A HOUSING developer has resubmitted plans to build 47 homes on land to the west of Broadway, near Ilminster.

The plans, which faced strong objections from residents and the parish council, would see homes built on land between Pound Road and Paulls Lane with 16 of the homes being “affordable”.

Blue Spruce Properties previously submitted plans to build homes on the site in November 2023, but this was withdrawn in March in light of Somerset Council’s recommendation that a full landscape visual impact assessment be carried out.

The applicant says it has carefully considered the comments in response to the previous application, and that the previous plans had “no technical objections”.

Out of the 47 houses, 25 would be three bed, 17 would be two bed, four would be four bed and one would be one bed.

Agent Boon Brown say that as Somerset Council is yet to demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites within the former district, the development should be granted planning permission.

The proposed site layout Picture: Boon Brown

“The benefits of the proposal are clear,” the application said.

“It will provide much needed market and affordable housing in a sustainable location.

“The proposal will help to support local services. There are no drainage concerns, and the ecological potential of the site will be preserved and enhanced.

“Transport impact cannot be considered as severe. Therefore, it is clear that the proposed development meets with the aims of sustainable development and therefore should be approved.”

Concerns have been raised on overdevelopment in the area as Broadway and nearby Horton has been faced with proposals for more than 200 houses recently.

Commenting on the original plans, Mrs Pamela Wayman said: “As well as the consented houses in Broadway (66 including the application behind The Bell), there are consented developments in Horton totalling around 40.

“With this application for 47, and the potential 49 at Broadway Hill in Horton and there could be 202 new dwellings across the two villages.

“The cumulative effect of this overdevelopment is out of scale with the villages, will have a suburbanising effect and a gradual erosion of village character.

“Development of this scale is not supported by an adequate infrastructure or local facilities and the village is essentially becoming a satellite village where the lack of day to day facilities and regular bus service means residents have to drive out of the villages to access them.”

Broadway Parish Council formally objected to the original plans, saying the development would not provide “any significant benefit to Broadway.”

To view and comment on the plans, log on to somerset.gov.uk and search 24/02475/OUT on the planning south section.