DOZENS of new homes will be built near a growing Somerset village following a successful appeal by the developer.

Walton LVA LLP applied in December 2019 for permission to build 37 new homes on South Street in Walton, on the outskirts of Street and a short distance from the busy A39.

Mendip District Council’s planning board threw the outline plans out in January 2023, arguing that the homes would worsen existing road safety issues on the main road – prompting the developer to lodge an appeal.

The Planning Inspectorate has now ruled in the developer’s favour, meaning the new homes could see the light of day in the near-future.

The site lies on the eastern side of South Street, being bordered by Veal Lane at the south-eastern edge of the village.

The site is outside of the settlement boundary of Walton and less than a mile from the Street Future Growth Area (FGA), where 400 homes and a new primary school have been allocated within the council’s Local Plan Part II.

Under the proposals, a new access would be created almost directly opposite the existing junction with Long Lane, with the land nearest Veal Lane being allocated for attenuation ponds and a play area.

Of the 37 homes proposed for the site, 11 will be affordable, meeting the council’s target of 30 per cent affordable homes for any new development of ten homes or more within the former Mendip area.

The planning board voted to refuse permission on three grounds:

  • The development would “prejudice highway safety” by increasing traffic congestion, especially at the junction between South Street and the A39
  • The site lies in open countryside, within a village which has “already exceeded its housing allocation” specified in the Mendip Local Plan Part I
  • The development would result in harm to local heritage assets, including the setting of the grade two listed Church of the Holy Trinity

Planning inspector Tom Bristow visited the site on May 21 and published his final report shortly before Somerset Council’s planning committee east met in Shepton Mallet on Tuesday afternoon (August 6).

Mr Bristow said the site could be classed as sustainable due to the proximity of certain key amenities, including the church, village hall, primary school and the Royal Oak pub, all of which are within 500 metres of the site.

He said: “There would also be little difference in terms of walking or cycling between the appeal site and nearby services and facilities compared to many peripheral locations around Walton or Street.

“There is a pavement running from next to the site towards the A39, and Walton is served by several reasonably regular services to other settlements including Bridgwater, Taunton and Wells.”

Regarding the housing targets, Mr Bristow stated that the housing targets within both parts of the Mendip Local Plan were minimum levels, arguing that some increase in housing was inevitable given the growth planned in Street.

He said: “Change is often disconcerting and there has been, and will continue to be, significant development in the wider area in time.

“The housing figure in the Local Plan is expressed as a minimum, rather than constraining suitable development in excess of that number.

“Turning to Walton specifically, 37 homes in addition to 46 completed and ten
with extant permission over the Local Plan period to date would not represent an atypical level of growth of primary or secondary villages in the former Mendip district.”

Regarding the potential impact on heritage assets, Mr Bristow concluded there was “no meaningful inter-visibility” between the development site and protected heritage assets associated with the church and neighbouring buildings.

He reasoned: “Much of the formerly rural setting to the church has given way to development over time, which arguably places some greater importance on maintaining elements of that setting which remain.

“However, there is little meaningful visual relationship between the appeal site and church, and a sensitive approach to layout and scale could provide opportunities for preserving vistas or corridors of view towards the church tower.”

Regarding road safety, Mr Bristow accepted that parked cars on South Street would “restrict the available carriageway” and that there was “limited visibility” at the junction with Veal Lane.

However, he said there was “no records of personal injury collisions” between January 2017 and December 2021, and that planned pedestrian links along South Street would mitigate these concerns.

He added: “There are, in short, compelling needs for the provision of housing and affordable housing.

“The proposal would also entail economic benefits, improve the junction of South Street and Veal Lane, be to the benefit of pedestrian provision along South Street itself, provide for an above policy compliant level of public open space, and there is clear potential for biodiversity net gain to be achieved.

“Collectively the benefits of the scheme may therefore fairly be summarised as significant.”

A reserved matters application, detailing the design and layout of the new homes, is expected to be submitted to Somerset Council by Christmas.