ILMINSTER NEWS: No love for Persimmon Homes on Valentine’s Day

IF planning meetings were like boxing bouts then Persimmon Homes’ representative would have left the ring battered and bruised following a meeting of Ilminster Town Council.

Members of the council’s planning, highways and transport committee left Persimmon’s Jamie Grant in no doubt that proposals to build up to 450 homes on land off Canal Way in the town were not wanted.

Mr Grant stayed the full distance at the committee’s meeting on Valentine’s Night (Tuesday, February 14, 2017) at Greenfylde First School in Ilminster and answered the barrage of questions, comments and accusations put to him by councillors and members of the public admirably.

But Persimmon Homes should know that – to coin a well-known saying of a Norwegian football commentator when Norway beat England 2-1 in a World Cup Qualifier in 1981 – “their boy took one hell of a beating.”

There were a multitude of concerns about the scheme including transport, over-development, drainage, the harmful impact it would have on the environment, lack of infrastructure, design, rights of way and access.

PHOTO - RIGHT: The proposed development site is outlined running along Canal Way and then behind the existing Adams Meadow estate.

And committee chairman, Cllr Andrew Shearman, said: “Persimmon don’t listen to what the people of Ilminster want.”

Cllr Shearman gave Mr Grant a list of concerns people had given him about why the scheme should be refused permission.

“I could go on and on and on and on,” he said.

Ten of the 11 councillors voted in favour of recommending refusal to the application – proposed by Cllr Julie Fowler and seconded by Cllr Don Kinder - while the other councillor abstained.

A final decision on the outline planning application will be made by South Somerset District Council, but it has already been suggested by Highways England that the matter should be put on hold for three months to allow Persimmon to address outstanding highways concerns.

Mr Grant had probably been expecting a rough ride when he walked into the lion’s den on Tuesday (February 14, 2017) of Ilminster Town Council.

“I understand previous Persimmon schemes in Ilminster have been criticised, but I’m not her to discuss those,” he said in his opening remarks.

Cllr Fowler, meanwhile, has called for there to be a proper public meeting for people to attend along with representatives of the developers, South Somerset District Council, Somerset County Council, Ilminster Town Council and other interested parties.

More news on this story to follow…..

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