RESIDENTS in Wedmore are urging more people to get behind their petition against 55 new homes on a nearby greenfield site.

More than 90 people from the village have objected to the pro-posed plans to build near Cross Farm, near Combe Batch, and claim they have been ignored by Wedmore Parish Council.
They say the development could lead to at least 100 more vehicles in the area, which is a major concern for the residents.

Ian Monsoon, who has been involved in the objections, said: “There are brownfield sites around the village which land owners have expressed an interest in developing, but these have been ignored for this green field devel-opment.

“This proposed site does not comply with the recommendations of the Wedmore Village Design Statement (page 21, paragraph 2) which states that ‘new development should not obscure views of the surrounding countryside from within the village, both the local view and the distant view of the Mendips’ – this development does obscure these views. 

“Despite Wedmore Parish Council not owning this proposed land, it has applied for the planning permission in its own name. 

“The parish council has held one, rushed consultation with its parishioners, before it submitted this application. 

“Concerned residents have tried to engage with the parish council and have volunteered to work with them to revise proposals. 

“Parishioners understand the importance of building affordable homes and have submitted num-erous examples to the parish council for how this can be achieved without the number of outright sale properties and on non-greenfield land. But this has fallen on deaf ears and they refuse to listen.

“We are local village people trying to fight the machine that is devel-opment in rural communities.

“We unashamedly need help for we are being ignored.”
Nick Avery, vice-chairman of Wedmore Parish Council, said: “The Wedmore Parish Council has put in an application for homes on the Cross Farm site. 

“We’ve held preliminary consultations with around 100 people turning up, most of whom were in favour of the plan.

“We’re awaiting a response from Sedgemoor District Council and we must stress that it’s a preliminary, outline application. 

“If or when the planning application goes ahead, we will then hold another consultation with Wedmore residents and then make a decision.

“We understand that Ian and other residents have expressed concerns and we are sympathetic towards them but, at the same time, we have an affordable housing need in Wedmore.”