A developer is hoping for luck for the third time in his attempt to build new homes a stone’s throw from the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant.
Hull-based Land Allocation Ltd. unsuccessfully requested the construction of 27 houses on land west of Shurton Lane in Stogursey, with plans being rejected by Somerset West and Taunton Council in October 2020.
The council then defended an appeal to prevent the same company from building 70 homes on the same site, with the town planning inspectorate making its final decision in April 2021.
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The company has now filed a new appeal, this time for up to 32 homes, in the hope that clearance will finally be granted.
According to the proposals, only the southern half of the land that would have been occupied by 70 houses will be developed, with the land closest to Little Lukes Farm being retained.
The new homes will extend along an access road from Shurton Lane to the north of the site, with green space to the west and a buffer zone to the south near existing homes on Meadow Gardens and Northfield Close.
Plans for 32 houses on Shurton Lane in Stogursey (Image: AAH Planning Consultants)
The site is less than ten minutes’ drive from the Hinkley Point C construction site and approximately two miles as the crow flies from the Hinkley Point campus north of the hamlets of Shurton and Wick.
The council refused general authorization in October 2020 for four reasons:
The development will result in too many houses at one time in the village, which is identified in the local plan for “limited development” only There is no guarantee that the project will include affordable housing The development could not not provide other playground equipment on site or funding to improve the existing playground to the south.
Responding to the council’s decision, the developer argued that construction on the site would improve pedestrian routes through the village.
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A spokesperson said: “Existing trails are available that would allow safe and sustainable access to services, including a pedestrian link that runs from Burgage Road to the south which provides direct access to the southern edge of the application site, parallel to the existing clearance surface.
“The development of the site would improve existing trails, if necessary, which would improve the existing connectivity of the northern part of the village for current and future residents.
“It is clear that residential development in this location would not need to depend solely on the use of private cars to access the services and facilities available in Stogursey.
“This level of development would allow for a sufficiently spacious layout and layout to reflect the existing character and context of the village, particularly towards the north of the village.
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The Planning Inspectorate has confirmed that the appeal will be conducted through written representations rather than a virtual public inquiry, with a final decision expected by the end of the year.
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Source: www.somersetlive.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-06-21 23:00:00
