A FINAL decision on “one of the worst” housing developments proposed in Somerset has been pushed back over concerns about the affordable homes it will provide.

East Brent LVA LLP applied for outline permission to build 40 new homes on Old Bristol Road in East Brent, not far from the Sedgemoor services on the M5 (roughly halfway between Highbridge and Weston-super-Mare).

Sedgemoor District Council’s development committee refused the proposals in August 2020, but this decision was subsequently reversed by the Planning Inspectorate following a successful appeal.

Newport-based Edenstone Homes subsequently acquired the site and put forward amended plans in February 2022 – plans which came before Somerset Council’s planning committee north for final approval on Tuesday afternoon (March 12).

But after two hours of debate, the committee (which handles major applications in the former Sedgemoor area) voted to delay a decision until concerns surrounding the affordable homes and play provision within the site had been addressed.

The development site is classified by the Environment Agency (EA) as being in flood zone 3a – meaning there is at least a one per cent chance of it being flooded in the future.

To counteract this, the outline plans proposed importing 30,000 cubic metres of soil to the site, raising the whole area by one metre.

This proposed solution has now been abandoned, with Edenstone opting instead to install surface water pumps throughout the site which will move water away from the new homes in the event of heavy rain.

Access to the site will be from Old Bristol Road, crossing over Brock’s Pill Rhyne, with a new footpath being provided to link the new homes to key services in the village.

Under the amended proposals (known as reserved matters), 16 of the 40 homes will be affordable – the equivalent of 40 per cent, which is higher than the council’s 30 per cent target for any new development comprising ten homes or more.

A total of 130 car parking spaces will be provided within the site, with an attenuation pond being provided at the northern end to further mitigate the risk of flooding.

Local resident Jenny Doyle told the committee in Bridgwater on Tuesday afternoon (March 12) that her and fellow locals’ concerns about the development had been met with “disdain and contempt” by the developer.

In a statement read out on her behalf, she added: “There has been no attempt to work collaboratively with residents or the parish council.

“This is our community, and we feel you have failed to fulfil any mitigation commitments or allay any fears that we might have.

“Who designs a housing development to flood? With freak climatic events on the increase, and rainfall this February alone having doubled, this design fails to meet the government’s flood resilience criteria.”

May Cardwell concurred: “Our property lies below the level of the surface road and is very susceptible to flooding.

“The developer’s design fails to take into account the engineering challenge of this site. Their plans for sewerage and water retention do not go far enough, making it a risk to us and others on this road.”

Peter Spinks compared the situation to the recent Post Office software scandal, saying: “This application is turning into another Post Office situation, and we are the little people. There has been a continuous lack of honesty and integrity.

“The footpath cannot be built on the north side of Bristol Road. It’s your job to cancel this application.”

Councillor Bob Filmer (whose Brent division includes the site) questioned whether the new homes would meet the actual needs of the village, based on recent assessments of the demand for affordable housing in the area.

He said: “This is an exception site, and it’s only justified as an exception site because of the need for affordable housing.

“To then allow housing that is greater than the affordable need [in the local area] seems a little odd.

“I’m waiting to be convinced on a number of issues with this site.”

Councillor Tony Grimes (who represents the same division) added: “Is there a reason why the affordable housing and the shared ownership homes are all grouped together in one area?

“In the past we’ve asked for them to be more integrated within the site – I don’t like the idea of them being pushed up into a corner.”

After around two hours’ debate, the committee voted to defer a decision on the plans by eight votes to five, giving the developer time to reconsider the layout of the affordable homes in relation to the proposed play area at the south-eastern corner of the site.

A decision on a separate Edenstone Homes development, comprising 139 homes on Normandy Avenue in Watchet, is expected to be taken by the council’s planning committee west (which covers the former Somerset West and Taunton area) by the end of the year.