An 86-year-old Street woman has told councillors she is "devastated" after a proposed housing estate entrance opposite her home affected her efforts to sell up and move nearer her family. Rosalie Howard spoke against plans for 160 homes off Brooks Road before councillors postponed a decision over traffic and access concerns.

Somerset Council's planning committee east had been advised by officers to approve the development when it met on 6 October. Instead, members voted seven to three, with one abstention, to defer the application for up to three months while the concerns are explored.

Ms Howard told the meeting: "I'm at a point in time when my remaining family members wish me to live nearer to them in Surrey. So I put my truly lovely house on the market.

"Now my estate agent says that viewings are completely and negatively impacted by the exit of this planned development being directly opposite my house. I am devastated."

She suggested traffic should instead leave the site to the south, following Cockrod towards the A39 at Bramble Hill, west of Walton. Other residents questioned whether the surrounding roads could accommodate the development and raised concerns about flooding, construction disruption and access to existing properties.

The application, submitted by the Trustees of the JD Clark 1984 Settlement, proposes two vehicle entrances. One would join Brooks Road just south of Avalon School and serve 22 homes, while the other would serve the remaining 138 properties at the junction of Brooks Road, Higher Brooks and Middle Brooks.

The existing connection from Higher Brooks to the other two roads would be stopped up. Traffic travelling north from Higher Brooks would instead pass through the new development towards the school.

Councillor Liz Leyshon, whose Street division includes the site, called for a safe crossing on Brooks Road. She said concerns about pedestrian safety had persisted despite efforts to secure improvements.

She told the committee: "Pedestrian and road safety on Brooks Road have been long-standing concerns in Street.

"There are more than 500 pupils at Brookside Primary School and Avalon School is a special school for secondary age pupils.

"There is no safe crossing on Brooks Road despite many efforts by current and past councillors to install a zebra crossing.

"A safe route from the proposed development to Brookside School is extremely important."

Resident Alison Campbell also questioned the effect of additional traffic around the schools and whether local infrastructure could support more residents. She argued that Brooks Road, Middle Brooks and Higher Brooks would struggle to cope.

Councillor Claire Sully said: "I've never heard such heartfelt public feedback on an application – it was eloquent and clear.

"The reality of traffic can be an absolute nightmare for people that live around these new developments. I think the location is inappropriate at this scale."

The land is allocated for development in the Mendip Local Plan Part II, forming part of Street's wider future growth area. Around 400 homes are envisaged between Higher Brooks and the A39 at Quarry Batch.

Bloor Homes South West is separately consulting on 48 homes at the northern end of that area. Its proposals include 17 affordable homes and the first section of a potential relief road linking the A39 and Higher Brooks.

Of the 160 homes in the JD Clark application, 48 would be affordable, meeting the council's 30 per cent requirement for developments of this size in the former Mendip area. The proposals also include nearly £962,000 for education, almost £98,000 for NHS services and more than £72,500 for play areas and public open space improvements.

Planning officers had recommended approval to help unlock the wider allocated development area. Following around 90 minutes of debate, however, councillors agreed that the access and traffic arrangements needed further examination before a decision could be made.

Reporting: Daniel Mumby, Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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