ILMINSTER NEWS: Persimmon reduces its Canal Way proposals from 450 homes to 400

AMENDED plans for a large housing development off Canal Way in Ilminster have been supported by Somerset Highway Authority.

Persimmon Homes South West has announced that the planned development has been reduced from 450 homes to 400.

The news comes in a letter from Persimmon development director Stephen Taylor in a letter to South Somerset District Council planning officer Andrew Gunn.

Mr Taylor has also pointed out that “the updated highway details now incorporate the two zebra crossings as identified in the recently submitted updated Transport Assessment and as agreed with your highway colleagues. I trust this addresses the points which were raised.”

A four-page document from Somerset County Council, which acts as the Highways Authority, states: “Concerns were raised previously and this additional information is submitted with those concerns in mind. The Highways Authority is content to withdraw the previous recommendation of refusal.”

The applicants still have to provide further details of their internal road layout which is “indicative only” and the Highways Authority has pointed out what is required.

Ben Sunderland, a planning liaison officer from Somerset County Council, said the Highways Authority “does not wish to raise an objection to the planning application” although it has listed ten conditions it would like to see applied to the proposals.

One issue over a second access to the development has been overcome by the developers. They have included an emergency access to the north for emergency vehicles to access the site “rather than a secondary access for all users.”

“This is acceptable - given the changes to the internal layout which now avoids a single spine road running through the length of the site,” said Mr Sunderland.

The developer has also provided new plans showing extra detail for the junction at the Canal Way doctors’ surgery roundabout, which would have a new arm to the estate. A zebra crossing would be provided to the west of the roundabout. As vehicles enter the estate off the roundabout, they will drive past the surgery entrance and another new zebra crossing will be provided between that and any potential entrance to the proposed new primary school. 

This entrance road would also have a 3.5m wide cycle/footway to accommodate emergency vehicles if the access road becomes blocked.

The Highways Authority has said that the two zebra crossings must be in place before the occupation of 25 dwellings or the school is brought into use.

The Canal Way site was adopted as Ilminster’s Direction of Growth in the South Somerset Local Plan, for a minimum 330 homes.

Persimmon’s successive applications have shown 465, 450 and now 400 homes on the site, plus a formal public open space adjacent to Britten’s Field, another larger open space to the west, and a site for a new primary school.

The applicants were also required to provide an archaeological survey of the development site and this has been carried out, with no archaeological deposits or features found and only drains present. “The archaeological trial trench evaluation has proved wholly negative with no evidence for any settlement type archaeological activity in the trenches and no finds recovered,” said a report.

The planning application still has to go before South Somerset District Council.

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