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Published:
April 16, 2008
Angry
Burnham residents grill property developer over new homes
Over
80 angry Burnham-On-Sea residents grilled bosses from one of the
UK's leading property developers on Wednesday night (April 16th)
as they stepped up their campaign to halt controversial plans
to build dozens of new homes in the town.
Burnham-On-Sea.com
exclusively reported earlier
this month how Persimmon Homes has applied for full planning
permission to build 75 dwellings on land to the west of Lawrence
Close and north of Wallace Wells Road.
 On
Wednesday, Carl Haley, the regional Managing Director of Persimmon
Homes, pictured here, attended a public meeting in Burnham's Baptist
Church Hall where the residents were able to quiz him about the
scheme.
Mr
Haley revealed the project has been downgraded to 69 homes - six
fewer than originally intended - but this failed to sway the residents.
"That's
a tiny drop in the ocean," said resident Nigel Kemp. "We
want it to come down to 30 or 35 homes at most and are not impressed
by this tiny decrease."
Residents
were shocked to hear that Persimmon Homes is in negotiations with
Sedgemoor District Council about turning some of the new properties
into 'affordable homes'.
"If
you get away with building this monstrosity, we'll all run the
risk of higher crime levels and anti-social behaviour," cautioned
resident Merv Sweet.
Other
concerns aired during the meeting including the loss of parking
spaces, the consequences of building on a former landfill site,
emergency access, drainage ditches, the loss of hedgerows and
the protection of water voles and trees.
Local
resident Trevor Berry told Burnham-On-Sea.com after Wednesday's
meeting: "They were brave to turn up. Persimmon is arguing
that it is doing is complying with government housing guidelines
and that the design of the proposed homes is not its fault, which
is a concern for us."
"It's
also worrying that a deal could be made with the council to turn
some of the houses into affordable homes, which could cause property
devaluation in the area."
Mr
Haley said the views of residents - and other bodies such as the
Environment Agency and highways authority - would be carefully
considered as part of the planning process and that the views
of everyone can be represented.
Residents have erected protest signs around the development site
in opposition to the plans. Sedgemoor District Council's Development
Control Committee will consider the scheme during the next few
weeks, and residents have until 25th April to submit their feedback.
Mr
Hayley was accompanied at the meeting by Geraint Jones of planning
consultants Pegasus Planning Group.
Our
photos show residents at Wednesday night's meeting in Burnham.
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