Hello Everyone,
The council continue to be elusive, they no longer accept calls to the team and only respond to emails (up to 10 working days), a week ago I was able to get through. At this point there is no suggestion of foul play. For this reason, please can I ask everyone to add comments to the planning portal:
https://www3.somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk/asp/WebPages/Plan/plappdets.asp
Planning number: 38/26/0082
Unfortunately, an address and name must be attached. This is to prevent people from “out of town2 making comments which are simply unhelpful.
The application finishes at 17/04/26 so we do not have long to comment. A formal complaint has also been lodged due to the lack of public information by the council. There should have been letters and or a site notice placed at the site.
For comments a template of points to be considered:
· Increased Traffic including delivery vehicles (Current road network cannot accommodate increased traffic)
· Future developments (Drive through and 24 hours) Not in current plan but what’s stopping them in the future? The council must place a restriction on further development
· Health and well being (Increased noise, light pollution and air quality)
· Increased waste and litter
· Anti-social behaviour (Look at the Hank ridge site as a prime example)
· The current assessments are not appropriate (they do not consider effect on the entire estate)
· Increased Vermin (Rats and seagulls to name a few that will be even more present due to discarded food and litter)
· Recent local power cuts (an early sign of a clear impedance on local life)
· Land value (Rightmove analysis (Houses within a mile of a fast-food chain see depreciation up to £15,000. There are several other reports listing the same)
· Unhealthy community (Increased burden on local services)
· The lack of public information from the council
· Having 4 McDonalds within a 2-mile radius of this site (Potentially allowing for McDonalds to create a local monopoly)
· Anything else that you may deem appropriate.
The more comments added listing the same concerns the more likely we may have a say in this development. Its alarming if the views of the residents are ignored or not listened too. I hope that this list helps you and you can add comments to the planning portal listed above.
Thank you, lets hope we can get something out of this as a community.