Bridgwater Town Council’s Planning Committee met on Thursday 23 July, with a major proposed housing development off Bower Lane dominating discussions. After considering the application, committee members unanimously agreed to object to plans for up to 750 new homes.
Councillors from across all political parties voiced significant concerns about the proposal and concluded that the development raises a number of serious issues which, in their view, have not been adequately addressed.
The committee highlighted concerns over the capacity of local healthcare services to support a development of this scale, the impact that additional traffic would have on an already pressured road network, and the potential for increased noise affecting both existing and future residents. Members also expressed disappointment at the level of affordable housing proposed within the scheme. The application includes 5% affordable homes, which falls significantly short of the 30% target set out in the Local Plan.
The proposal prompted considerable debate among councillors, who questioned whether local infrastructure could accommodate such a substantial increase in housing.
Councillor Tim Mander, Chair of the Planning Committee said,
“Committee members were frustrated by an application that fell short on so many counts.
“Bridgwater’s highway system is already creaking, and it seems that any additional development, particularly one of this magnitude, could not be accommodated by the existing road network. The same applies to local GP practices, which are already oversubscribed with little scope to take on new patients.
“The proposal also fails to come anywhere near the 30% affordable housing target set out in the Local Plan. When only 5% affordable housing is being offered, it does make you wonder what the point of having a target is.
“The committee took all of these factors into account and unanimously agreed that there are significant concerns which need to be addressed.”
The committee’s objection will now be submitted as part of the formal planning process and considered alongside responses from other consultees before a decision is made by Somerset Council’s Planning Committee.