CONTROVERSIAL plans for new homes in a West Somerset village have been approved by the county’s planners.

Trustees of the Wyndham Estate, which owns large quantities of land in and around Williton, were told they could build eight houses on land north of Huish Lane, in Washford.

The decision flew in the face of stiff local opposition from parish councillors and residents, who said the village did not have the facilities to accommodate further new development.

They feared it would not be safe for the occupants of the new homes to reach the remaining facilities in the village on foot, such as the primary school.

But Somerset Council’s planning committee unanimously approved the plans, with members arguing it represented a sustainable extension to the village.

The site lies on the eastern edge of the village, a short distance from Washford Village Hall and Old Cleeve Primary School.

Access will be via an existing estate road near the Huish Mews development, with the existing public footpath at the eastern edge of the site being retained.

The new homes will be within walking distance of the West Somerset Mineral Line active travel route, which provides a safe walking and cycling route to Watchet without having to use the busy A39.

The Wyndham Estate had previously tried to secure permission to build 14 homes on the site, but was refused in 2020 by the former Somerset West and Taunton Council, a decision which was then upheld at a planning appeal in 2021.

The estate then came back with proposals for 10 new homes, and eventually scaled back to eight following discussions with planning officers.

Minehead Somerset Cllr Mandy Chilcott expressed concerns about the development when the planning committee met this week.

Cllr Chilcott, speaking on behalf of communities in both Old Cleeve and Dunster, said: “Most residents rely on the car for work, shopping, and leisure, and these are generally not available in Washford.

“Any new residents would find themselves in the same situation.

“Washford is no longer a sustainable location, though the recreation ground and the mineral line are popular.

“The village is split right through with the A39. That is one of the busiest pieces of highway infrastructure in the South West.

Some of the key amenities sit on the opposite side of the village and the opposite side of the road. There is no safe crossing point, there is no path or verge.

“Pubs, shops, and Post Offices are opening and closing rapidly. It may be sustainable now, but it may not be for much longer.

“The 28 bus is currently at risk – it is one of four routes identified by this council, and it is subsidised until the spring.”

The council confirmed in late-August that it would subsidise the No 28 bus route between Minehead and Taunton until the end of March.

Up to £500,000 of extra funding for the 28 route could also be provided as part of a development of 350 homes in Priest Street, in Williton, for which the Wyndham Estate was given planning permission in 2021.

Somerset Cllr Sarah Wakefield questioned if the Washford plans amounted to a speculative development, in light of other major sites in Somerset not coming forward.

She said: “It looks like it is almost within the village, but is this allocated land? Is this a speculative development?

“Is this land that has been noticed for development, or has someone just come along? I do worry about speculative sites not being what we planned for.”

Under the West Somerset Local Plan, which was carried over when SWT was abolished in April, only Minehead, Watchet, and Williton have specific sites allocated for new housing.

Washford was considered a primary village, meaning it haf a reasonable number of local facilities and transport links, but there were no specific parcels of land identified for new development.

The Huish Lane site was also not identified for development within the housing and employment land availability assessment carried out by the district council in 2020.

Somerset Cllr Caroline Ellis said the number of homes planned for the site was acceptable, but questioned the building methods which would be used, citing the council’s work on new zero-carbon homes in Minehead.

She said: “Nobody should be building anything that is less than zero carbon – we have done that as a small developer and it does not add much to the cost, no matter what people might say.

“This has got to an appropriate level in terms of the numbers, but my concern is the standard to which they are being built.”

Somerset Cllr Steven Pugsley argued there were limited legal grounds on which the plans could be refused.

Cllr Pugsley said: “We operate a plan-led system, and we have been told very clearly that this application is acceptable in planning policy terms.

“The concerns of the consultees have been addressed, and there are 27 conditions governing so many aspects of this development.

“I therefore do not in all conscience feel that we have any defensible ground to turn this application down.”

Somerset Cllr Derek Perry said: “These can genuinely be family homes, and it is within three minutes’ walk of the primary school, the village hall, and the park.

“If I was someone with a young family looking to move into a village in West Somerset, this site would seem to be a pretty good place.”

The committee voted unanimously to approve the outline plans, although Cllr Perry was unable to vote because he arrived after the meeting had started.

A ‘reserved matters’ application covering the design and layout of the homes is expected to come forward in the New Year.