Worried residents have lobbied district councillors when they visited Walrow in Highbridge on Thursday (February 28th) to consider whether controversial plans for 47 new homes should go ahead.
Members of Sedgemoor District Council’s Development Committee made a formal site visit to assess the proposals to build the homes on land to the north of Walrow Road following a recent meeting, as Burnham-On-Sea.com reported here.
Residents with placards campaigning against the plans turned out on Thursday to ‘welcome’ the councillors as they wandered around the site and discussed the proposals.
The plans – which cover a development of new flats and houses – have been recommended for approval by Sedgemoor’s case officer despite 123 letters of objection from residents.
Residents have raised a number of concerns including over-development, insufficient infrastructure for additional houses, highway safety and proximity of access to the bridge, traffic congestion, out of keeping housing, plus a negative impact on wildlife and ecology, and a loss of green space.
Town councillors also expressed raised an official objection against the plans when they initially reviewed the scheme last autumn.
The Town Council objected on the grounds of inadequate highways access, over-development of the site, insufficient flood prevention measures, poor infrastructure, and detrimental to wildlife.
Highbridge district councillor Roger Keen spoke out during February’s district council meeting against the plans. He cited concerns over transport, ecology, flooding risks and the weak Walrow bridge not being able to support more vehicles.
A final decision is expected to be made later in March.
