Decision on 50 homes in Somerset delayed after officer fails to turn up
Developers applied in October last year to build on South Street in Castle Cary
Councillors have delayed a decision on nearly 50 new homes in Castle Cary for a second time – because the relevant officer didn’t turn up to a public meeting.
Castle Cary LVA LLP applied in October 2023 for outline permission to build 46 homes on the B3152 South Street, just north of the town’s cemetery.
Somerset Council’s planning committee south (which handles major applications in the former South Somerset area) delayed a decision on the plans in late-September to clarify their potential impact on the local landscape and the town’s conservation area.
The committee met in Yeovil on November 26th to reconsider the proposals, but was confounded by no officer being present from the council’s highways department to answer questions.
Councillors therefore voted unanimously, after just a few minutes, to defer a decision until the committee’s first meeting after Christmas.
The proposed development will be sandwiched between the existing homes on Cockhill Elm Lane and the cemetery, with pedestrian access being provided onto the former to link up with the Macmillan Way long-distance footpath.
While there are pavements linking the site to the town centre, they are quite narrow in places and there is limited provision for cyclists or mobility scooters.
A total of 16 affordable homes will be provided as part of the development, meeting the 35 per cent target for affordable homes within the South Somerset Local Plan.
Castle Cary lies within the River Brue catchment area, meaning that developers must secure additional mitigation to prevent any net increase in phosphates on the Somerset Levels and Moors.
To mitigate the impact of the new homes, the developer is proposing to install a package treatment plant within the site, managed by Albion Water, which will filter out phosphates from household drains before it enters the watercourse.
Councillor Henry Hobhouse (who represents Castle Cary and the surrounding villages) told the committee: “This site has a major sustainability issue, in that there are five steps on either side of the pavement which stop disabled people from reaching the town centre.
“On top of this, the actual bank is over six feet higher than the road where they are proposing to put the access.
“I would like to defer this until there is a highways officer here to answer locals’ questions.”
Councillor Jason Baker, who chaired the meeting, said: “I did promise you that there would be a highways officer here prior to this meeting; unfortunately, they have had to leave.
“I have to respect the fact that I did promise a highways officer which we haven’t been able to deliver.”
The committee’s next meeting – the earliest when the plans can be discussed – is due to take place in Yeovil on Tuesday, January 28, 2025.