Major housing development fought off by villagers

Planning rejected by villagers

Recent news from the government states that the planning application process will be simplified, sped up and also more on the side of the applicant. So the recent news that a housing project was rejected due to the village community power will be surprising to many, though of course let us see the facts so we can make our decision to see if it was a fair campaign to oust it.

A 60 home development, revised already down from 80, added to the many other projects for planning that the of Templecombe has recently seen:

The village has seen a number of large developments approved in the last two years – including 70 homes on Slades Hill (near the Thales base) and 49 homes on West Street, which was approved in June after being previously turned down twice.” Full story first released on somersetlive.co.uk

From reading the story it felt that the local community felt it was time to refuse the increasing amount of local new build estates in favour of protecting their rural character and that the proposal of Gleeson Strategic Land Ltd’s application to build 80 homes on the Manor Farm estate was one application too far.

Planning officer David Kenyon was quoted as saying: “… there are other parts of the site, particularly on the eastern and southern outer slopes, where residential development is indicated on the master plan and which we consider would cause an unacceptable level of harm to the rural character of that part of the site and the wider landscape.

Development in these areas would also cause an unacceptable level of harm to the visual amenity of those adjacent to the site as well as those in the wider landscape.

 

EAN Breaking News

Breaking News from the team at Estate Agent Networking. Have a new story to share with us? Then please get in contact today! When and where we can we will refer to third party websites with a 'live link back' where news was released first.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Council funding to crack down on rogue landlords

English councils are set to receive additional funding and training to help tackle rogue landlords, ahead of taking on new responsibilities when renters’ rights reforms come into force next month. All 317 local authorities in England will share £41 million in funding, building on an earlier £18 million allocation made last autumn. The funding is…
Read More
New Builds 2020
Breaking News

Fewer than 1 in 5 new properties securing buyer

New-build demand remains subdued as fewer than 1 in 5 homes find buyers in Q1 2026 The latest New-Build Stock and Demand Index from Property Inspect has found that demand for new-build homes remained subdued in the first quarter of 2026, with fewer than one in five new properties securing a buyer. New-build stock levels…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Top five AML red flags in UK property transactions

Cash-heavy and internationally supported purchases continue to shape the UK market New data from client due diligence platform Thirdfort reveals the most common anti-money laundering (AML) red flags identified in UK property transactions. Analysis of more than 415,000 completed Source of Funds (SoF) checks shows that the top five red flags are: Savings mismatch – 43.04% Gifted…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Discover Northern Ireland’s top emerging investment hotspots

Derry/ Londonderry and Fermanagh named Northern Ireland’s top emerging investment hotspots Northern Ireland’s emerging investment hotspots are delivering compelling opportunities for landlords in 2026, with new research from Belfast-based estate agency John Minnis revealing a shift in where investors are finding the strongest returns. Drawing on insights from the latest John Minnis Investment Guide, the…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 13/4/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Why customisation matters more than capability Thought Leadership by Wes Snow CEO & Co-founder of Ascendix Technologies ‘There’s a persistent misconception that success with Artificial Intelligence comes down to selecting the most advanced or sophisticated tool. In reality, that’s not where the value lies. The real…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

First-time buyers pay extra £307m in stamp duty since relief ended

New Rightmove analysis reveals that since the end of the temporary relief measure in April 2025, first-time buyers in England have paid an estimated £307 million extra in stamp duty, averaging £4,618 more per buyer: The total estimated first-time buyer stamp duty bill over the past year was £408 million, versus £101 million the previous year In April 2025 the first-time buyer stamp duty threshold was lowered from £425,000 to £300,000. Before the change 62% of homes for sale were stamp-duty free for first-time buyers and that has…
Read More