Over 60 residents attended a public consultation event in Highbridge on Monday (June 18th) where controversial plans went on show for 130 new homes.
As first reported by Burnham-On-Sea.com here, Toni Hammick plans to transform a publicly-owned field into a new development of homes on land between Lakeside and the Isleport Business Park.
Residents from the area flocked to Monday’s consultation event at Highbridge Community Centre where the applicant received a barrage of concerns about the scheme.
Highbridge Chamber of Trade’s Mike Murphy added: “It’s really sad that so many new homes are being planned for such a small site. The net site area is 2.582 hectares so there’s 47 dwellings per hectare planned – the normal is 30 or less. This would be extremely dense and cannot be allowed. The smallest dwelling is just 20ft x 20ft for a 2-bed place!”
“I’m concerned about the disruption to Lakeside residents due to the single access route. We were hoping for more of a village feel to the site, but this is just a very tight housing estate. I want a full review of this proposal.”
One Lakeside resident, Shaun Coggins, told Burnham-On-Sea.com during the session: “I’m really concerned about the single access route onto the proposed site. With 130 new homes, we could see up to 300 extra vehicles a day driving past our homes. I have no objection about the homes, just the fact that there is only one way in and out past our homes – they must find another access route.”
Another resident, who asked not to be named, added: “The whole site has been designed without any thought to local people living nearby already. It’s an over-development that’s utterly out of keeping with the surrounding area with major access concerns. We will be fighting this all the way – it must not be allowed to go ahead.”
Toni Hammick, pictured below, who was present at Monday’s event, told Burnham-On-Sea.com the plans are “certainly controversial.”
She added: “When you have been living next to a field for a long time of course there will be lots of concerns when proposals like this come along.”
“The main concerns have been around access, but we have looked into this and there are no other access routes onto the site available and highways have already said they are happy with it.”
She added that some locals had “welcomed” the news that funding from the Asda and Aldi developments would enable a “fitness trail and quality play space” to be created at the site. “There would be less public open space than at the moment, but an area would be maintained.”
Toni proposes to hold a separate, follow-up publlic presentation and talk soon to take questions from residents and give them an opportunity to give feedback. More details to follow on Burnham-On-Sea.com.
