Somerset development will damage village character, council says

Developers want to build 26 homes in the village of Oakhill

Residents of a small village will have "no breathing room" if a new development goes ahead, an inquiry has heard.

Developers applied in December 2020 to build 26 homes at the western end of Chapelfield in the village of Oakhill, near Shepton Mallet, Somerset.

Mendip District Council's planning board voted unanimously to refuse the plans in June 2022.

Developers argued it was a sensible extension to the existing village.

The district council, which ceased to exist earlier this month with its functions taken over by Somerset Council, had been concerned about road safety and the impact on the village's character.

Johnstone Land Company (Bristol) lodged an appeal against the decision in December.

The Planning Inspectorate ruled that an in-person public inquiry would be needed to settle the issue.

A planning inquiry is being held to rule on the planning application

Planning inspector Alison Partington presided over the inquiry as it got under way at Somerset Council's Shepton Mallet offices on Tuesday.

Mendip's planning board voted to refuse the original plans on the following five grounds:

• Building homes there would "have a harmful impact on the character of the area"

• The development would be too close to the existing Chapelfield homes, which would be "detrimental to the residential amenity of the occupiers"

• Oakhill has "limited public services and facilities", resulting in new home-owners having to commute excessively by private car

• The development would have a "harmful impact on highway safety", putting both pedestrians and motorists at risk

• It would result in hedgerow along the southern boundary being lost, which would have a "detrimental visual impact" on the village and the wider area

Kit Stokes, representing Johnstone, argued the development was a sensible extension to the existing village.

"It sits neatly in the envelope of the village. The area is characterised by a mixture of terraced and semi-detached housing, and this development is a continuation of that," he said.

The inspector's findings are expected to be published later in the year.