Building more than 20 homes on the outskirts of a Somerset town would result in a ‘criminal’ loss of green space and wildlife, local residents say.
The Pegasus Planning Group has submitted plans to build 22 houses at the western end of Westhay Lane at the southern end of Shepton Mallet. Locals criticized the proposals, saying the houses were not in a reasonable location and would displace or destroy many local species.
Mendip District Council is expected to make a decision on the plans in a few months. Access to the planned development would be near the existing bend on Westhay Lane, with 48 parking spaces planned across the site.
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Of the 22 homes on offer, seven will be affordable, narrowly exceeding the council’s target of 30% affordable housing for any new development of ten or more homes. A spokesperson for the developer said: “The Westway Lane diagram has been designed with the needs of its users in mind and will be readable, safe and comfortable to use.
“Every effort has been made to conserve existing wildlife habitats and where ground conditions permit. Sustainable urban drainage has been used to manage drainage outlets in a manner that supports wildlife biodiversity and enhances amenities for intended users of the development.
Plans for 22 houses on Westhay Lane in Shepton Mallet (Image: Pegasus Planning Group)
“The program will provide a sufficient mix of tenures to make it economically and socially prosperous in a location that allows easy access to services and facilities.” The site is outside the settlement boundaries of Shepton Mallet and is not earmarked for housing in either Part I of the local plan (which was approved in December 2014) or Part II of the local plan (approved in December 2021.
Local resident Jacqueline Cheshire said the site was an “unsuitable position for homes” and warned the development would lead to further destruction of Somerset wildlife. She said: “Wildlife like the homes of owls and badgers will be destroyed.
“It would be criminal to go ahead with this. It wouldn’t stop there – they would want to build on the next field until we had none left.”
Sarah Kingsley added: “The development will harm the rural character and outlook of the area and will have a detrimental urbanization impact. I also believe that the proposed development will potentially lead to further development of adjacent green sites.”
Shepton Mallet City Council also opposed the plans. integrated. The district council is expected to make a decision on the proposals by the end of the summer.
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Source: www.somersetlive.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-05-28 23:00:00
