A HOUSING developer has said it would be a “breath of fresh air” if there was more “joined-up thinking” about future developments in Wellington.

Chris Winter, of West of England Developments, made the comments during Wellington Town Council’s full monthly meeting on April 7 when he presented plans for a development on land south of Little Jurston Farm on the A38 – a site that had already been deemed suitable for housing in the Wellington Place Plan.

Mr Winter said the development would be for up to 75 homes and would be screened on the A38 to give it a “green edge.”

“It would be a modest development that is reasonably sustainable,” he said. “There is more than adequate visibility along the road and the highways department has asked for a right-hand turn into the development from Westpark Business Park.”

Cllr Marcus Barr said: “Chris Winter has always come to us and been honest and we appreciate that.

“But there are around seven housing developments on the horizon and there is just no joined up thinking behind them.

“I wish we had a plan to have more infrastructure in the town and look at this realistically for 20 years, but at the moment there are no plans to have more doctors, schools or dentists for example.”

Mr Winter agreed that there needed to be more “joined up thinking” or Wellington would end up with “piecemeal development” – housing developments going up which are not planned properly.

“It would be a breath of fresh air if everyone (all the relevant agencies) got together and looked at this,” he said.

Cllr Sue Fox had concerns that there would be safety implications for pedestrians without a proper pavement running from the development along the A38 towards Westpark.

But Mr Winter said that would “have to be done.”

Mr Winter said they were currently out for publication consultation on the proposed development, while an actual planning application would be submitted to Somerset Council in the middle part of this year.

A consultation document states: “Although the site is outside of the defined settlement boundary, we consider that it is sustainably located given its proximity to a mix of uses at Jurston Fields, Westpark and Chelston Business Park, with further employment land set to come forward at Chelston Heath.”

Cllr Sean Pringle-Kosikowsky said: “I’m not a big fan of housing developments which create commuter hubs, but we aren’t in a position to tell people how they live their lives.”

Cllr Justin Cole said: “Wellington is a commuter town and there are infrastructure problems here such as the roads.”

Cllr Andy Govier suggested that the town council wrote to Somerset Council asking for a planning officer to come and speak to them.

“No sooner have we looked at one planning application for a housing development and another one comes in,” he said.

Mr Winter also told councillors that a planning application for a housing development off Wardleworth Way in Wellington would likely be submitted to Somerset Council in June.