Site Context and Planning Policy

Location and Site Characteristics

The residential parcel measures approximately 3.37 hectares (ha) and comprises flat greenfield land currently used for dairy grazing. All of the boundaries, aside from the one to the west comprise hedgerows with interspersed trees, with a number of large and mature specimens being located along the Site’s north western edge. These will be retained as part of the development proposals.

Adjacent the Site to the east is a large allotment and beyond that is the Street recycling centre. To the south is Street’s existing settlement edge which comprises a large suburban housing estate. The land to the west measures approximately 9 hectares and will be retained for a mixture of tree planting and biodiversity enhancements. No housing development is planned for the retained land.

The Site is in Flood Zone 1 and running along the Site’s southern and western boundaries are drainage ditches which connect to a wider rhyne network. The Site is not subject to any other planning constraints restricting its development. To meet the requirements of the Upper Brue Drainage Board Area, ryhne maintenance buffer zones have been included around the periphery of the entire Site boundary providing recreational routes for walking which will link the Site with the allotments to the east and wider countryside to the west.

Planning Policy

Any planning application will need to be determined against policies contained in the Mendip District Local Plan. In this regard, apart from being located outside of, but adjacent to, the settlement boundary, the local plan does not identify any planning constraints associated with the Site that would prohibit its development. It is not located in the green belt, an area of outstanding beauty or an area at risk of flooding.

The Council is currently unable to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply. Unfortunately, maintaining the requisite housing supply has been a persistent challenge for the council in recent years. Moreover, there has been significant delays with the delivery of many housing allocations across the district, with this issue being particularly acute in Street, where housing delivery has fallen significantly behind the local plan housing target of 1,300 dwellings during the plan period. Therefore, the delivery of up to 71 dwellings at this Site within the next five-years will be a significant benefit in terms of housing delivery.

On this basis, the Site is considered to be a suitable location capable of accommodating housing. It is unencumbered from any technical planning constraints, has good access to existing services and facilities, and would also present an opportunity for environmental improvements. It is therefore considered that the proposed development would accord with relevant local and national planning policy.