New homes, a café and a work hub have been approved in a small Somerset village where localised flooding is a "present reality".

Galion Homes put forward proposals in October 2021 to build 37 homes and commercial facilities on Baltonsborough Road at the north-eastern edge of Butleigh.

Local residents criticised the plans when they came before Somerset Council's planning committee east in Shepton Mallet on Tuesday afternoon (March 5), arguing the village was growing too quickly and the new homes would worsen localised flooding.

But councillors ultimately voted to approve the proposals, meaning construction could get under way by the end of the year.

The site lies east of Butleigh's community hall and playing fields, bordered to the east by the Wash Brook and the nearby solar farm.

The development will deliver 205 sq m of commercial space within the café and work hub, which will comprise seven units at the south-western corner of the site.

In addition to the vehicular access on Baltonsborough Road, a pedestrian access will be created on Back Town, creating a safe route to Butleigh Church of England Primary School via Admiral's Mead and the adjoining footpaths.

Of the 37 homes proposed for the site, 11 will be affordable – meeting the council's 30 per cent target for any new development of ten homes or more within the former Mendip area.

The site, which lies within the River Brue catchment area, is one of numerous developments in Somerset held up by the ongoing phosphates crisis, with developers needing to secure additional mitigation to prevent any net increase in phosphates within the Somerset Levels and Moors catchment area.

To offset the phosphates from the new homes, agricultural land at two local farms currently used for cereal production will be replaced with woodland – with just over 32 hectares (79 acres) being removed from Higher Hill Farm in Glastonbury and a further four hectares (nearly 10 acres) being re-purposed at Manor Farm in West Lydford.

Galion founder Angus Macdonald told the committee that the development would deliver a "35 per cent biodiversity net gain" – far in excess of the government's ten per cent threshold for new developments, which came into force in late-January.

But Jackie Lloyd, who lives near the site, said the growth of the village would not be proportionate, given Galion's other proposed development of 32 homes on Sub Road at the other end of the settlement.

Outline permission for the scheme was granted in April 2020, with Galion subsequently acquiring the site and submitting detailed proposals in March 2023.

Ms Lloyd said: "This site is outside the development boundary, in the open countryside.

Growth should be proportionate – the council's housing allocation for Butleigh has been met. If this is granted, we will exceed our target by 26 per cent.

The development is not a logical, organic extension of the village. The settlement edge at Baltonsborough Road and Back Town is clearly defined."

Councillor Trevor Willmott, chairman of Butleigh Parish Council, added: "We continue to oppose this development. We point you to the Local Plan Part II update, in which you note the requirements of this village have already been met.

You concluded in your assessment that this site is not suitable for allocation in the Local Plan Part II. Flooding is not a future possibility, but a present reality.

At peak hours there is an enormous back of traffic near this development. A further 100-car increase, which this development would provide, would make passage through our high street, including for emergency vehicles, very difficult."

In addition to the two sites in Butleigh, Galion is currently seeking to deliver 36 new homes on Ham Road in Baltonsborough (on the St. Dunstan's Mede site), 49 homes on Broadway Hill in Horton (near the A303), and 30 homes on Church Street in Keinton Mandeville (along with a possible classroom for the village's pre-school).

Councillor Claire Sully – whose Mendip South division includes Butleigh – said: "Is there a need for housing with all the other live planning applications that are going on? We need a wider definition of sustainability."

Councillor Martin Dimery (Frome West) said: "I'm very concerned about the Wessex Water issues with local sewage. They claim they are doing everything they are required to do by the government, but many of us don't think that's enough."

Councillor Bente Height (Shepton Mallet) questioned whether the new homes would truly meet local need.

She said: "I would like to see more bungalows. We are drowning in old people in Somerset and we need more bungalows."

Councillor Philip Ham (Mendip Central and East – and a working farmer) said taking active farmland out of production to enable new housing would need to be done cautiously to prevent high-quality agricultural land being lost forever.

He asked, " What soil will the trees be put on? If we carry on covering grass with houses and planting trees on good agricultural land, we won't be worried about where we're living, but whether we're living."

Other committee members were somewhat more optimistic, with Councillor Shane Collins (Frome East) praising the developer's environmental credentials.

He said: "The developer is to be congratulated – at least we are getting proposals coming to this committee which are above government guidelines in terms of solar panels and air source heat pumps.

However, I can see nothing from Wessex Water about how many sewage overflows there have been. We know the Brue and other rivers around there are not in good condition."

Councillor Edric Hobbs (Mendip Hills) added: "There's lot to commend about this plan. My main concern is whether this small village needs this many new houses.

They have got a very good mix of housing and building materials, which is to be commended. We see a lot of Lego houses coming forward elsewhere – stuff where you could look at Falmouth or Falkirk and not know where you are."

A proposal to refuse permission, put forward by Ms Sully, was refused on the casting vote of chairman Nick Cottle.

Following this failed vote, the committee voted to approve the plans by five votes to three, with two abstentions.