People living in Peasedown St John have ‘come out fighting’ after it was revealed that new housing plans could see an extra 1,000 homes built in their community.
The village, which has grown considerably since the late 1980s, is already the biggest village in the south of England with 7,000 residents.
Just recently, Bath & North East Somerset Council revealed its draft Local Plan – an official planning framework that guides land use, growth, and development applications across the B&NES district over a 15 to 20-year period.
For Peasedown St John this would see:
– Land to the south of Peasedown: An additional 860 homes next to the A367 by-pass junction with Bath Road
– Land nestled in between Church Road and Hillcrest: An additional 80 homes (a planning application, objected to by Cllr Karen Walker at the time, was refused for homes on this site in 2014)
Leading the campaign against the plans with residents is the village’s B&NES Councillor, Cllr Karen Walker (Independent), who said:
“Our village has grown substantially over the last 40 years, and so it’s essential that any future housing developments are accompanied by the additional amenities, services and investment that our community so desperately needs.”
“There are no live planning applications at present,” added Karen, “but the outline plans could mean another 1,000 homes for Peasedown St John, so it’s essential that we let the council know what residents think.”
Karen recently met with residents in Church Road and Camvale who have gone door-to-door gathering names for an objection letter to send to the planning policy department against the 80 proposed dwellings near to where they live.
“I’m grateful to Tracey, Max and other residents who have worked so hard to campaign against these proposals, plus the 60 residents who attended one of the drop-in sessions I organised at Peasedown Community Library,” said Karen.
The final details of what’s included in the B&NES Local Plan will be debated at a special meeting of the council at the Guildhall in Bath on 15th December.
Cllr Karen Walker will be keeping residents updated on the Local Plan proposals for Peasedown through her monthly e-newsletter. Residents can subscribe by emailing village_voice@outlook.com
Local Plan: 860 homes to the south of Peasedown St John
Local Plan: 80 homes in between Church Road and Hillcrest
