‘Heavenly’ view faces being ‘destroyed’ as Somerset homes approved

Another 75 homes could soon be built in a parish next to Weston-super-Mare as councillors warn they cannot continue turning down homes.

Developer M7 has won planning permission to build 75 homes on a field off Queen’s Way on the northwestern edge of Worle. The field lies directly across the road from another field where planning permission had already been granted to build another 70 homes — prompting fears of suburban sprawl creeping around the edge of Worlebury Hill.

The field lies next to the built up Worle area, but within the borders of the parish of Kewstoke. Arthur Willey, speaking for people on Mountbatten Close next to the field where the homes would be built, told North Somerset Council ’s planning committee as they considered the plans on December 18, that the field was “heavenly.”

He said: “You can’t destroy that, it’s so beautiful. […] That view is stunning.”

Speaking for the developers, Francis Lennon insisted: “The benefits of the scheme outweigh the limited adverse impacts.” But Russell Adams of Kewstoke Parish Council urged councillors to consider the “cumulative impact” of the 70 homes already approved across the road.

Local councillor Martin Williams (Weston-super-Mare Kewstoke, Conservative) said: “Kewstoke has already got 75 houses coming to the village. They are taking their fair share. Another 75? Surely this is overdevelopment.”

But planning committee member Mike Solomon (Hutton and Locking, Liberal Democrat) warned: “As a panel we are in a very very difficult situation. We are being asked by our government now to build houses and we have to build those houses. And if we are going to turn down planning applications we have got to have solid reasons to turn them down.”

North Somerset Council has been told by the government that it needs to hit a “mandatory” target of building 23,805 homes over 15 years — equivalent to 1,587 a year. Mr Solomon said: “If we keep turning houses down and we stick with our 3.8 [years’ housing supply] instead of five, then the government will step in and the panels will have no say.”

Robert Payne (Weston-super-Mare Central, Liberal Democrat) added: “I can totally understand why people are unhappy with this application. I think it’s a location which is of dubious sustainability: with poor transport and a long way from shops and schools and so on. But really we’ve got no basis on which we can turn it down. It meets all the planning policies locally and nationally.”

Peter Bryant (Weston-super-Mare Uphill, Conservative) said he understood the views of people in the public gallery and would be joining them if he lived close to Kewstoke, but said: “As councillors we also have to look at the wider implications.” He added that the population of the UK had grown by about 4 million people over the last ten years, adding: “We have a huge problem in this country and we have got to find houses for people. […] We have to look out for the country as a whole.”

But concerns raised by Mr Willey that there was a lack of sewage capacity made the development “a catastrophe waiting to happen,” warned Chris Blades (Clevedon Yeo, Conservative). Councillors on the committee voted 11-1 to approve the development — with only Mr Blades voting against — but attached a “grampian” condition requiring that the first home is not occupied until it is confirmed there is enough capacity in the sewers.

The new mandatory housing targets were announced by the Labour government late last year. Top councillors have warned that the most North Somerset has ever previously built in a “booming year” is 800–900 and that accommodating this number of new homes may mean opening up the green belt to developers.

Finding space for the homes means putting the local plan — the document which sets out where developments should go in the district — back out for consultation again. The consultation is expected to launch early this year.

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