Plans for 35 new homes in East Brent have this week been rejected by Sedgemoor District Council due to their “poor quality” design.
Strongvox Homes had sought permission to build up to 35 homes on the B3140 Brent Road in East Brent.
The developer intended to deliver a number of affordable homes on the site plus public green space.
However, Sedgemoor District Council has this week thrown out the plans after saying the development would encroach into the open countryside.
The site lies at the western edge of East Brent, near the junction with Hill Lane and the entrance to the village’s Haley Engineering.
Of the 35 homes proposed for the site, 14 would be affordable, which would have been higher than the council’s target of 30 per cent for any new development of 10 homes or more.
The council has refused the plans using the delegated power of its planning officers.
In a report, Stuart Houlet, the council’s assistant director for inward investment and growth, says there are five reasons for the decision:
1. The development would result in “unacceptable encroachment into the countryside”, causing a “detrimental impact on the character and appearance” of the village.
2. The affordable housing is laid out in a “contrived” manner, resulting in a “poor quality of design” and a lack of integration with the other homes.
3. The developer has failed to ensure there would not be a “significant impact” on local archaeology.
4. The homes would harm local heritage assets since it is out of scale with “identified local housing need”.
5. The developer has provided “insufficient information” about how the risk of localised flooding would be mitigated.
Strongvox Homes has put forward plans for a further 40 homes in Lympsham and a decision on that scheme is due later this year.
