Affordable housing call as plan refused

Plans for four new homes on a controversial site off Ham Street,Baltonsborough, have been turned down by Mendip's Planning Board.

Members of the board, along with Baltonsborough Parish Counciland residents condemned the latest scheme put forward by Flower andHayes Developments for its lack of provision for much neededaffordable housing in the village and loss of employment land.

Permission granted six years ago on appeal for four homes on theformer employment site has now lapsed.

And the new application from the developers for the site wasvirtually identical to that lapsed scheme, councillors heard.

The site off Ham Street is bounded by a laboratory and nurseriesto the south and homes in Archbishop Close to the west.

Baltonsborough Parish Council argued that the new application forfour homes coupled with existing previous permissions for 11 homeswould bring the total to 15 which would trigger a requirement for on-site affordable housing.

The site had, said planning officer Dan Foster, a very longplanning history.

However, he said that bearing in mind the background history itwould be difficult to insist affordable housing should be part ofthe new application.

He recommended approval of the scheme.

But planning board chairman Nigel Woollcombe-Adams argued thecouncil's attitude towards developers fulfilling their obligationsand providing affordable housing has hardened.

Affordable housing was now a top priority for the council andFlowers and Hayes had made no provision towards it with their latestscheme, he said.

He also urged the council's environmental health officer toinvestigate residents' complaints of noise nuisance at the site.

Councillor Nigel Taylor agreed - he said developers were"blatantly walking away from" their duties of providing affordablehousing.

Mrr Nigel Hewitt-Cooper said the controversy over what is builtat the site had been going on long enough.

He too supported the need for affordable homes.

"Where are our kids going to live?" he said.

The board unanimously refused the applications on the grounds oflack of provision of affordable housing in the scheme.

They also authorised the council's enforcement officer toinvestigate complaints of noise nuisance at the site.