Plans to build five new homes in the centre of Burnham-On-Sea have been halted by a sett of badgers.
Sedgemoor District Council’s planners have this week turned down an application to build five dwellings on land at 13 Rectory Road due largely to badgers living in the area.
Case officer Colin Arnold explained to Burnham-On-Sea.com: “It has been identified that there are badgers setts within or near the proposed site.”
“In the absence of a qualified badger study and mitigation measures, the local planning authority are unable to assess the effect – if any – that the proposal would have on the local badger population. Therefore, the proposal is contrary to the policy of the Sedgemoor District Local Plan.”
He added that the scheme would also have represented a “gross over-development” for the area, stating: “Rectory Road is characterised by large detached properties usually with large garden areas. The proposed twelve units of accommodation does not reflect or respect this existing character and would represent a gross over-development.”
The council had also expressed concerns about a loss of privacy and overlooking issues arising from the proposed new development.
