Cllr Graham Godwin-Pearson joined Axbridge town clerk Vicky Brice and Elizabeth Parker from Compton Bishop Parish Council, amongst others, this morning to ask for amendments to the Houlgate Way development in Axbridge.
The reserved matters were being discussed by at the last ever meeting of Sedgemoor District Council's planning committee, before the new unitary Somerset Council takes over the role in April.
Referencing the council's own Climate and Ecological Emergencies and the National Planning Policy Framework, Graham spoke about the need for more features for wildlife, including swift boxes, nest boxes and bee bricks, within the development, as well as asking that landscaping is created and timed to provide a safe refuge for small animals, birds, reptiles and insects. He said, "Fundamentally, if we are going to concrete over a field, we have to make sure that the development is special and something that the community can be proud of."
Graham also raised the issue of the Cross Lane path, which has been a long-standing issue for residents both of Axbridge and Compton Bishop. He said, "A rutted footpath along the inside of the hedgerow provides the only access for residents to the West, including the pub and the A38 bus routes. It is not suitable for bicycles, pushchairs or wheelchairs and these users take their lives into their own hands on the fast public road instead."
The committee approved the development of 53 homes and agreed to support enhanced biodiversity measures, but the path was not considered - instead, the planning officer has suggested that Axbridge Town Council uses some of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) from the Lavender Rise development to fund it.
