Tatworth homes plan from The Crossman Group approved

The Crossman Group applied in December 2021 for outline permission to build up to 97 homes on the B3167 Perry Street in South Chard, on the edge of the Dorset national landscape (formerly area of outstanding natural beauty, or AONB).

The plans – which were subsequently revised down to 95 homes – were roundly refused by Somerset Council’s planning committee south in late-June, with councillors citing concerns about over-development, road safety and the impact on the nearby rivers.

The Bath-based developer formally lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate in October 2023 in a bid to overturn this decision, with a public inquiry sitting in Yeovil on February 8 to settle the matter.

Planning inspector R. Sabu has now ruled in the developer’s favour – with more detailed proposals for the development expected to come forward by the end of the year.

The site lies between Perry Street and Factory Lane, not far from the former Chard Junction railway station, and forms part of the wider Tatworth area.

While the initial proposals indicated an access road leading from the northern end of Perry Street, the amended plans instead has the main access being from the south-western corner, near the existing junction with School Lane.

Plans for the 95 homes in Tatworth (Image: Angus Meek Architects)

The current bus stop near the School Lane junction will be moved a few yards down the road, with pedestrian and cycling access being provided at both the northern and southern ends of the site.

The new homes will range from one-bedroom flats to four-bedroom houses – and of the 95 homes planned within the site, 33 will be affordable.

As part of the plans, the developer has promised to provide more than £894,000 for local education – including nearly £334,000 to ensure sufficient capacity at Holyrood Academy and more than £502,000 towards a future primary school within Chard.

Residents who attended the inquiry on February 8 took umbrage with numerous elements of the development plans, ranging from concerns about localised flooding to the impact on the River Axe catchment area, arguing that building homes here would created “an intrinsic change of character” to the village and the surrounding landscape.

Concerns were also raised about  the potential damage to a nearby spring which provides water to the Swisstulle factory – one of the village’s main employers.

SwissTulle managing director Lindsey Bristow said: “We’re not a high-profit business – we employ 70 people. My budget for this year is £50,000 profit – our turnover is only £4m.

“We’ve put in solar panels and biomass to reduce energy bills. We have no mains water – when we had a problem with one of the pipes coming from the well recently, we had to bring in two tankers of water a week.”

R. Sabu visited the site on February 8 after the inquiry’s sitting had concluded, and published his final ruling on the Planning Inspectorate’s website on Friday afternoon (March 8).

He described the site as being in “a very attractive landscape” and agreed that the land to the east of the B3167 “has a closer relationship with the
open countryside than with the settlement.”

He agreed with residents’ concerns that the plans would “urbanise the site and alter the open rural character of the site and surrounding area to the south and east”.

However, he ruled that the development “would not have a likely significant
effect” on the quality of the River Axe catchment, provided that package treatment plans were installed and existing septic tanks near the site were upgraded or replaced.

He said: “The proposal would not harm the Somerset Levels and Moors Ramsar site or the River Axe.

“Therefore, it would not conflict with the South Somerset Local Plan, which resists development that would result in any adverse impact on the
integrity of national and international wildlife and landscape designations.”

Mr Sabu also said he had “no reason to conclude that the proposal would have an unacceptable impact on highway safety”, stating that “local evidence of traffic congestion” had not been supported by expert testimony from the council’s highway officers.

He added: “The proposal would not increase flood risk elsewhere and this issue has not altered my overall decision.

“There is no evidence before me to demonstrate that the proposal would result in contamination or other adverse effect on the water supply. Therefore, I see no reason why this matter could not be dealt with by condition.

“Given the modest size of the site, as well as it not being the best and most versatile agricultural land, the loss of this agricultural land would not conflict with either Local Plan policy or the National Planning Policy Framework.

“Balanced against the harm, the proposal would contribute up to 95 dwellings
to the local housing supply. Given the housing shortfall, I attribute significant
weight to this benefit.

“The adverse impacts of the proposal do not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.”

Mr Sabu further ruled that the council was justified in requesting financial contributions for local schools, but said there was “little substantive evidence” presented for funding for new or improved sports pitches or related facilities.

A reserved matters application, covering the detailed design and layout of the new homes, is expected to be submitted to the council before the end of the current year.