Somerset Councils decision to approve the ‘Yeo Valley’ application for the mixed-use development to include 100 new houses, has led Cheddar Parish Council to take a Barristers advice as to the lawfulness of the decision. Following receipt of that advice, the Parish Council voted at its full Council meeting in June to apply to the Court for permission to Judicial Review Somerset’s decision.
Cheddar Neighbourhood plan was developed over six years, its aims were to allow Cheddar to grow in a sustainable manner, with new housing being balanced with new employment. It allocated two sites for employment use and protected them through its Policy EE3.
Sadly, the first site allocated, the former Sainsbury site on the Wedmore Road, was lost at appeal to residential development.Now Somerset have approved the last allocated area the Yeo Valley site for yet more residential development – on a site that the Inspector of the Neighbourhood Plan described as “a particularly inappropriate location for dwellinghouses”.
Paul Fineran, Chairman of the Policy and Resources committee said “This leaves Cheddar with less employment land than we had prior to the 800 new houses that have been built, hardly sustainable development. Getting the permission quashed will allow the land to be used for its original intended purpose – employment”.