Council will not fight new homes due to costs

A council will not fight plans to build 1,700 new homes, for fear of legal bills exceeding £400,000.

A public inquiry will be held in July to determine the fate of the Selwood Garden Community (SGC), comprising 1,700 new homes, commercial space, a primary school and other facilities in Frome.

Somerset Council had been "minded to refuse" the plans but it will now take a neutral stance at the inquiry, offering no evidence against them.

Councillor Susannah Hart said that actively fighting the appeal "could lead to the financial ruin of the council".

Local campaigners asked the council not to take such a stance when the committee convened in Shepton Mallet last week.

Mark Pollock from the Friends of the River Frome said: "In 2024, figures released by the Environment Agency show there were spills into the river for over 544 hours from 13 sites around the town.

"Sewage spillage into the river is getting worse, not better, and the existing drainage system is already over-capacity."

Joe Hannam Maggs from the Stop SGC campaign group said the consortium bringing forward the plans had not been honest with the council over the huge increase in traffic congestion the new homes would create.

However, town councillor Steve Tanner said the plans now include additional provisions that tipped the balance, with the town council withdrawing its formal objection to the SGC.

He told the committee: "We have a housing crisis and we need more affordable housing. Of course, we lament the loss of green spaces, but the government's higher housing targets lead us to believe that this will be approved by the secretary of state."

The additional provisions include funding to upgrade the B3090, contributions towards medical facilities in Frome and affordable housing being advertised towards people in Frome six months before offering it to other people.

Matthew Kendrick from Grassroots Planning, representing the applicant, added: "We genuinely consider this scheme to be exemplary, and we have worked to secure additional contributions since December.

"There is no other site capable of meeting the town's housing needs."

Ms Hart said the legal costs of challenging the plans would take money away from key services.

"We are ultimately responsible to the public not to waste their money," she said.

"Being part of any litigation is expensive. The £400,000 stated is a minimum cost – it could escalate to £1m, and that is money down the drain.

"Unfortunately in life, sometimes you have to choose the least worst option. Let us all do the sensible thing and take a neutral stance."

After more than two hours of debate, the committee voted to take a neutral stance at the inquiry by eight votes to three, with one abstention.

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