Decision on building 1,200 homes in Taunton delayed

A decision on potentially building 1,200 homes in Taunton has been delayed for up to six months.

Persimmon Homes South West and Redrow Homes put forward joint plans in December for phase two of the Monkton Heathfield urban extension.

It would sit along the Somerset town's north-eastern edge and also include a new school and relief road.

Somerset West and Taunton Council's planning committee has voted to delay its decision.

Councillor Roger Habgood led calls for a deferral, saying that it "would be the right way to go, in the hope to see significant improvements that meets all the parties' concerns".

The committee later opted by a margin of six votes to four to defer a vote on the plans for up to six months to allow the developers to make "significant revisions".

Councillors took the decision after officers recommended the proposals be refused on several grounds including that they did not provide any sufficient phosphate mitigation which could offset damage to the Somerset Levels and Moors, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The development was also judged to be badly designed and did not secure financial contributions towards affordable housing, education or health facilities.

Council officers claimed that its planned centre was too small and it did not adequately deliver on the "park and bus" facility, or align with Somerset County Council's bus strategy.

The development would be the second phase of the urban extension - which has now been largely completed and includes the eastern relief road which connects the new homes to the A3259.

Phase two covers the land between the existing homes and the Walford Cross waste depot, along with a small amount of land to the north of Monkton Elm Garden Centre.

The developers were seeking outline permission granted for up to 1,210 homes, around 12 acres of employment land, a primary and secondary school, a district centre with local shops, a park and bus facility with 600 parking spaces and a new eastern relief road to link up with the A38.

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