Controversial plans to sell off a publicly owned field in Highbridge to make way for 121 new homes look set to be given the go-ahead next week.
A Sedgemoor District Council planning case officer has recommended approval of the plans to sell the land next to Lakeside in Highbridge, which has previously been called “a precious pocket of green land.”
The disposal of the land will be considered at a meeting of Sedgemoor’s Executive on June 24th.
Earlier this year, outline plans for the site, which is south of the existing Lakeside development, were granted by Sedgemoor’s Development Committee meeting.
The highly contentious application, from Coln Residential, attracted 140 objections from local residents. Their concerns include a loss of public land, traffic and safety issues, access, and the impact on wildlife.
Joy Russell, a Highbridge resident who has campaigned against the development, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “I hate that many people don’t value places like this. The property developers regard this area as disused ‘wasteland’ and want to cram houses on to an untouched wildlife haven.”
“I have a petition to show Sedgemoor District Council how much the community cares about our last precious pocket of green.”
She adds: “I wish Sedgemoor District Council could just see the benefits in keeping this ground for the wildlife and the public to enjoy, especially as they have signed up to a Climate Emergency.”
The site was acquired by the council under a transfer dated 1st July 1996 to facilitate the development of a “green lung” public open space as allocated in the Burnham-On-Sea Area Local Plan.
