Road safety fears delay decision on 60 homes in small Somerset village
Somerset councillors postpone verdict on controversial 60-home proposal near A371
Councillors have delayed a decision on plans for 60 new homes in a small Somerset village due to concerns about road safety.
The Church Commissioners for England (which handles land and property owned by the Church of England) put forward plans in January 2025 to deliver new housing and a community hub south of Roughmoor Lane in Westbury-sub-Mendip, just off the busy A371 between Cheddar and Wells.
Somerset Council’s planning committee east (which handles major applications within the former Mendip area) was expected to vote in favour of the proposals when it convened in Shepton Mallet on May 5.
But after nearly three hours of debate, the committee voted unanimously to defer a decision until issues around pedestrian safety, active travel and over-development had been addressed.
The site lies at the western entrance to the village, between the Robert Glanville Playing Fields (which includes the local skate park) and St. Lawrence’s Church.
To achieve a safe access into the site, a new junction onto the A371 Stoke Road will be constructed, with the speed limit being cut to 20mph, Roughmoor Lane being closed off, the existing bus stop being moved and a community green space being created.
Land for the planned community hub has been set aside at the eastern end of the site, with the new homes being clustered around a central green space and an attenuation pond being provided at the southern edge to reduce flood risk.
Of the 60 homes planned for the site, 18 will be affordable, meeting the council’s 30 per cent target for any new development of ten homes or more within the former Mendip area.
In addition to the affordable homes, the development will provide more than £152,000 for early years education in the village, along with nearly £61,000 for special needs provision.
Additionally, just over £38,000 will be set aside for local health services, with almost £19,000 on top for provision at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.
Finally, nearly £41,000 will be provided towards the Strawberry Line active travel route, focussed on delivering an extension west towards Rodney Stoke.
Chris Langdon, who is heading up the creation of the Westbury-sub-Mendip Neighbourhood Plan, had warned about the traffic issues in this location as far back at December 2024, when he addressed the full council in Bridgwater.
Speaking on May 7, he said: “Your officer suggests that all options for a safe pedestrian crossing have been considered – this is not the case.
“The approach from your highways team has been extremely arrogant – an attitude of: ‘you are wrong, you know nothing, we are right and nothing can be done about pedestrian safety’.
“Safe pedestrian access across the A371 is a top priority for the village. There is a solution that the parish council has presented.”
David Maguire, who lives in the village, concurred: “New housing is needed, but a 17.5 per cent increase in the size of the village in a single hit is too much.
“Our main objection is the lack of regard to pedestrian safety and safe access to the core of the village.
“We need safe access to the primary school for our children, to the village, shop, church, pub and village hall for all residents, including the elderly who may be slow and unsteady crossing roads.”
In the absence of a safe crossing over the A371, the development includes a mown path which connects to existing footpath through the churchyard, emerging onto the main near The Westbury Inn.
Mr Maguire added: “In the week after Easter, a speeding car ploughed into the village shop garden well, causing thousands of pounds’ worth of damage. It was a matter of luck that no-one was killed.
“Three days earlier, in the same place, a collision occurred between two cars apparently trying to avoid a large tractor and trailer.
“The proposed 20mph limit on its own does not give pedestrians enough time at the preferred crossing point.
“Increased use of the Strawberry Line pathway would reduce some traffic, but this application does not include adequate multi-user access to the Strawberry Line from the development.”
Fletcher Robinson from CPRE Somerset said that the development would severely harm the character of the Mendip Hills national landscape (formerly area of outstanding natural beauty, or AONB).
He said: “The Mendip Hills National Landscape team has confirmed that the site is an integral part of the setting of the national landscape. This is not acknowledged by the applicant or your officers.
“The development needs to be pulled back to avoid the grade two star listed church being visually confined and its connection to the countryside being cut. This would cut the build development area by about a third, which would be far less harmful.”
Councillor Heather Shearer (whose Mendip West division includes the site) said: “Local residents do accept that housing has to be here – they want it, in fact.
“But they do have concerns about the size of the development, the impact it will have on the landscape, road safety and traffic – all very important points.
“They have opened their arms to work with the developer and have felt unheard at various parts of the process.
“I know people who would actually drive to the village shop because it’s safer than trying to cross the road – a matter of a few hundred yards.”
Councillor Claire Sully (Liberal Democrat, Mendip South) shared the traffic concerns, stating: “In 2025, we had an average of two fatal or serious injury collisions a day on Somerset’s roads.
“There’s no safe crossing on this road, and there are two significant bends.
“This is a dark skies village, and I can’t see how you can have a development of this size without impacting that.”
The land is allocated within the Mendip Local Plan Part II to deliver around 40 homes – meaning the council would need strong reasons for refusing development in this location.
Councillor Barry Clarke (Conservative, Mendip Central and East) added: “When you look at the site plan, it looks similar to that of a caravan site in Weston-super-Mare.
“Everything is just squeezed in, with quite small gardens. Lord knows where the parking is – the whole layout is quite cramped.”
After almost three hours’ debate, the committee voted unanimously to defer a decision on the plans for up to six months to allow these issues could be addressed.