Somerset Council has firmly ruled that new homes planned for a small village on the Somerset Levels must be reserved for people with a “local connection.” This decision comes after South West Strategic Developments sought to lift this condition due to low interest from local buyers.
The proposed development involves up to 46 homes and a convenience store on the Load Pool Farm site, located on either side of the A372 New Road at Othery’s eastern edge. The initial phase, approved in August 2024, includes seven homes on the south side of the road. The site, currently occupied by agricultural buildings, lies just south of existing homes on Peppers Close.
While two of the new homes will be sold at open market prices, the rest are designated self-build plots, tied to a condition that occupants must have a strong local connection—such as employment or family in the parish of Othery. This policy aims to ensure development meets local community needs rather than inviting speculative buyers from outside the area.
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The land promoter, operating from Epsom, Surrey, applied to remove the local connection requirement, claiming insufficient interest in the properties. However, Somerset Council’s planning committee north, responsible for major applications within the former Sedgemoor district, unanimously rejected this request in December 2024.
Councillors voiced concerns that eliminating the local connection stipulation would undermine rural planning policies and potentially open the door to speculative development. Councillor Bob Filmer described the move as a threat to carefully crafted growth plans, emphasizing that Othery’s development should accommodate local needs only.
Councillor Gill Slocombe echoed these worries, highlighting the risk of “opening the floodgates.” Meanwhile, Councillor Matt Martin criticized the developer’s pricing strategy as a significant factor behind the lack of interest, rather than the local connection policy itself.
The committee’s refusal maintains the existing condition that self-build homes must be occupied by residents with an appropriate local link, preserving the council’s commitment to sustainable and community-focused growth on the Somerset Levels.