A RAFT of different proposals for turning parts of Wiveliscombe’s Old Brewery site into housing are causing confusion for town councillors.

Somerset Co-operative Community Land Trust (SCCLT) applied a year ago to convert the former Golden Hill brewery into 25 low-cost flats.

But more than 100 people wrote letters of objection to the scheme and a decision has still not been taken by Somerset Council, which is now the planning authority for the area.

Now, an application has been made by David Fineberg to amend a previous approval for two new homes to be built on another part of the site where 14 properties in total were planned.

Town councillors objected to the SCCLT application because the development would ‘dominate in a unique and historic area’ of Wiveliscombe and the design was not in keeping with the character of surrounding buildings.

Although they did not oppose the plans by Mr Fineberg, they expressed frustration that they were finding it increasingly difficult to understand the overall impact of multiple amendments the original proposal.

Town clerk Sarah Towells said: “We would like to see fully amended plans of the entire site indicating housing layout, design, parking and traffic movement, access to the site, landscaping, etc.”

Mr Fineberg’s planning agent, Michael Shepherd, of Shattock Associates, said only minor changes were proposed to the plot layouts and windows of the two houses which had already been approved.

Mr Shepherd said the changes did not have any material effect in planning terms on the two properties.

He said: “The changes will result in a less dense, more spacious overall development with far less overlooking and overshadowing than was previously the case.”

But Somerset Cllr Dave Mansell formally objected to Mr Fineberg’s application, pointing out two other separate planning applications had been submitted for the same site by the same applicant.

Cllr Mansell said: “Approval was given at this site 17 years ago, in 2006, which was to demolish the old brewery buildings and build 14 new dwellings with associated garages, parking, and amenity space.

“Building work has been undertaken on the site, but the development does not match or comply with the old approved planning application from 2006.

“New applications have been submitted to retrospectively seek approval for what is being built.

“I welcome good development and new housing on this brownfield site. The lower density now proposed is welcome, with, it appears, 11 dwellings proposed in the three new planning applications instead of the original 14.

“However, submitting three applications instead of a single application for the site creates uncertainty on what is proposed, including on what aspects of the original application are retained and what aspects are entirely new.

“I believe that it would benefit all, including the applicant, for a single full planning application covering proposals for the whole site to be submitted, so that the development proposed can be fully understood and assessed.

“It is also hard to understand why it has been claimed the new applications are minor variations, when it is plain to see that they are not.

“Taken together, the layout of the buildings in the three new applications is very different to the layout proposed in the approved 2006 application.”