A public meeting is to be held regarding the controversial disposal of land adjoining Lakeside in Highbridge to make way for 110 new homes after a group of councillors submitted a ‘call-in request’ to challenge the decision.
As Burnham-On-Sea.com reported here, Sedgemoor District Council’s Executive voted on June 24th in favour of selling off a piece of open public land to make way for new homes despite strong local opposition.
Over 700 local people had signed a petition against the sale of the field between Lakeside and Isleport amid concern about a loss of wildlife, a loss of public open land and over-development.
It comes after Burnham-On-Sea.com reported here that developer Coln Residential had won outline planning permission earlier this year to develop the site for new homes.
A Sedgemoor District Council spokesperson says: “Following the Executive meeting on June 24th, there has been a call-in request made by the required number of councillors concerning the proposed disposal of land adjoining Lakeside, Isleport, Highbridge. There will be a virtual meeting of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee held on Monday 13th July 2020 at 2.30pm to consider this matter.”
Reasons provided for the ‘call-in request’:
- The decision to sell this land acquired for Public Open Space and the failure to bring forward any such use over 20 years.
- The decision to sell green space in the Highbridge area which is deficient in this locality.
- The threat to the biodiversity of this site during a climate change crisis.
- The allocation of the S106 monies towards this site being transferred to the developer.
- The desirability of keeping open space for the health and wellbeing of local residents.
- Was sufficient weight given to the public consultation in making this decision?
The meeting will be open to the public and if you would like to register to speak please contact democratic.services@sedgemoor.gov.uk by midday on Friday 10th July 2020.
The land was acquired by Sedgemoor District Council in 1996 and at that time was intended to form an area of public open space as part of the wider Isleport Business Park.  Part of the land was subsequently developed for housing – the current Lakeside housing estate. The remainder of the land has not formally been designated as public open space, although there are footpaths crossing it. The council says it is “undeveloped land, not public open space.”
