AN extension to a care home, dozens of new storage containers and renovations to a beloved local church 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.

A38 West Buckland Road, Wellington

Chelston Park Nursing & Residential Home lies on the southern edge of Wellington, roughly halfway between the Jurston Fields housing development and the Westpark 26 employment site.

The care home, which was constructed in the 1920s, currently has 22 single rooms and ten rooms for couples, all boasting “pleasant views of the garden, fields or the Blackdown Hills”.

The building was previously extended following the approval of plans in April 2020 (in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic) to provide additional bed-space.

This newest infill extension will allow the creation of five en suite rooms, which will make the care home “more sustainable and more easily manageable” in terms of staff shifts and time with individual residents.

Under the proposals, residents will gain improved access to on-site podiatry and hairdressing facilities, with additional storage for wheelchairs also being provided.

Planning reference number: 44/24/0003

Quakinghouse Lane, nr. Wiveliscombe

Farrington Farms has applied to site up to 50 storage containers on land forming part of Fry’s Farm, on Quakinghouse Lane just outside Wiveliscombe.

A self-storage business is already operating at Fry’s Farm, with 15 containers, and approval of these plans would allow the business to relocate and expand.

In addition to the new containers, the developer will see a new wildflower meadow created on the site’s southern edge.

Planning reference number: 9/24/0014

Burnham Road, Highbridge

The Gospel Tabernacle Evangelical Church lies on Burnham Road in one of Highbridge’s main residential areas, a short distance from the town’s cemetery.

The Church has a weekly congregation of around 40 people on Sundays, as well as hosting Bible study groups and child-minding groups during the week.

The church has applied to undertake numerous renovations to the existing building, creating a new mezzanine floor to use as a Sunday school.

Planning reference number: 11/24/00006

Park End Lane, Cothelstone

Cothelstone Hill is one of the most popular attractions for walkers exploring the Quantock Hills national landscape (formerly area of outstanding natural beauty, or AONB).

To improve access to the summit, the Quantock Landscape Partnership has applied to extend the existing access trail from the car park near Park End Lane.

As part of the enhancement, two new benches will be installed to allow visitors to stop and admire the astonishing views.

Planning reference number: 10/24/00002

A38 Bristol Road, Highbridge

M. Di Mascio and his family have been running an ice cream business on the outskirts of Highbridge since 1963.

The family has applied to erect a new commercial building within the Westfield Units business park on the eastern side of the A38 Bristol Road on the northern edge of the town.

The new building will be sandwiched between the existing industrial units and will be used for “subsidiary storage” purposes.

Planning reference number: 12/24/00003

To comment on any of these applications (and others), visit www.somerset.gov.uk/planning-buildings-and-land/view-and-comment-on-a-planning-application.