A fresh fiasco awaits if a village housing scheme is given planning permission, according to Yattton’s Police and Communities Together (PACT) members.
Yatton Developments Ltd wishes to knock down the old Titan Ladders factory, in Mendip Road, and North Somerset Council’s planning committee will make a decision tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday).
The proposal includes 28 houses and nine flats, but major concerns have been raised over too many homes in a small space plus shared roads for vehicles and pedestrians.
While North Somerset Council planning officers think the scheme is acceptable and should go ahead, PACT fears history may repeat itself.
The roads within the development would not be adopted by North Somerset Council as they do not meet its requirements – an issue which has caused difficulties in other parts of Yatton.
Homeowners in Wakedean Gardens are facing a bill for thousands of pounds to mend the street outside their properties because the roads were never taken on by the council – unlike the overwhelming majority.
And PACT fears long-term problems could also emerge at the former Titan Ladders site.
While Yatton Developments Ltd have tweaked the scheme, the organisation are still fearful of what may happen if it is given the green light in its current form.
Jonathan Edwards, who chaired PACT’s meeting on Thursday, said: “It has done lots of changes to make it less bad but in my view it isn’t acceptable.
“We don’t want to set up another Wakedean Gardens (scenario).
“It might look fine (on paper) now, but not in 50 or 100 years’ time.”
PACT treasurer Simon Reakes echoed the concerns, saying prospective buyers should be put off if they realised the potential problems.
Yatton Parish Council describes the scheme as ‘wholly unacceptable in terms of the unadopted road and private waste collection’, but North Somerset Council staff are more supportive.
Planners say there will be an impact on the outlook of neighbouring homes, but do not think it will cause ‘unacceptable harm’.
Councillors will vote on the application at Weston Town Hall at 2.30pm tomorrow.
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