NORTH Petherton Town Council is recommending plans for 248 homes, a new community hub and a new school on land off Wilstock Farm are rejected after a heated public meeting.

The council held a special planning meeting on Monday, October 30, where councillors and residents expressed concerns that lessons had not been learned from the previous development on the estate, with particular concerns over the narrowness of the roads featuring prominently.

Cllr Julian Turner, who proposed recommending refusal for the application, said: "We do welcome the community facilities in this application, and it is recognised that North Petherton needs a new school but it seems the developers have not learnt their lessons and the road widths in many places appear inadequate."

Cllr Turner also criticised Bloor for describing the new development as a village when the plans 'lack the amenities of a village'.

He said a shop should be put in as part of the plans as this would reduce the amount of traffic on the roads if people were in walking distance of basic goods, however trustees from the Community Hub said this was being considered as part of the plan for that building.

Cllr Helen Phillips, who was participating as a member of the public, highlighted further frustrations with the road on the estate as it is.

Cllr Phillips said: "The roads on that have been built on the current estate are incredibly narrow.

"There is not enough parking as it is, and last time they built garages so narrow you could not fit cars in, so more ended up on the roads.

"When the first Wilstock and Stockmoor homes moved in seven years ago Bloor gave us bus passes for a bus that never materialised because the roads were too narrow to get a shuttle bus down."

She also said the council needs to be careful to protect Bridgwater, saying that if traffic problems continued to worsen people would avoid the town.

Sedgemoor District Council planning officer Dawn De Vries said that the new school would have a capacity of 240, but also said that Somerset Bridge Primary School was already at capacity.

Cllr Phillip Spencer said: "I know there is less money in bungalows for the developers but I do think it would be good to see at least two or three properties that are suitable for the disabled in there."

One resident questioned when enough would be enough, asking "Why do they keep giving planning permission when they know it is not want people want?"

Sedgemoor District Council's Dawn De Vries replied: "There is central government requirement to build more homes, the numbers are ambitious and we are encouraged to look positively on the development of housing."

The application will go before Sedgemoor District Council's Development Committee.