A travellers' site located near Somerset’s new ‘gigafactory’ may be required to be dismantled after an unsuccessful planning appeal.
Charlie Barney and J. Birch sought retrospective planning permission in December 2025 for a travellers' site situated west of Batch Lane in Puriton, between the M5 motorway and the Gravity enterprise zone.
Somerset Council initially refused the application in February 2025. Subsequently, the applicants appealed to the Planning Inspectorate in an effort to legitimise the development.
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However, planning inspector Laura Cuthbert upheld the council’s refusal, meaning enforcement measures may be enforced if the land is not restored to its original condition.
The site is positioned just north of Puriton’s main built-up area, close to junction 23 of the M5 and adjacent to the former railway line that served the Royal Ordnance Factory-currently the location of the gigafactory.
The facility comprises two pitches, including day rooms, static caravans, and space for a touring caravan, all set upon hard-standing ground accessed via a gated entrance on Batch Lane.
Significantly, the entire site falls within flood zone 3a, a designation indicating a relatively high risk of flooding, according to Environment Agency flood maps.
Inspector Cuthbert conducted a site visit on 5 August and issued her final decision prior to the Somerset Council planning committee meeting on 8 September in Bridgwater.
She noted that the development on Batch Lane “does not fully accord” with original plans, citing differences in the placement and design of the day rooms and static caravans.
While accepting the undisputed gypsy status of the applicants and their wider group, she expressed concern about the site’s vulnerability to localised flooding.
She highlighted that a residual tidal breach could cause flood depths of up to one metre at the site, creating a serious risk to life and complicating evacuation efforts. Additionally, Batch Lane-the sole access route-is also in flood zone 3a and susceptible to flooding.
Ms Cuthbert criticised the absence of detailed evacuation plans and found there was insufficient evidence that residents could safely reach higher ground during a flood emergency.
Consequently, she concluded that future occupants would be at significant risk, rendering the development unsafe over its intended lifespan.
Although she acknowledged only limited harm from development in this countryside location, especially considering a neighbouring established Gypsy and Traveller site, and recognised the high demand for traveller pitches in Somerset-estimated at 261 needed countywide-the flood risk concerns outweighed these factors.
Ms Cuthbert recognised that the proposal would provide secure accommodation for two Gypsy and Traveller families and support their cultural identity and family networks. Nevertheless, she emphasised that each application must be judged on its own merits and dismissed the appeal due to safety and flood risk considerations.
Following this decision, Somerset Council may take enforcement action if the site is not reinstated to its previous state within the set timeframe. However, the council has acknowledged challenges with its enforcement team’s capacity, having relied on external staff from as far as Staffordshire to investigate local cases.
At present, the council has not confirmed whether enforcement action against the Batch Lane site will be undertaken imminently.