DOZENS of new homes will be built in a growing village near Crewkerne after plans were narrowly approved by local councillors.

James Tizzard put forward outline plans in April 2022 to build up to 70 new homes on the Scotts Nurseries site on Higher Street at the northern edge of Merriott.

After numerous delays and changes to the proposals, Somerset Council’s planning committee south convened in Yeovil on July 23 to make a final decision.

After more than an hour’s debate, the committee voted by six votes to five (with one abstention) to allow the new development to go ahead.

The site lies at the northern edge of the village, a short distance from the crucial A356 which links Merriott to both Crewkerne and the A303.

Three new access points are planned along Higher Street and Boozer Pit, with new walking and cycling routes being provided within the site to connect the new homes to public open space at the eastern edge.

Of the 70 new homes, 24 will be affordable – just meeting the council’s 35 per cent target for any new development of ten homes or more within the former South Somerset area.

In addition, the development will provide more than £896,000 towards new classrooms at Merriott School and Wadham School, along with more than £29,000 to improve West One Surgery and Crewkerne Health Centre and more than £115,000 for local sports and leisure facilities.

The development is one of more than 50 within the former South Somerset area which has been held up by the ongoing phosphates crisis, with the developer and council negotiating additional mitigation to prevent any additional phosphates from getting onto the Somerset Levels and Moors.

To mitigate these new homes, a package treatment plant (which removed phosphates from waste water) will be installed and managed by Albion Water – the same company which will be managing the mitigation at a new development of 100 homes on Coat Road in Martock, which was approved in late-January.

Local resident Jeremy Graham told the committee when it met on July 23 that the local road network could not cope with the additional volumes of traffic which the new estate would generate.

He said: “In places this road narrows to three metres wide; there are no formal passing spaces and there are blind corners at each end.

“The junction with the A356 itself is blind, and alternative vehicle routes are limited to Church Street and Lower Street – both of which have high levels of residential parking.

“I suggest the road network has not been assessed in sufficient detail.”

Nick Tavernor, who lives on the eastern edge of the village, agreed: “One of the biggest problems with this housing development is the access. The visibility coming off the A356 is very poor.

“Before this is given consideration, this serious issue needs to be addressed.”

Ian Hall, chairman of Merriott Parish Council, added: “All the housing that we need, including affordable homes, is already here – in a recent housing needs assessment, we had only one applicant for social housing.

“We already have affordable homes coming to the village with the Shiremoor site, which we did support and which is providing 39 affordable homes.”

In addition to the Shiremoor site (which was approved on appeal in August 2020), a further 50 homes could be created on vacant land at Church Street – though a decision on this application is still pending.

Councillor Mike Best (who represents the neighbouring Crewkerne division) said: “The health situation in the Crewkerne area is diabolical – it’s very overstretched, and Merriott has already been let down by a surgery not being built.

“Wadham School is nearly at capacity, and there is no plan set out for how to deal with this. How can this be described as sustainable?”

Councillor Martin Wale (Chard North) added: “This is a rural settlement – but it is being treated against its status in our Local Plan.”

Under the South Somerset Local Plan, rural settlements are required to take smaller amounts of new housing compared to the former district’s primary town (Yeovil) and the main market towns (including Chard, Crewkerne and Ilminster).

However, numerous rural settlements (such as Henstridge and Templecombe) had to accept additional housing in recent years because of allocated sites within the larger towns and villages failing to come forward for development.

Councillor Oliver Patrick (Coker) said: “On our Homefinder website recently, one house in Merriott did become available and 70 people applied for it.

“We can measure the demand for social housing in this area, and this village.

“I am concerned about the local NHS capacity, but NHS Somerset has raised no objections provided it gets its contribution. I think we should approve this.”

A reserved matters application, detailing the design and layout of the new homes, is expected to be submitted to the council for consideration in early-2025.