A Somerset couple is set to challenge the refusal of their housing development plans near the A38 in West Huntspill. In January 2024, Mr. and Mrs. Marratty submitted an application to build eight homes on their property at 9 Main Road, just outside Highbridge. However, Somerset Council rejected this proposal in March 2024.
In an attempt to address the council’s concerns, the couple later revised the plan in December 2024 to reduce the number of homes from eight to six. Despite this adjustment, permission was again denied.
Undeterred, the Marrattys have now lodged a formal appeal with the Planning Inspectorate, which is anticipated to reach a decision by autumn 2024. The site is strategically positioned between two significant nearby developments: the 171-home Brue Farm project near Highbridge and a 45-home development by Edenstone Homes at the junction of Main Road and New Road, approved in June 2024.
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The proposed access for the new homes would create a new junction on Main Road, with the houses arranged around the Marrattys’ existing residence.
James Venton, acting as the couple’s agent, criticized the current Sedgemoor Local Plan policies as outdated. He emphasized the site’s connectivity, stating, “The subject site is surrounded by existing buildings and has footpath access with street lighting on both sides leading into Highbridge and West Huntspill. Furthermore, the adjacent A38 serves as a primary route for the 21 bus service, which runs every half hour on weekdays between Burnham-on-Sea and Taunton via Bridgwater.”
Venton challenged the council’s characterization of the location as unsustainable countryside, calling the rejection “quite frankly ridiculous.”
The Planning Inspectorate confirmed that the appeal will be decided through written representations rather than an in-person inquiry. Interested parties can submit their comments online at www.acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk by July 15, referencing case number 3367049.