Parish council pursues judicial review over permission for 100-dwelling development

Cheddar Parish Council has issued proceedings in a judicial review challenge of Somerset Council's decision to grant planning permission to a 100-dwelling development that the parish says undermines its neighbourhood plan.

Somerset Council granted outline planning permission for the development in late May 2023.

Under the permission, Yeo Valley Farms Ltd and Holt Farms Ltd will demolish existing buildings on land north of Axbridge Road, Cheddar to build up to 100 homes, a care facility, a nursery and up to 5 'live/work units'. The permission also includes a 750 sqm business use.

However, in a statement announcing its legal challenge, Cheddar Parish Council said it took legal advice as to the lawfulness decision and has now voted to pursue a judicial review of the decision.

The parish council says the development conflicts with the Cheddar Neighbourhood plan, which aims to balance new housing with new employment. As part of this effort, the plan allocated two sites in Cheddar for employment use and protected them through a specific policy.

"Sadly, the first site allocated, the former Sainsbury site on the Wedmore Road, was lost at appeal to residential development", the council statement said.

It added: "Now Somerset have approved the last allocated area the Yeo Valley site for yet more residential development – on a site that the Inspector of the Neighbourhood Plan described as 'a particularly inappropriate location for dwellinghouses'."

Paul Fineran, Chairman of Cheddar Parish Council's Policy and Resources committee, said: "This leaves Cheddar with less employment land than we had prior to the 800 new houses that have been built, hardly sustainable development. Getting the permission quashed will allow the land to be used for its original intended purpose – employment."

Somerset Council said it has submitted a response to the claim and awaits the court's decision.

Adam Carey