Planning For The Future

DEVELOPMENT IN MERRIOTT

Whenever a significant housing development is proposed, the understandable comment made by most of us is “there are enough houses here already”. Within living memory the number of houses built in Merriott has been significant,  and the large majority of residents live in one these. So what is enough? How many are there already? How many are expected to be built shortly? How many more can be expected in the future? Can we influence matters?

There are around 1000 homes in Merriott currently, and about 50 have been built in recent years. Planning consent is in place for about another 100, most of which are on the land at the end of Manor Drive, and the field in Church Street opposite Footlands Farm.

In planning terms Merriott is classified as a `Rural Settlement`, at the very bottom of the settlement types categorised in the planning system. This is the same category as the smallest hamlets such as Dinnington. This fact alone should have minimised the likelihood of significant development here, but as government development targets are so high, the system is over-ridden, consents are given which in objective planning terms should not be.

In the last three years, thirty developments for ten or more homes have been refused by SSDC area planning committees. These were then re-considered by the SSDC Regulation Committee, which allowed twenty seven of them. Two of the three refused were subsequently granted consent by the government inspector on appeal. Just one of all applications failed. This is not the fault of SSDC, if they refuse them, the inspector passes them anyway.   So it has not been possible to stop developments. This situation may be changing soon, with government targets now being met in South Somerset.

Merriott Parish Council gives considerable attention to planning applications, and is objective in its` submissions to SSDC. While it  has not been possible to stop development, some success has been achieved in such matters as the housing mix, including the provision of a significant number of Affordable Homes. These are either rented or sold at below local market prices.

Notwithstanding the significant development Merriott is absorbing, it is quite possible that more could be approved. There are categories of land such as `Brown Field` that may receive positive support. The old idea of `Infill` could also be argued by landowners, but hopefully without success. However all development does not need to be residential, small business units could be very useful here.

Turning to development expected this year, the `Shiremoor` application was very contentious, and opposed by many people, and as is known, the outline application for 31 dwellings was supported by Merriott Parish Council.  While it was a `Green Field Site` development which would normally be opposed, it was of minimal agricultural value, being effectively an informal dog `walking` area of no use to it’s owners.  MPC was also influenced by the then owners of the land offer to give two thirds of their holding to the village as `Community Land`. The offer was not only attractive in itself, but guaranteed that it would never be built on. The concern was that sooner or later it would be. The HELAA map shows it as `Suitable, Available and achievable`, (Housing & Economic Land Availability Assessment). It is not a guarantee that development will take place, but is a good guide, and used by developers in the planning process. Although MPC supported the original application, it opposed the later detailed one for 39 houses, as did the SSDC Area West Committee and the SSDC Regulation Committee. The government inspector approved it.

The Church Street application was opposed by MPC and the SSDC Area West Committee, but approved by the SSDC Regulation Committee.  MPC will now take as positive a position as possible, in conversation with the developer to make the best of the site. For example, we will press for the minimum 35% Affordable Homes offered in the Outline Application, and make suggestions that will improve the `Street Scene` as much as possible.  Many residents will value the additional raised footway in Church Street that will be part of the development, and we will press for its` extension to Newchester Cross as part of necessary `Off-Site Accomodation works`.