A Somerset council and a Devon developer have locked horns on the first day of a planning inquiry into new homes in Glastonbury.

Waddeton Park Ltd. applied in November 2021 for outline permission to build 90 homes on Lowerside Lane, located off the busy A39 Wells Road. Mendip District Council refused to grant permission in May 2022 - a decision which the Exeter-based developer appealed.

A virtual public inquiry by the Planning Inspectorate got under way on Tuesday morning (March 7) to settle the issue, with the final ruling being expected in a matter of months. The site - allocated within the council's Local Plan Part II - lies between two existing sets of allotments, a short distance from Glastonbury Football Club's ground on Godney Road and Tor Rugby Club on Lowerside Lane itself.

Under the proposals, both sets of allotments will be preserved, with a new solitary access being created onto Lowerside Lane and 218 car parking spaces being provided on-site. Pedestrian access will also be provided onto Common Moor Drove, not far from the Butler Carnival Park where the town's annual carnival carts are constructed and stored.

The council refused the plans through the delegated powers of its planning board, rather than a public decision by its planning board. Julie Reader-Sullivan, the council's head of service for planning and growth, identified the following five reasons for refusing permission:

• The site is in open countryside and will result in "an excessive quantum of development along the open and undeveloped rural edge of Glastonbury"
• Insufficient information has been provided over whether the homes would lead to "an unacceptable increase in phosphate levels" on the Somerset Levels and Moors (which would violate the Dutch N court ruling)
• The developer has not provided enough information to show developing the site would "not increase flood risk on the site or elsewhere"
• There is a lack of detail about "adequate mitigation" to prevent or off-set the loss of trees and hedgerows
• The developer has not provided a detailed legal agreement showing how the development would contribute to local health services and other amenities

Proposed masterplan of 90 homes on Lowerside Lane in Glastonbury

Planning inspector Thomas Bristow opened the virtual inquiry on Tuesday morning (March 7), hearing opening statements from both the developer and the council. Thea Osmund-Smith, representing the developer, said the development would bring "significant benefits" to the town and

She said: "We have demonstrated that the proposal is nutrient-neutral and will not have an adverse impact on the Somerset Levels and Moors. The appeal site is not an isolated rural location.

"Glastonbury benefits from a range of local facilities, along with a regular bus service. The site adjoins a range of existing and proposed residential development.

Proposed site of 90 homes on Lowerside Lane in Glastonbury

"Most of the dwellings would be located in the southern part of the field. While the development will be visible from a handful of locations, it will be screened through landscaping.

"There will be no noticeable encroachment into the open countryside. The council's planning policies are out of date and should therefore be accorded reduced weight.

"This is a scheme which brings significant benefits." Nina Pindham, representing the council, said that concerns about the lack of a five-year land supply were overstated, citing a recent ruling in the council's favour surrounding 150 new homes in Frome.

She added: "We dispute the extent of landscape harm. We contend it will be harmed by the development of 90 dwellings on this land."

Mr Bristow - who recently presided over an inquiry into 80 homes in Cotford St. Luke - will be conducting a site visit today (8th March) with the inquiry being expected to conclude by the end of the week. His final ruling will be published on the Planning Inspectorate's website by the late-spring.