N. T. and J. T. Marke have put forward proposals for 12 new homes on Silver Street, at the northern edge of the village.
The homes will be built north of the existing homes on Orchard Gardens, within easy walking reach of the village hall and the playing fields.
Of the 12 new dwellings being proposed, three of them will be affordable, meeting the council’s target of 25 per cent affordable housing in any new development of ten homes or more.
While the precise make-up of the homes has not been confirmed, the applicants have indicated that the homes nearest to Orchard Gardens will be bungalows, allowing the development to blend in with the existing homes.
The site is not allocated within the Taunton Deane Core Strategy and is outside of the development boundary of West Buckland – but with demand for new housing in the local area being significant, planners may decide that this is a sustainable location.
Planning reference number: 46/23/0018
Beaufort Park, Rectory Road, Burnham-on-Sea
Beaufort Park is a retirement village which includes the historic Beaufort Park (which was formerly a girl’s school) and the surrounding properties.
Beaufort Park Ltd. (which is part of Agincare) has applied to build 11 extra care apartments within the ground, aiming at elderly residents who are more physically independent.
With around 25 per cent of Somerset’s population being 65 or over (according to government projections), these facilities – similar to the Quantock House and Lyngford House complexes in Taunton – will become more crucial in the years to come.
Planning reference number: 11/23/00101
Sweethay, Trull
Anthony Ormerod failed in a recent attempt to build a new camp-site with ten pitches on this greenfield site between Taunton and the M5, with the Planning Inspectorate dismissing his appeal in August.
Now he has teamed up with Cosy Barn Holidays Ltd. to put forward amended plans for the same number of tents.
The biggest change from the previous plans is the removal of the amenities building, in favour of a temporary shower and toilet block which can be removed outside of the tourist season.
Planning reference number: 42/23/0042
B3135 Cliff Road, Cheddar Gorge
Cheddar Gorge remains one of Somerset’s most popular tourist attractions – but finding a place to park within the gorge and admire the views can be challenging, especially at the height of summer.
To ease the situation, the National Trust has applied to create a more formal car park at the Black Rock site, where the B3135 intersects with major footpaths leading over the gorge and across the Mendip Hills AONB.
The car park will also include cycle storage racks, making it easier for cyclists to visit the gorge and safely explore the surrounding area.
Planning reference number: 17/23/00063
Westpark 26, Wellington
Westpark 26 is the home of numerous businesses on the edge of Wellington, including the town’s McDonald’s restaurant, Costa Coffee outlet, and soon its KFC outlet (which is currently under construction.
The Motor Fuel Group has now put forward plans for an electric vehicle charging hub on a vacant commercial plot next to the McDonald’s, not far from the Shell petrol station.
The facility would have space for eight vehicle charging points, along with air, water and vacuum facilities and canopies to protect the vehicles and equipment from inclement weather.
Planning reference number: 43/23/0101
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