Controversial plans for a new housing development in Berrow were debated during a heated public meeting on Tuesday evening (November 7th).
More than 30 villagers attended the meeting organised by the Parish Council in Berrow Village Hall to air their views on Notaro’s plans for 49 new homes on a field near to the village school.
As Burnham-On-Sea.com reported here last month, the developer Notaro New Homes Ltd wants to build the new houses, close to an existing estate on Cavalla Mews.
20 of the new homes will be classed as affordable, selling below market price, if approval is granted on the 3.6 hectare site.
Increased traffic, flooding, noise and the impact on wildlife were just a few of the concerns raised during the hour-long meeting.
Villagers began by raising concerns about the state of the current Notaro housing site, which is located next to the proposed development site. They aired concerns about surface flooding, poorly maintained drains, and claimed that building work at the existing site is not yet fully complete.
“Parts of that area are a quagmire at the moment – it’s definitely not fit for more building,” said one villager.
Another villager raised traffic concerns, saying: “Hundreds of lorries will be heading along Rosetree Paddock for months on end from 7.30am every day if it goes ahead.”
“Our lives will be a misery again, just like last time when the first houses were built. We had noise for months on end.“
Another resident added: “Their planning statement is horrendously weak – they are proposing the equivalent of ‘soakaways’ for water to drain away, which is not appropriate.”
“The field is already partly underwater and the rhyne is full. There is nowhere for water to soak away to. And they have also not taken into consideration climate change.”
Residents also voiced worries over a lack of integration with the school in the proposed new development and said the plans don’t make mention of how they would alleviate construction traffic or disturbance.
“For me, there are an awful lot of gaps in the planning application which means it’s not justified,” concluded one villager.
Another attendee at Tuesday’s meeting said: “Drainage is my main concern. The rhyne has not been cleaned for some time,” adding that it is vulnerable to an increased risk of flooding.
“I have lived here all my life and that area is always under a foot of water in the winter near the rhyne. There is also so much wildlife there that it’s unreal.”
Other villagers went on to say that the proposed site sees otters, kestrels and bats.
Road safety along Rosetree Paddock was also concern for many of those at the meeting.
“There are an awful lot of young people around so close to the school. Visibility is also poor along that road.”
“Traffic goes along that road like it’s the A38 – someone will get hurt.”
Another resident added that the lack of public facilities in the village to support new homes is a concern for her — despite a mention in the application to the contrary.
The Parish Council says that the application will be formally considered at a planning meeting on Tuesday 14th November at 6.15pm in Berrow Village Hall when its decision on the application will be made.
Somerset Council is expected to make a final decision on the new plans in 2024.
