A final decision on contentious plans for a new housing development in East Brent has been delayed due to fresh concerns over the affordable homes it will provide.
East Brent LVA LLP applied for outline permission to build 40 new homes next to Old Bristol Road in East Brent near Burnham-On-Sea.
Sedgemoor District Council’s development committee originally refused the proposals in August 2020, but this decision was subsequently reversed by the Planning Inspectorate following an appeal.
Edenstone Homes later acquired the site and put forward updated plans in early 2022 – plans which came before Somerset Council’s north planning committee for final approval on Tuesday March 12th.
However, after two hours of debate, the committee voted to delay a decision until concerns surrounding the affordable homes and play provision within the site have been addressed, says the local democracy reporting service.
The development site is classified by the Environment Agency (EA) as being in flood zone 3a, therefore there is at least a one per cent chance of it being flooded in the future.
In order to address this, the outline plans proposed importing 30,000 cubic metres of soil to the site, raising the whole area by one metre.
That proposed solution has since been abandoned, with Edenstone opting instead to install surface water pumps throughout the site which will move water away from the new homes in the event of heavy rain.
Road access to the site will be via Old Bristol Road with a new footpath being provided to link the new homes to key services in the village.
Under the amended ‘reserved matters’ proposals, 16 of the 40 homes will be classed as affordable – the equivalent of 40 per cent, which is higher than the council’s 30 per cent target for any new development comprising ten homes or more.
130 car parking spaces will be provided at the site, with an attenuation pond being provided at the northern end to further reduce the risk of flooding.
Local resident Jenny Doyle told the committee meeting in Bridgwater on Tuesday that locals’ concerns about the development had been met with “disdain and contempt” by the developer.
A statement read out on her behalf said: “There has been no attempt to work collaboratively with residents or the parish council. This is our community, and we feel you have failed to fulfil any mitigation commitments or allay any fears that we might have.”
She adds: “Who designs a housing development to flood? With freak climatic events on the increase, and rainfall this February alone having doubled, this design fails to meet the government’s flood resilience criteria.”
And May Cardwell added: “Our property lies below the level of the surface road and is very susceptible to flooding. The developer’s design fails to take into account the engineering challenge of this site. Their plans for sewerage and water retention do not go far enough, making it a risk to us and others on this road.”
Peter Spinks compared the situation to the recent Post Office software scandal, saying: “This application is turning into another Post Office situation, and we are the little people. The footpath cannot be built on the north side of Bristol Road. It’s your job to cancel this application.”
Local councillor Bob Filmer questioned whether the new homes would meet the actual needs of the village, based on recent assessments of the demand for affordable housing in the area.
Cllr Filmer said: “This is an exception site, and it’s only justified as an exception site because of the need for affordable housing. To then allow housing that is greater than the affordable need seems a little odd. I’m waiting to be convinced on a number of issues with this site.”
Local councillor Tony Grimes added: “Is there a reason why the affordable housing and the shared ownership homes are all grouped together in one area? In the past we’ve asked for them to be more integrated within the site – I don’t like the idea of them being pushed up into a corner.”
Following two hours’ debate, the committee voted to defer a decision on the plans by eight votes to five, giving the developer time to reconsider the layout of the affordable homes in relation to the proposed play area at the south-eastern corner of the site.
