Final phase of major Somerset housing estate given greenlight
It's despite concerns about a lack of solar panels and electric car charging points
A major housing estate in a growing Somerset coastal town can be completed after plans for 175 new homes were approved by councillors.
Summerfield Developments secured planning permission from Somerset West and Taunton Council in June 2021 to build the Liddymore Park estate, comprising 250 homes on Liddymore Road at the southern edge of Watchet.
Construction has been proceeding steadily on the first 75 homes within the site, along with the delivery of a new car park and security gates for the nearby Knights Templar Community Church School.
Somerset Council’s planning committee west has now backed plans for the remaining homes within the site, despite concerns about how green the new homes will be.
The 75 homes delivered in the first phase have been concentrated at the northern end of the site, nearest to the primary school, the Ingrams Meadow retirement complex and the existing homes on Grove Close.
The second and third phases will see homes delivered further up toward the ridge which separates Watchet from the neighbouring village of Williton – with the gap between the two settlements set to steadily shrink as other developments come forward in the ensuing years.
Phases two and three will deliver 54 affordable homes between them – the equivalent of 31 per cent.
Darren Beer, associate director of Focus on Design (representing the Taunton-based developer) told the council’s planning committee west on Tuesday afternoon (December 17): “This application has been designed with the original approved masterplan very much in mind, building on the success of phase one.
“We have chosen to ensure that there is a complete circular set of connections for pedestrians and cyclists linking to green spaces within the site. This is a proposal for high-quality homes.”
Councillor Habib Farbahi (whose Comeytrowe and Trull division includes the Orchard Grove urban extension in Taunton) said: “To see this site developing 31 per cent affordable homes is to be welcomed.
I understand these are pepper-potted throughout the site – are they open to those living in Williton and Watchet, or wider residents?”
Housing developments can sometimes be subject to ‘rural exception’ conditions, meaning that social or affordable housing delivered within a given site must be prioritised for residents within the existing settlement or the neighbouring parishes.
The council is operating a similar policy with its new properties being constructed in Minehead, with priority being given to those within the town or the surrounding villages (or with family links to these settlements).
In this instance, planning officer Paul Sherman said there was “no requirement” for the affordable homes to be restricted to those solely from Watchet or the neighbouring parishes.
Councillor Caroline Ellis (Bishop’s Hull and Taunton West) criticised the design of the new homes, arguing the council should put developers under greater pressure to deliver infrastructure like solar panels and electric vehicle charging points.
She said: “Are these homes going to have solar panels on them?
“These are not net zero homes – these are being built assuming that there’s a Planet B in mind, and we need to be stronger on this.
“We’ve had enough tools, design guides and stipulations in place to do something stronger about this.”
Mr Sherman said that such details would have been handled when outline planning permission was granted by West Somerset Council back in January 2018 – meaning they could not be demanded at this stage.
Councillor Steven Pugsley (Dulverton and Exmoor) concurred: “These are things that needed to have been discussed when the outline plans came forward. I’m afraid that ship has sailed.”
After around 45 minutes’ debate, the committee voted unanimously to approve the plans, meaning construction of the new phases can ramp up in the new year.
The new year will also see construction commence on 139 homes either side of Normandy Avenue, after Edenstone Homes secured planning permission in early-May.