District councillor Graham Godwin-Pearson has faced the Planning Committee to challenge the need for building 53 new homes on the Greenbelt adjacent to Houlgate Way in Axbridge.
The new development, which is planned for the field between Axbridge Doctors' Surgery and the Townsend junction, will be noticeable from the Mendip Hills AONB and could have an impact on the value of properties that currently overlook countryside, while also putting additional pressure on the town's services and amenities. The new homes will also be just yards from the intensive chicken farm that regularly creates a pungent odour when the sheds are cleaned out.
In the meeting, Graham said, "I support the Town and [Compton Bishop and Cross] Parish Councils in their opposition to the development. The pressure on services, infrastructure and environment in Axbridge are concerning."
Speaking after the meeting, Graham commented, "Residents in Axbridge have had enough of their greenbelt eaten away over the years. There must be another way to provide the required housing on brownfield sites that can meet the democratic expectations of locals."
