SHOCKED residents who feared there would be 45 new homes on their doorstep could actually see nearly 200 built.

Somerset West and Taunton Council will be meeting at 1pm tomorrow (Thursday) to discuss a planning application from Gladman Developments for the building of 180 homes on land near Pyrland Farm, Cheddon Road.

A portion of the site has been allocated by the council as land ripe for development, in a document known as the Site Allocations and Development Management Plan, which the council set out would be appropriate for 45 homes.

But Gladman has expanded past the site in its plans, incorporating more land which has not been allocated for development.

A spokesman said: “The development will create up to 180 dwellings with a range of housing to meet the needs of the area, while respecting and enhancing the site’s environmental assets.

“Housing will be set within a robust network of green infrastructure, which will help to integrate development within the landscape and create a distinctive sense of place.”

Residents fear the plans go against the council’s ambition as a ‘garden town’, and approving more houses than the council originally allocated would impact current amenities.

Sandra Manning, Lyngford Lane resident, said: “The council document says 45 houses can be built on the site, Gladman has applied for four times that number 180.

“The planning officer has recommended conditional approval breaching the council’s own policy and residents don’t understand why. The planning officers report doesn’t address residents concerns just lists them.

“The report also dismisses the strong statements of both the council’s own landscape officer and the Quantock AONB landscape officer on the adverse visual impact on the local landscape.

“Surely in a garden town, visual impact has to be an important planning consideration.”

Cllr Andy Pritchard West Monkton and Cheddon Fitzpaine, said: “The site is what many would consider the start of countryside and will require the removal of hedgerows that mark this, and it hardly feels that the proposal pays any consideration to ‘garden town’ or the neighbourhood plan.

“The AONB and community groups have clearly voiced concerns. All this before the fact that the number of dwellings have been significantly increased in the plans, which will increase traffic, impacting on safe routes to local schools, both walking and cycling.

“I hope the application will be recommended for reconsideration with more consultation, detail, and due regard to Taunton’s ambition as a garden town, and can be a chance for the new administration to show some teeth and get a good deal for residents and our local environment.”

Residents also hit out at the timing of the meetings, which were previously held in the evenings under the former Taunton Deane Borough Council, but will now be held at 1pm on Thursdays.

Pip Sheard, Cheddon Road resident, said: “It would be hard to think of a worse time to choose to ensure that only a few residents could come to the planning committee meeting."

But the council says the times are always being reviewed, and appreciates there will never be a perfect time for everyone.

A spokesman said: “It’s common practise for planning meetings to start during the day – West Somerset meetings began at 2pm and in Sedgemoor they begin at 9.30am.

“At Taunton Deane they would often run very late in to the night which would cause problems for councillors and the public.

“We will constantly review the start times of these meetings to ensure they are suitable for the majority of people, but do appreciate it will never be a convenient time for everyone.”