DARK clouds loomed over the National Trust’s Wellington Monument and the countryside below it this week with the unveiling of housing plans.

A developer whom local people thought they had repelled two years ago returned to renew plans to build in fields outside the town.

It led to unprecedented scenes when town councillors met to discuss their reactions, as the meeting room was packed to overflowing with unhappy residents wanting to know what could be done to stop the scheme.

Unfortunately, town councillors did not have the answers, because the site lies outside Wellington on the south side of the A38 relief road, actually in the Wellington Without Parish.

The whole room collectively shared the fear that should the town’s traditional A38 development boundary be breached, house building would eventually cover everywhere up to the motorway.

The future of Wellington now lies in the hands of Somerset Council as the planning authority, which, regrettably, is not known for its ability to make decisions in the best interests of the town.

But, even if Somerset councillors do come good this time, the arguments will then be taken up for the developer by barristers paid thousands of pounds for each hour of their time.