After months of campaigning, Somerset Council has refused plans for the new Gypsy and Traveller site on land beside the A371 behind Axbridge.
The application, submitted earlier this year, proposed changing the use of the old lavender fields west of St Michael’s and north of Cheddar Road to provide a three caravan pitch. The applicant argued that Somerset has historically failed to provide sufficient accommodation to meet the identified needs of the Gypsy and Traveller community.
Among the council’s concerns was the site’s location within the Mendip Hills National Landscape (AONB) and the effect the proposed development, including replacing an existing hedge with a stone wall, would have on the character of the protected landscape.
The council also considered the location to be poorly connected to Axbridge. Planners said its distance from shops, schools, healthcare and other local services, combined with the lack of suitable pedestrian connections, would leave residents reliant on cars.
Officers also concluded that insufficient evidence had been provided to demonstrate either that suitable alternative accommodation was unavailable or that the applicant’s personal circumstances justified development in this particular location.
Local Conservative candidate Graham Godwin-Pearson, who campaigned against the site, said, "I'm pleased with the council's decision.
"Clearly everyone needs somewhere to live, but the lavender fields were not the right location for this, or any, development."
The proposal had attracted numerous objections from local residents, including concerns about the suitability of the site and traffic on the A371.
