RENEWED opposition to housing proposals in Milverton has been sparked by a developer’s application to amend plans first submitted more than two years ago.

Robert Trott, of R and K Building Ltd, in Chelston, Wellington, put forward plans in May, 2022, for 24 homes to be built on three acres of fields behind Tuckersmead, off Butts Way, and the scheme has remained undetermined in Somerset Council’s planning files ever since.

The plans met huge opposition at the time from villagers, including the parish council and Milverton Primary and Pre-School governors.

Somerset Council placemaking team leader Fiona Webb said it ‘would not represent a sensitive infill development in a rural environment and would suburbanise the locality’.

Ms Webb said the plans were an ‘over engineered cul-de-sac layout and would not relate to the character of Butts Way, which is a rural lane’.

But Mr Trott’s planning agent Laura Polley, of Greenslade Taylor Hunt, said the site was allocated for residential development by the former Somerset West and Taunton Council, which was succeeded by the unitary authority in April, 2022.

Ms Polley said the development would deliver ‘clear economic, social, and environmental benefits’ in an area where there was a need for further housing growth.

She said the new homes would be a mix of detached, semi-detached, and terraced houses with up to four bedrooms, and six of them would be ‘affordable properties’.

Ms Polley said there had been ongoing discussions with planning officers since the plans were first submitted.

Concerns were raised regarding the density and pattern of development and lack of character in the proposed properties, which were all addressed in the amended scheme.

Ms Polley said the developer had shared the amended plans with parish councillors, who told her they would formally consider a response once amendments had been submitted.

Now, a series of changes to the original plans has been proposed covering a revised site lay-out, the types of houses, and issues of highways, drainage, nutrient neutrality, and phosphates mitigation, which involved purchasing ‘credits’.

Somerset Council is asking for public comments to be submitted by October 1.

Letters started to be received by the authority this week, with many reiterating previous objections to the development which residents felt had not been listened to.

There was concern also that another controversial housing site in the village could be revived as it was expected revised drainage plans for 75 houses off Creedwell would shortly be submitted.

One objector, Sheena Binding, said: “The school is full, the roads are over capacity, and the local GP surgery cannot cope with more people.

“This would significantly affect the entire community and the surrounding villages.

“Milverton does not have the capacity to fit more adults and children in.”

Another, Kristina Hathaway, said she could not believe the development was even being considered, particularly when traffic in and around the village was ‘a total nightmare’.

She said: “I feel the council asks for comments as a ‘tick box’ exercise, knowing full well the developer will be given permission eventually.”