A decision on building new homes and relocating Bruton’s GP surgery has been pushed back for a second time due to traffic concerns with local people arguing that the development would "make life miserable for everyone."

Woolsington One Ltd. put forward plans in late-2020 to build 65 new homes on land to the north of Brewham Road, as well as allocating land for a new doctors’ surgery to replace the existing facility on Patwell Lane.

A Somerset Council planning committee chose to delay a decision on the plans in July to allow road safety issues to be addressed.

A decision has now been pushed back for a second time after councillors complained the new designs would “make life miserable for everyone” in the town.

Local resident Mike Brownlow was among the objectors at a meeting in Yeovil November 26.

He said: “Those of us who living in the centre of Bruton are really worried by the cumulative effect of all this new development.

“We don’t have a bypass – we have an inadequate A-road running through our historic centre.

“”All the houses from this development will feed onto the A359, which is already congested.”

Devil in the details

The new homes, which include 23 affordable properties, will be accessed from Wyvern Close. Double yellow lines will be installed on Wyvern Close and a short stretch of Brue Avenue to prevent the entrance to the new development from being obstructed by parked cars.

Earlier in the same meeting, the committee had approved plans from the Acorn Property Group to build 60 new homes to the south of Brewham Road, with a secondary pedestrian access being delivered onto Darkey Lane.

The new medical centre would be constructed at the northern end of the development with a separate access being created off Cuckoo Hill closer to the A359.

Ewan Jones, who sits on Bruton Town Council, said: “Bruton has a desperate need for a surgery – but it should be at the bottom of the site, where there is level access to the town centre.

“We are presented here with a consultant who will sell the site to the highest bidder. We would like to work with the future developers to develop an acceptable scheme.”

Other councillors also spoke out.

“Adding more traffic on that road, next to a planned play area, is setting alarm bells ringing in my head," said Cllr Tom Power. “It’s so hard to park in Bruton as it is – I’m lost for words over this."

Councillor Oliver Patrick (Coker) said: “I like the principle of this, but the access is miserable. I worry about us setting this up in a way that will make life miserable for everyone.”

The council’s planning and highways officers argued that a decision should be deferred, allowing them to address the highways concerns directly with the developer and possibly come up with an alternative layout for the site.