1,000 residents sign petition in a bid to halt Combwich homes plan

Developer, Land Promotion Group, is seeking outline permission from Sedgemoor District Council to build the homes as well as a community hall and car park on land at Brookside Road in the village, which is in the parish of Otterhampton.

The developer, which works on a 'no win no fee' basis, said in their planning statement that if the plans are approved 40 per cent of the homes will be 'affordable' and the development will not have an adverse impact on the village.

The statement said: "The proposed development will not have a material impact on the operation and safety of the local highway network and there are no valid highway or transportation reasons which should prevent the proposed development of the site.

"The site has been assessed against all existing sources of flooding and is not at risk of flooding throughout the developments 100 year lifetime

"The scheme will not have an unacceptable impact on heritage assets located near to the site.

"The proposal also addresses the three roles of sustainable development set out in the NPPF and will also make a positive contribution to housing supply, including the delivery of affordable housing. "

But 1,066 people have signed a petition urging SDC to refuse the plans as they fear it will have a 'dramatically negative impact' on the character of the village as well as wildlife in the area.

More than 20 residents have also written letters of objection to SDC citing serious flood risk concerns, over-development of the site, inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the application and the developer's non compliance with SDC's Local Plan as their main reasons for objecting to the plans.

Bob Forgan, a resident who started the petition and lives near the proposed development in Combwich, said the proposed development site is outside the village settlement boundary and 'the need to change the countryside and a small rural community like this surely cannot be justified.'

"I was born and bred in Bridgwater and have never lived more than 15 miles away. I have seen first-hand how much the character of our local villages and areas of what was once open countryside have been lost.

"The land in question is actually ‘outside’ of the village Settlement Boundary and Otterhampton Parish Council asked that a Housing Needs Assessment be carried out before any planning application was put forward.

"But the applicants went ahead with their application over the Christmas period, during a time when the planning department were already overstretched and under manned with staff having to work from home etc due to Covid.

"As a result, there has been limited time for residents to be asked their views – a questionnaire has now gone to every house in the village, but at the local parish council meeting, where over 20 village residents / members of the public attended by zoom, there was not a single person who did not have objections

"This application if granted would have a dramatically negative impact on a small rural village – which has neither the need nor infrastructure to cope with additional houses.

"In my opinion, it is just the thin end of the wedge that could open up the floodgates for further development – and the loss of more fields.

"The village already has flooding and parking issues - which would only become worse.

"Water has to go somewhere and the main field in question and land adjacent already floods.

"The main Hinkley road already has much more traffic than it was designed for and has sadly had three fatal accidents in the last few years.

"The application at present includes just an illustrative sketch of what a possible development of this size might look like – and is purely intended to try and get outline planning permission.

"There are many discrepancies in the application including saying that the land cannot be seen from the road or public footpaths etc – it is in fact the first piece of land anyone would see when approaching the village and could perhaps be seen from half a mile away.

"The application also states in various documents that there are no public footpaths, yet one passes right through the site and is used every day by many villagers and dog walkers.

"Money can buy many things but it cannot buy more countryside, and once it's lost it can never be replaced."

Otterhampton Parish Council has also objected to the plans after a public consultation.

The council said: “The council would like to thank everyone for their fantastic efforts in completing the questionnaires in such detail and in such a short timescale. There were 162 forms which represents a 44 per cent return. Briefly, the community firmly rejects both the proposed housing development and the proposed village hall.

“Based on these results and other representations from residents, councillors unanimously voted to object to the planning application.”

Bob added: "I’m not a Planning Expert and I’m not a fantasist who thinks things should never change. It’s the first time I’ve ever been moved enough to do anything like this - I just feel everything about this application is wrong," Bob said.

"I question whether the applicants have ever even visited the land in question?

"If they have why would they state that the site cannot be seen from a public road, public footpath, bridleway or other public land?

"It’s the most prominent and highest piece of land around the village and can be seen from maybe half a mile away at least – it’s a field where villagers actually go sledging when there’s snow.

"It’s a greenfield site that was historically known as ‘Pretty Hill’

"Please sign our petition and help us to stop this piece of green land being developed."

Comments are welcome on the application until February 5.

To view the application visit: www.sedgemoor.gov.uk/planningonline and type in application number - 39/20/00013.

Alternatively if you would like to sign the petition visit www.change.org and type in 'Help Protect a Small Rural Village from Mass Development & Keep the Countryside Green.'.