Residents of a small Somerset village near the A303 are eagerly awaiting news on whether 40 new homes will be built nearby. Pending the outcome, Your Land Partner Ltd. has put forward outline plans for the Hamdon View development, situated to the north of Silver Street in South Petherton. The proposal is located near the village’s community hospital and doctors' surgery.
The decision on this site, along with more than 50 others in the former South Somerset area, has been affected by the phosphates crisis. To ensure the protection of the Somerset Levels and Moors, the developer is required to obtain additional mitigation. After the plans were presented to the council’s planning committee south in Yeovil on January 30, members voted to defer the decision for at least another month. They have requested more information on highway safety and the environmental impact of the development.
Access to the new homes will be from Silver Street, necessitating the demolition of the existing garage between numbers 50 and 51a to create a new pathway. Of the 40 homes proposed, 14 will be designated as affordable, meeting the council’s requirement of 35% affordable housing for new developments of ten houses or more.
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While the site was identified as a potential location for housing in the council’s 2021 housing and economic land availability assessment (HELAA), it was not considered an immediate priority for development. To prevent a net increase in phosphates, a waste water treatment plant will be installed on the site, and the developer will purchase phosphate credits for off-site mitigation.
Local residents have expressed concerns about how the development may impact the village’s character and surrounding landscape. They have cited the previous refusal of plans for six homes on the same site, emphasizing the need for new developments to integrate with the existing environment and reflect the area’s unique qualities.
The South Petherton area has seen an influx of interest from housing developers, with its proximity to the Levels and accessibility to the A303 contributing to a rise in property prices. However, concerns about road safety and the impact of increased traffic have been raised by residents and councillors, who question the suitability of Silver Street for additional development. The committee has deferred the decision on the Hamdon View proposals, with the next meeting to reconsider the plans scheduled for February 27 in Yeovil.