A duplicate planning application has been submitted by a hopeful developer looking to build on the edge of Weston – even though North Somerset Council refused the first scheme.

Molwin Estates submitted a second planning application for 79 homes on Bleadon Hill, despite an impending Government appeal on the first application.

It first submitted its bid for the homes in January last year, but the plans attracted more than 200 objections.

At the time, the council was in a dispute with the Government over how many houses it had to build to keep up with demand by 2020.

Because of this uncertainty, the council delayed its decision on the application so Molwin appealed to Government planners to intervene.

The council has since said it will fight the appeal, and said: “On balance, the proposal, because of the location of the site, is most unlikely to encourage walking or cycling to key public facilities and services and the site will be over reliant on vehicle access including local trips.

“It is not a natural location to extend the built-up area and it would result in a large and uncharacteristic development with unacceptable visual and landscape harm.”

The appeal will be heard later this year, but a date has not been set.

But Molwin has now submitted another application in hopes of reaching an agreement with the council before the appeal goes ahead.

Executive member for planning Elfan Ap Rees told the Mercury: “This is a tactic occasionally employed by applicants, recognising that their first application is likely to be refused and trying to put in a second one which they believe might overcome the reasons for refusal during the process.”

He said if members of the public had any comments on the first application they must resubmit them, as they will not be carried over.

He said: “Any comments that people have put together for the first application would still apply to the repeat one.”

The application can be viewed on the council’s online planning portal.