Housing development refused for third time

A development of nearly 50 homes has been refused for a third time after a lengthy council debate.

Castle Cary LVA LLP applied for outline permission to build 46 homes on the B3152 South Street, just north of the Somerset town's cemetery in October 2023.

Somerset Council's planning committee south had previously delayed a decision over conservation impact concerns but have now dismissed the plans entirely.

The proposed development would have been sandwiched between existing homes and the cemetery.

"We have absolutely no need, no housing requirement at all for any extra housing – because we have already got considerably more than our allocated share," said Councillor Henry Hobhouse who represents Castle Cary at Somerset Council.

The dismissal comes soon after the government raised the home building target for many local authorities as it strives to build 1.5 million homes in the next five years, with Somerset seeing an increase of 41%.

This increased target has been met with scepticism by some Somerset Councillors.

Councillor Martin Wale, who represents Chard North said: "If you're going to set a minimum number of new homes for a town, there has to be a point, surely, when you've got a maximum?"

A total of 16 affordable homes would have been provided in the refused application, meeting the 35 per cent target for affordable homes within the South Somerset Local Plan.

Councillor Oliver Patrick who represents Coker, said he believed that the benefits of the housing outweighed the negatives:

"This delivers considerable benefits by delivering housing that we desperately need in Somerset – I'm quite sanguine about that, and I think we should be too."

After more than an hour's debate, the committee voted to refuse the plans by a margin of five votes to two.

The developer has not yet indicated whether it intends to appeal.

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