Town councillors last night (Thursday) raised a formal objection regarding a developer’s plans to build 95 new homes on the site of a boat yard next to the River Brue in Highbridge.
At a meeting of Burnham and Highbridge Town Council’s Planning Applications Committee on Thursday evening, a number of concerns were raised over Property Link’s bid to construct eighty five 2, 3 and 4 bedroom houses plus a further ten 1-bedroom flats at the site, pictured here.
As first reported by Burnham-On-Sea.com here, the application for outline planning permission is centred on land to the west of 67 Clyce Road, which is currently used as a boat yard and storage area for motor homes.
Town councillors are objecting amid concerns of poor access for traffic using the site, over development, and fears that there will be no RLT2 community funds for Highbridge from the site’s developer.
Cllr Louise Parkin said at Thursday’s meeting: “It concerns me that the developer proposes to spend a large amount of money on building new flood defences at the site but not giving any funding to improved community facilities in Highbridge. There would be no benefit for the town.”
Deputy Town Clerk Denise Emery added: “The developer says the new flood defences would open up possibilities for other building development along the river. However, it does appear that nothing will go back into the town in terms of social infrastructure improvements.”
And Cllr Bill Hancock said: “A further concern has to be over access to the site – a great deal of extra traffic would be using Smith Way to access this big development.”
Committee Chairman Cllr Alan Miller agreed: “Smith Way is a narrow lane, not a main road, and would struggle to cope with the extra traffic. I cannot think of a more inappropriate site in Highbridge for a large development like this.”
Councillors also heard that the proposed density of the development would see an average of 79 dwellings per hectare, which it was claimed would be higher than the 39 dwellings per hectare proposed for the larger Brue Farm site.
Local residents have until December 23rd to provide feedback on the scheme to Sedgemooor District Council, who will then consider the Town Council’s objection and other comments in the New Year before making a final decision.
