Plans to build 18 homes described as “cramped and awkward” in the growing Somerset town of Shepton Mallet have been officially rejected by planning inspectors.
The original proposal, submitted in May 2022 by Pegasus Planning Group, sought to build 22 homes on Westway Lane, including seven affordable units. The plan was initially refused by Mendip District Council in September 2022.
In response, Shepton Mallet LVA LLP submitted amended proposals in September 2023, reducing the development to 18 homes and adding a pocket park for residents. However, Somerset Council, which took over planning responsibilities in April 2023, refused permission in January 2025, citing concerns that the development would appear cramped and awkward in an open countryside setting.
Planning Inspector Alison Fish upheld the council’s decision, noting the development would have a “harmful impact” on the rural landscape and local environment. The site is located just a short walk from the larger Cannard’s Grave Road development, recently approved for 620 homes, commercial space, and community facilities.
The proposed homes would have been built on the western side of Westway Lane, featuring an attenuation pond to address potential flooding risks. The central pocket park, although a community amenity, would lack children’s play equipment, with the nearest playground several minutes away on Queen’s Road.
Inspector Fish visited the site on September 30 and confirmed that because the development lies outside Shepton Mallet’s established development boundary, it would encroach on open countryside, conflicting with Somerset’s planning objectives. While acknowledging the localised and minor impact, she emphasized the site’s natural beauty would be diminished by residential development.
Located within the River Sheppey catchment area, any new housing must incorporate phosphate mitigation measures to protect the sensitive Somerset Levels and Moors Ramsar site. The developer proposed upgrading septic tanks to package treatment plants, in line with Wessex Water’s planned wastewater facility enhancements scheduled for completion by 2030.
However, Inspector Fish expressed uncertainty about whether these measures would sufficiently mitigate environmental harm and questioned the enforceability of such conditions.
She concluded that although the 18 homes could contribute modestly to housing supply and bring limited economic benefits, the likely significant negative effect on the protected Ramsar site’s integrity outweighs these advantages. Consequently, the proposal was dismissed to safeguard the countryside and environmental interests.