Plans to build approximately 150 homes near the A303 in Horton, Somerset, have been definitively rejected after the government chose not to call in the decision for further review.
The land promoter, Gleeson Land, had announced intentions in late June 2025 to seek planning permission for the housing development on Broadway Hill, situated just north of the A303 dual carriageway between Ilminster and the Blackdown Hills.
In July 2026, Somerset Council’s planning committee south - responsible for major applications within the former South Somerset area - refused the proposals. The rejection was supported by local councillor Sue Osborne, who had threatened to resign if the development was permitted.
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This refusal has now been upheld by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), confirming that Gleeson Land cannot appeal the decision. Emma Hopkins, the MHCLG decision officer, informed the council’s principal planning officer, Tim Marsh, in a letter dated 18 August that the housing secretary was content for the local planning authority to determine the application.
The proposed site lies south of Broadway Hill, opposite the village hall and adjacent to a previously approved development of 49 homes by Glastonbury-based Galion Homes, granted on appeal in October 2024. Access to the new development would have been via Broadway Hill, with a pedestrian route linking to Horton Playing Field.
Under current council policies, 35% of the homes in such developments must be affordable, which would have amounted to 52 properties, unless the developer proved this was financially unviable.
Councillor Osborne, representing the Ilminster division that includes Horton, expressed strong opposition at the July 29 committee meeting in Yeovil. She stated, “I cannot and I will not vote for this. If I am forced to vote for this, I will resign from this committee, because we no longer stand up for our residents and make our points. We are being brow-beaten by our officers. This committee is no longer serving the needs of its community or its people.”
According to the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, any planned development of 150 or more homes that local councillors or planning officers intend to refuse must be referred to the housing secretary, Angela Rayner MP. If called in, such applications could lead to a public inquiry, similar to the situation with the Selwood Garden Community proposals for 1,700 homes near Frome.
Since the MHCLG has decided against calling in the application, the refusal now stands, and Gleeson Land’s only option to challenge the decision would be through judicial review. However, such reviews require substantial evidence showing procedural errors or misinterpretation of planning policies, making them difficult to pursue.