Plans for 47 new homes on farmland withdrawn

Plans for nearly 50 homes in Somerset have been officially scrapped.

Developers Harrison Brown put forward proposals to build 47 new homes between Pound Road and Paulls Lane, on the western edge of Broadway, near Ilminster, in December 2023.

However, Broadway Parish Council strongly objected to the plans, arguing they would provide "no economic, social or environmental benefits" to the village.

Somerset Council has now confirmed the plans have been formally withdrawn by the developers.

Discussing the plans at a meeting on 16 January, interim parish clerk Kim Larsson said the agricultural green field site was "poorly placed to access village amenities and his highly visible from the surrounding countryside".

She said: “Access onto Pound Road is close to a blind bend, and the road quickly contracts to a single lane over a narrow bridge."

“Neroche Primary School is full to capacity and has a waiting list for infants age children wishing to join.

"The finite resources of the medical centre will be under further pressure from the expanding village population," she added.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Broadway and the neighbouring village of Horton have seen significant interest from housing developers in recent years due to their proximity to the A303 near to the Devon and Somerset border, the A358 to Taunton, and the Blackdown Hills.

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and, X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.