Rural Somerset Communities Unite Against “Inappropriate” Housing Plans, Vote No Confidence in Council
New campaign group SCRAPP formed after 50 residents from 22 villages call for coordinated action to stop over-development and demand planning decisions that reflect local Neighbourhood Plans and infrastructure capacity
Rural Somerset communities exasperated by “inappropriate” housing developments have said they have “no confidence” in Somerset Council.
Somerset Communities Raging Against Poor Planning (SCRAPP) held its inaugural meeting at Keinton Mandeville Village Hall on January 23, bringing together more than 50 people from 22 different communities across Somerset.
The meeting was arranged by campaign group Stop Housing Obliterating the Character of Keinton (SHOCK), which is fighting a development of 100 homes on arable land south of the B3153 High Street.
The meeting was designed to bring together different communities to explore “a coordinated response” to poor planning decisions, over and above the existing efforts of individual community groups.
SHOCK member Simon Baker said: “Those attending the meeting cited many common issues, including: local plans and community wishes related to housing needs being ignored, and Somerset Council not formally challenging government housing targets.
“Many developments are out of scale or character with Somerset’s rural nature, and the existing infrastructure is overwhelmed by cumulative over-development.
“The Section 106 process broken, partly due to the council’s failure to agree and enforce meaningful agreements.
“There are also regular errors, inconsistencies and misrepresentation in planning documents.”
Those who attended the SCRAPP meeting agreed that they would support “the right houses being built in the right place” with adequate infrastructure – including the provision of sufficient social housing and affordable housing.
This, they felt, would better reflect the concerns of their respective communities and more accurately align with the Neighbourhood Plans which many town and parish councils had already created.
Mr Baker added: “The meeting concluded with a motion from the floor proposing a vote of no confidence in the planning services provided by Somerset Council.
“The motion was carried unanimously by those present, reflecting a strong consensus regarding the need for action to safeguard the interests of rural communities in Somerset.
“Following the overwhelming endorsement for collective action, the focus has now shifted to getting SCRAPP officially up and running – including finalising its constitution, fine-tuning its aims and creating a website and social media presence.
“Once this is done, community groups and parish councils plus other interested parties will be approached across the whole of Somerset and invited to join in the cause of collaborative action.”
The council is expected to begin the first round of consultation on the new Somerset Local Plan in the spring, which will include revised housing allocations in light of the government increasing the county’s housing targets.