Plans for a new development of six new homes in West Huntspill have been turned down by Somerset Council.
An outline planning application has been submitted seeking permission to build six new dwellings and the formation of an access road at 9 Main Road in West Huntspill.
Somerset Council has this month turned down the application on two grounds, stating the land is not an identified housing allocation as designated by the Sedgemoor Local Plan, and the site is located on land at a high risk from flooding.
The council says: “Where proposals in the countryside are not addressed by other policies in the Local Plan, new development must demonstrate that there are specific countryside needs. The outline proposal for 6 dwellings would be on land which is not an identified housing allocation as designated by the Sedgemoor Local Plan and does not accord with other relevant policies in the Local Plan that provide for development in the countryside such as meeting a specific affordable housing need or a self-build development. A specific countryside need has not been demonstrated that would provide support for the development in this location.”
Secondly, the council adds that “the application site is located within Flood Zone 3 which is land at high risk from flooding. This application seeks outline approval for dwellings and this use is categorised as a ‘More Vulnerable’ form of development as set out within the Planning Practice Guidance. Development categorised as ‘More Vulnerable’ is not permissible in Flood Zone 3 unless there is no alternative land for such a development reasonably available in Flood Zones 1 and 2.”
“The Local Planning Authority (LPA) considers that there is sufficient land available locally, in lower flood risk zones, to deliver an adequate supply of such a use and as such considers the proposal to fail the Sequential Test. Notwithstanding the mitigation measures proposed, the risk to life and/or property, both within the development and in upstream and/or downstream locations from tidal inundation would be unacceptable if the development were to be permitted.”
West Huntspill Parish Council had raised no observations with the new application when it considered the plans earlier this year. Somerset Highways also raised no observations. However, the Environment Agency objected to the plans and recommended that planning permission was refused.
The applicant’s Planning Statement states: “This proposal is effectively a re-submission of an application that was submitted in January 2024 and was subsequently refused, primarily due to the fact that Planning Policy states the site is in the open countryside. A ludicrously outdated stance to this location. The site is an anomaly in planning policy terms. Sitting on the northern edge of the recognised settlement boundary of West Huntspill, and immediately to the south of the recognised development boundary of Highbridge.”
It adds: “This site is more sustainable than most. We have addressed concerns that were raised under the previous submission and reduced the number of houses proposed to 6 from 8, in line with the Parish Council’s comments.”
