Plans to build new low-cost homes on a car park in Glastonbury have been rejected after a closely contested vote by local councillors. Mendip District Council initially partnered with Aster Housing in November 2020 to develop up to 160 affordable homes across five sites, including Frome, Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, and Street.
Aster Housing, headquartered in Devizes, Wiltshire, submitted proposals in November 2021 to construct six two-bedroom houses on the Norbins Road car park in Glastonbury. This followed the earlier withdrawal of plans for 77 homes at the Easthill site in Frome due to public opposition. After Somerset Council took over from Mendip District Council in April 2023, the application was narrowly refused, primarily due to concerns over increased traffic congestion in the town.
The Norbins Road car park, which currently offers 52 parking spaces, is located near St. John the Baptist’s Church, Jumping Johns Nursery, and the local library. The proposal aimed to provide six social rent homes on this brownfield site, retaining 14 parking spaces—12 for residents and two for visitors. A delay in decision-making occurred because of the ongoing phosphates crisis, during which developers needed to secure mitigation measures to avoid increasing phosphates in the Somerset Levels and Moors. To comply, Aster proposed purchasing phosphate credits from Manor Farm in Prestleigh.
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At the June 3 meeting of the council’s planning committee east, held in Shepton Mallet, local residents voiced strong opposition. Dr. Virginia Mortimer, a nearby resident, expressed concerns about privacy due to overlooking by the new homes, as well as increased noise, light pollution, and loss of income from renting rooms. Additionally, she highlighted the current parking overflow during busy periods.
Another resident, Thomas Watts, criticized the plans as misleading and accused the council of inadequate public consultation. He questioned why public car parks were being transferred to private companies and stressed the already stretched parking situation on Archers Way.
Councillors also shared concerns. Nick Cottle, chairing the meeting and representing Glastonbury, sympathized with parking worries, admitting the town’s car parks are heavily used, particularly in the evenings. Councillor Susannah Hart emphasized the chronic shortage of parking in the town, pointing out the difficulty residents face in finding spaces near their homes due to visitors and town activity.
Other councillors, including Frome East’s Shane Collins and Mendip Central and East’s Philip Ham, acknowledged the need for affordable housing but agreed the Norbins Road site posed too significant a parking problem, with Ham recalling similar issues from years earlier. Conversely, Councillor Ros Wyke argued for prioritizing housing over cars, highlighting the benefits of residents being able to walk or cycle to town facilities.
Following approximately an hour of debate, the committee voted five to three, with three abstentions, to refuse the Norbins Road housing plans. However, on a positive note for Aster Housing, the committee approved their proposal to build 33 affordable homes on Cemetery Lane in Street, one of the originally selected sites.