A West Country developer has lodged an appeal after plans to build new homes near Frome were turned down.

Ashford Homes (SW) Ltd. – which is based in Bradford-on-Avon – put forward proposals for 29 new homes on a greenfield site between The Mead and Straight Lane in Rode.

Mendip District Council refused the plans in April, arguing the homes would be a "visual intrusion" into open countryside and could increase the risk of localised flooding.

The developer has now lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate, which could overturn the decision before the end of the year.

The site lies at the western edge of the village, a short distance from both the River Frome and the A36 arterial road leading to Bath.

The proposed properties range between one-bedroom flats and five-bedroom houses, with nine of the 29 dwellings being affordable.

Access would be from The Mead, with the existing T-junction being turned into a crossroads and large amounts of landscaping would be employed to screen the homes from Straight Lane leading into the village.

The council refused the plans in April via the delegated powers of its planning officers on four grounds:

The development would "result in a visual intrusion of housing into the open countryside", harming both the rural landscape and local heritage assets

The development would harm existing protected trees near the site

The developer has countered that the site is in a sustainable location in light of the range of amenities available in the village.

A spokesman said: "Rode has good accessibility to the wider highway network due to its close proximity to the A36 and the A361, providing ease of vehicular access to Frome, Trowbridge and Bath.

"There is also a good network of public footpaths and pedestrian accessibility to a range of existing community facilities within the village, including a primary school, public houses, village shop and post office, recreation ground and a village hall.

"Despite there being a degree of local community support for a care home and retirement housing on the site arising, market testing revealed no interest from potential operators. This led the landowner to make the site available for housing."

The Planning Inspectorate has confirmed that the appeal will be conducted via written representations and a site visit, rather than a virtual public inquiry.

Anyone wishing to make a statement for the inspector should visit www.acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk and search for appeal number 3277181 by August 31.