Categories
Bath City

New homes approved for Somerset village amid fears of ‘overdevelopment’ Bath City News

A housing development has been approved in a Somerset village despite residents’ concerns for pedestrian safety amid new developments in the surrounding area.

The proposed development of five new houses instead of demolished farm buildings in Templecombe was submitted to planning authority by the White Hart Company late last year.

South Somerset District Council has now approved the request, which will see three detached houses and two semi-detached houses built at the end of West Street.

READ MORE: Parents in ‘Fuming’ Primary Schools Criticize Class Restructuring ‘Business Decision’

The five properties will all have two floors and have been traditionally designed with a “contemporary touch” to ensure that the village will have a “sense of identity within the village and give future residents a sense of individual belonging”.

The farm site will be on the same road as a 49-house development, which was approved earlier this year despite strong local opposition and previous fears of endangering pedestrians.

This prompted a Templecombe resident to voice concerns that the site could fall prey to “over-development.”

To get news like this delivered straight to your inbox, click here.

In two separate comments submitted to the request, Kevin Stringer warned that this latest development would put undue pressure on water flow and runoff.

He described West Street as a “very narrow single lane” with no sidewalks along parts of the road, which already receives “significant” traffic from existing residents.

He wrote: “The track is far too narrow to support increased levels of traffic; there is no trail along this section of West Street and there have been several near misses with high speed vehicles in recent months along this section.

“A wide entrance to the new site will allow vehicles to exit directly from the new entrance and along the narrow part of West Street. It is potentially extremely dangerous for pedestrians and drivers. “

The development of five homes was submitted by White Hart Company late last year (Image: White Hart Company)

Mr Stringer further noted that the development could pose a risk of “localized” flooding during extreme weather events, which the county has seen with increasing regularity in recent times.

Wessex Water’s consultation on the plans said the strategy is “currently not acceptable” to ensure that surface water runoff does not increase the risk of flooding and sewage pollution.

The council’s planning approval notice indicates that a provision for surface water drainage should be installed before construction of the houses begins.

Do you have a tip or a story to tell? Email me via rebecca.cook@reachplc.com to get in touch.

Read more related articles Read more related articles

More about this article: Read More
Source: www.somersetlive.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-08-04 12:27:40

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *