AN URGENT debate is to be held by Wellington town councillors on Monday evening (March 3) after a developer revived highly controversial plans over the weekend for 250 homes to be built on land beneath Wellington Monument.

Pegasus Group Ltd first unveiled a scheme in May, 2023, after secret talks with the former Somerset West and Taunton Council but was met with overwhelming local opposition.

It claimed also to have talked with Wellington Without Parish Council, which was refuted at the time by parish clerk Neil Dalton.

The Bristol-based company was also snubbed by town councillors who refused to accept an invitation to meet with representatives.

A proposed masterplan of the site to the south of Wellington Relief Road on which developers want to build houses. IMAGE: Wellington LVA.
A proposed masterplan of the site to the south of Wellington Relief Road on which developers want to build houses. IMAGE: Wellington LVA. ( )

Now, LVA, described as a Westcountry-based land investor and planning project management company, has written to local residents to ask for their views on the scheme.

It wants to breach Wellington’s traditional development boundary and build on land to the south of Wellington Relief Road, on 34 acres of fields around Middle Green Farm.

Wellington Mayor Cllr Janet Lloyd has agreed the plans will be discussed as an ‘urgent item’ despite not being on the published agenda for Monday’s town council meeting, which starts at 7 pm in the United Reformed Church Hall.

LVA associate planner Jonathan Coombs said the company wanted to receive local people’s comments by March 21, which would be 10 days before the town council meets again.

Mr Coombs said: “Our consultation aims to inform the local community about the proposals and provide an opportunity for feedback.

“This will inform a planning application to be submitted to Somerset Council.”

The plans can be viewed, and comments made, on a dedicated LVA website.

The company said it was already in pre-application talks with Somerset Council and expected to submit outline plans this spring, although it was likely to be one or two years before any construction started, with the houses being completed in about 2029 to 2030.

What it described as ‘emerging proposals’ showed a mix of one, two, three, and four-bedroom properties, with 63 of them being ‘affordable homes’.

It said the development would ‘ensure the need for smaller properties suitable for those either trying to get on the housing ladder or downsizing is being met’, while providing an appropriate mix for the site and wider area.

The proposals were quickly met with a storm of opposition from local residents on social media.

One, Stef Dua, said: “The A38 was always the border for building, if they allow this then that whole side will be built on.

“There are plenty of empty houses that should be brought back into use before they even consider that.

“Also, I could see that application coming from a mile off once they put in the farm shop then closed it down.”

Mark Peters said: “If that side of the A38 starts getting built on, it will be the beginning of the end.”

Evelyn Newstead said: “This is crazy.

“All I have ever heard is that side will not ever get built on.

“We do not need more housing we need ‘real’ affordable housing.

“There are new estates being built everywhere, with half the homes still empty, it is not that we need more houses to buy and rent, we need realistic pricing.

“We are ruining a small country town.”

The Wellington Weekly has approached Pegasus/LVA for comment on why it has revived the plans and what Somerset Council planners have so far advised.