Council approves care home plan instead of school

A care home will be built on a site originally earmarked for a new school as part of a new housing development.

Somerset Council previously decided there was no need for a school in the 315-home Killams Park site to the south of Taunton.

Instead, they have now backed plans for a 66-bed care home, but there are concerns the scheme does not include enough parking, with just 25 spaces.

Caroline Adams, who spoke on behalf of Killams Park residents at a recent committee meeting, said proposals did not adequately consider "existing parking problems" and would instead, bring even more vehicles into the area.

At the meeting, the Local Democracy Reporting Service heard how students from Richard Huish College had been parking on Ms Adam's estate since residential parking schemes were introduced on nearby streets.

"For the last 18 months, we have been facing serious parking and driving issues due to students from Richard Huish College parking throughout the estate on various roads and side streets, creating blind spots and driving at excessive speeds – as many as 40 vehicles-a-day," Ms Adams said.

"The planning proposals does not adequately consider these existing parking problems."

Councillor Andy Hadley said he sympathised with residents' concerns, but argued a solution could be found outside of the planning proposals, pointing to experiences within his own Minehead division.

As part of the Killams Park legal agreements, Summerfield committed to either provide land at Cutliffe Road for a new primary school or to providing a financial contribution of £772,191 to other schools in Taunton.

The council confirmed in June that this latter option had been chosen.

Councillor Derek Perry said: "I think it is unrealistic to think that anybody in significant numbers is going to come to this site by bus. I've also got every sympathy for people affected by the Richard Huish parking problems."

The committee voted unanimously to approve the plans after less than an hour's debate.

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.