Locals say a small Somerset village "will be swamped" by new housing in the decades ahead if plans for a major new development are approved.

Gleeson Strategic Land Ltd. put forward plans in late-January 2021 to build 75 homes on Beauchamps Drive in the parish of Stratton-on-the-Fosse, near the southern edge of Midsomer Norton.

Mendip District Council refused the plans in late-May 2021, arguing it represented "an urban encroachment of housing into the open countryside" which could undermine the area's natural beauty.

The two parties locked horns on the matter at the start of a lengthy planning inquiry on Tuesday (February 22) which will decide the ultimate fate of the development proposals.

The site lies on the northern side of Beauchamps Drive, a short distance from both Norton Down Methodist Church and the White Post Inn.

Access to the site would be from Beauchamps Drive, with a large amount of green space being retained at the eastern edge, near the White Post roundabout.

John Litton QC – who delivered his opening statement while self-isolating with coronavirus – said the site would form a natural extension to Midsomer Norton in light of other planning development on the surrounding fields.

He said: "New housing development [in Mendip] is directed at the major towns, since they can best meet the needs of the growing population.

"The council agrees that it cannot demonstrate a five-year land supply. There is no obvious way of addressing the shortfall, since the Local Plan Part II only seeks to allocate land to meet the shortfall from the Local Plan Part I.

"The weight to be given to the benefits of the appeal scheme is affected by the magnitude of the shortfall, what the council is doing about it and how much of the shortfall will be met by the development.

"This is a sustainable site for new housing, adjacent to an allocated site near Midsomer Norton. The proposed development will have limited adverse impacts, and do not demonstrably outweigh the benefits."

While Midsomer Norton lies within the Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES) area, Mendip's Local Plan Part II – which was ratified in December 2021 – identifies three sites which can deliver new housing on the edge of the town up to 2029:

Land near the White Post Inn, A367 Green Park Road (minimum 250 houses

Land east of A367 Fosseway South (minimum 145 dwellings)

Land south of Underhill Lane (minimum 60 dwellings)

Plans for 270 homes on the White Post Inn site were put forward by Exeter-based developer Waddeton Park Ltd. in August 2021. Hashi Mohamed, representing the council, accused Gleeson of putting forward amended proposals shortly before the inquiry had formally got underway. He said: "There has been a material departure from what has been submitted in the statement of common ground. "Gleeson accepts that this material is new. They have sought to introduce new information with a view to undermining our case. "This material has been produced late, there has been no reasonable explanation, and an appeal hearing is not the appropriate place to amend a scheme. "This speculative application is being put forward for land which has not been allocated in the Local Plan, by a developer who is not a house-builder. "Following the adoption of the Local Plan Part II, there have been three allocations for housing made near the site. This is a standalone site and does not integrate or engage with the allocations." Since the Beauchamps Drive plans were originally refused, the Planning Inspectorate has upheld the refusal of a similar scheme in the neighbouring village of Chilcompton, involving 95 homes on the B3356 Naish's Cross. Malcolm Daniels, who sits on Stratton-on-the-Fosse Parish Council, urged the inspector to preserve the village's boundary with Midsomer Norton to prevent urban sprawl. He said: "This site is out on its own, nearly a mile out of the edge of Midsomer Norton. This is not a case of nimbyism – BANES does not want it and Mendip turned it down, because both recognise the lack of employment opportunities. "The roads in the area are considered by many to be a disgrace, which is why industries have not come along to replace those of the past. "Even if children went to local schools, many of the roads have no pavements and would therefore be extremely dangerous." "Development won't stop here if the Midsomer Norton allocations are approved. The natural boundary is the B3139. The village will be swamped." The inquiry is expected to last for a further five days, staggered over a two-week period, with a site visit expected to take place on March 3. The outcome is expected to be published on the Planning Inspectorate's website by the early summer.