Inspectors give green light for 95-home plan in South Chard

The plans include 95 houses, of which 33 will be affordable

Nearly 100 new homes are to be built in a small village on the Somerset border.

Somerset Council had refused permission for the development on the B3167 Perry Street in South Chard, formerly an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB).

However, the developers launched a successful appeal with the Planning Inspectorate in October 2023, with a public inquiry sitting on 8 February.

People who opposed it said it would create "an intrinsic change of character" to the village.

Residents who attended the inquiry raised various concerns, including about localised flooding and the impact on the River Axe catchment area.

However, upholding the appeal, planning inspector Rekha Sabu said: "Balanced against the harm, the proposal would contribute up to 95 dwellings to the local housing supply. Given the housing shortfall, I attribute significant weight to this benefit."

She said adverse impacts of the proposal "do not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits".

As part of the plans, Bath developer the Crossman Group has pledged to provide more than £894,000 for local education, including nearly £334,000 to ensure sufficient capacity at Holyrood Academy and more than £502,000 towards a future primary school in Chard.

The proposed site of the housing development is on the B3167 Perry Street in South Chard on the Somerset/Dorset border

• Revised plans for 1,700 new homes in Somerset town

• Concern planned homes would turn village into town

The Crossman Group applied in December 2021 for outline permission to build up to 97 homes on the site, on the edge of Dorset, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

The site lies between Perry Street and Factory Lane, not far from the former Chard Junction railway station, and forms part of the wider Tatworth area.

The plans, which were revised down to 95 homes, were refused by the council's planning committee south last June over concerns about over-development, road safety and the impact on local rivers.

The developer lodged an appeal in a bid to overturn this decision, and the planning inspector has in the developer's favour.

The new homes will range from one-bedroom flats to four-bedroom houses - and of the 95 homes planned, 33 will be affordable.

Planning inspector Ms Sabu also said the proposal "would not harm the Somerset Levels and Moors Ramsar site or the River Axe".

A planning inquiry meeting was held at the Somerset Council offices in Yeovil

And concluded the plans would have not have "an unacceptable impact on highway safety" and the loss of agricultural land would not conflict with either Local Plan policy or the National Planning Policy Framework.

 A reserved matters application, covering the detailed design and layout of the new homes, is expected to be submitted to the council before the end of the current year.