Site No | Where | suggested status* | Within boundaries | access | services | pros | cons | comments by BANES officers | |||||
building | conser-vation | green belt | Housing | Planning | Highways | ||||||||
1 | W of Glebe, in field opposite Memorial Hall | X Owner is unwilling to sell | no | no | yes | thro Glebe or off Freshford Lane | extension of Glebe services | natural extension of Glebe | a) will increase traffic in Glebe b) exiting onto bend in Freshford La. hazardous | Second favourite on the basis of being able to fit six houses on the site and its closeness to the Glebe which would ease provision of services | Housing could be acceptable but Planning would want access to be through the Glebe so as to preserve the trees and hedge alongside Freshford Lane. | Can see the virtues of the site but would not permit access from Freshford Lane therefore problems of coming through the Glebe would have to be solved. | |
2 | N of Freshford La. In Galleries field after last house | X Owner is unwilling to sell | no | no | yes | off Freshford Lane | extension of services to existing houses | close to village centre | would require service road sloping site | Probably their favourite on grounds of cost of land and buildings | Could see its advantages, particularly its closeness to the village centre; but influenced by requirements of Highways which would probably require removal of hedge and setting back into the hill which would make it bulky. Would not be prepared to see more than two houses on this site. | If there were more than five houses there'd have to be a service road which would require the houses being set back. And even if there were fewer, the necessary sightlines would probably require removal of the hedge. | |
3 | N of Station Rd. just before entrance to new house | X Owner has refused to negotiate | no | no | yes | off Station Rd | in Station Rd? | a) pocket of green belt with houses around b) close to station c) pleasant aspect | a) would require service road b) steeply sloping site c) any additional traffic on Station Rd will have an impact | Liked the site but thought only 2 or 3 houses would be possible | Liked the site but said design would be important if it was fit well into surroundings | Had concerns about access down Station Rd but access and sight lines could be achieved if only few houses were built | |
3a | N of Station Rd. Behind Site 3 | X Owner is unwilling to sell | no | no | yes | off Station Rd | in Station Rd? | a) pocket of green belt with houses around b) close to station c) pleasant aspect | a) would require service road b) any additional traffic on Station Rd will have an impact | considerations the same as for Site 3 | considerations the same as for Site 3 | considerations the same as for Site 3 | |
4 | E of Crowe La., between new rectory and Wiltshire boundary | X Owner is unwilling to sell | no | no | yes | off Crowe La | water in Crowe La., others? | relatively close to village centre | likely to be hazardous exit onto sharp corner in Crowe La | revisted the site in April 07 and said it could be suitable. | Decided on a visit in Apil 07 that the entry could be altered to make it less hazardous | ||
5 | SE of lane leading to back entrance of Old House | X Owner is unwilling to sell | no | no | yes | private lane leading to Station Rd | same as supply nearby houses | a) level ground b) pleasant aspect c) close to station | access by private lane and Station Rd will have an impact on traffic if only a few houses are built | A site that could support six houses but difficult to integrate socially. | Considerations the same as for Sites 3 and 3a However, if access was to be through The Orchard the unadopted road would have to be rebuilt to Highways standards. | ||
5a | on left hand verge of lane leading to back entrance to the Old House | X Owner is unwilling to sell | no | no | yes | private lane leading to Station Rd | same as supply nearby houses | a) level ground b) pleasant aspect c) close to station | access by private lane and Station Rd will have an impact on traffic if only a few houses are built | A good site | Concerns as for Site 6 about junction of unadopted road and Station Road | ||
6 | site of old stables/workshops behind Old House | X Owner is unwilling to sell | yes | yes | no | private lane leading to Station Rd | same as supply nearby houses | a) using site of derelict buildings b) close to existing housing | access by private lane and Station Rd will have an impact on traffic if only a few houses are built | Liked the site but was concerned about probable costs. | Probably his favourite but the design would be very important and the site unlikely to be able to support more than two houses given the planning requirement of two parking spaces for every house. | It 'could be a goer' but he had concerns about use of the unadopted road and sight lines at junction with Station Rd. | |
7 | N of Freshford La. In Galleries field by boundary with Memorial Hall | X Owner is unwilling to sell | no | no | yes | off Freshford Lane | possibly from same sources as Tyning House | a) close to Glebe b) short walk to village centre c) gently sloping south-facing slope | a) not sharing boundary with any other houses b) exiting onto busy, twisty part of Freshford La | ||||
8 | Park Corner, S of Freshford La., opposite 'new' cottages | B | no | no | yes | each house with own exit onto Freshford La. | as supplied to houses in Park Corner | a) natural integration into Park Corner housing | a) adding to traffic hazards at Park Corner b) sloping site will limit size of development and increase building costs | Difficult site for construction and serv icing | Too far from village centre. Might be considered when all other options have been exhausted | ||
9 | N of unadopted access road on Ashe's Lane | X Owner is unwilling to sell | no | no | yes | onto unadopted access road and then onto Ashes Lane | as supplied to houses in immediate area | a) natural extension of existing community b) pleasant SE-facing aspect | a) adding to traffic hazards at Ashes La. and Park Corner b) sloping site may limit size of development and increase building costs | A possible site | Too far from village centre. Might be considered when all other options have been exhausted | Access to and from Ashe's Lane would have to be improved | |
10 | S of Pipehouse La in garden of last house on left before reaching A36. | B | no | no | yes | onto Pipehouse La. | as provided to existing house | a) natural extension of existing community at bottom end of Pipehouse La. b) pleasant S-facing aspect | a) adding to traffic hazards at Ashes La. and Park Corner b) sloping site may limit size of development and increase building costs c) cost of land - as an existing garden - may be too high d) in Hinton Charterhouse | A possible site | Too far from village centre. Might be considered when all other options have been exhausted | Access to and from Pipehouse Lane would have to be improved | |
11 | disused quarry site to N of Sharpstone La., below Hill Breeze | C | no | yes | yes | onto Sharpstone La | as supplies to Sharpstone | a) small plot on otherwise disused site b) striking view towards Iford c) in the heart of Sharpstone | a) adding to traffic in Sharpstone b) plot could probably support no more than two houses c) unsuitable ground for building, attempt has been made before | Difficult site for construction and serv icing. Would not be large enough for all houses required | Too far from village centre. Might be considered when all other options have been exhausted | Not feasible given the narrowness of Sharpstone | |
12 | E of Sharpstone La., directly opposite The Hermitage. Currently a chicken run | C | no | no | yes | onto Sharpstone La | as supplies to Sharpstone | a) striking view towards Iford b) in the heart of Sharpstone | a) adding to traffic in Sharpstone b )very steeply sloping site, building and access costs may be too high c) view up Frome valley would be blocked | Difficult site for construction. Too steep | Not feasible given the narrowness of Sharpstone | ||
13 | W of A36 - to N of extreme W end of Pipehouse La. By turning area | B | no | no | yes | onto Pipehouse La and then the A36 | as supplies to houses in the area | a) level, open ground would benefit building costs b) just part of an existing community | a) far from shops and transport b) perhaps would swamp existing small community unless limited to two or three house - although potential plot could support several times that c) too far from village
| Too remote from the village, Might be considered when all other options have been exhausted | |||
14 | W of A36 - on part of existing Rentokil site in Pipehouse La. | A | no | no | no | onto Pipehouse La and then the A36 | as supplies Rentokil activities | a) level, open ground would benefit building costs b) within the existing community c) would be welcomed as an alternative to existing commercial presence | a) far from shops and transport b) perhaps would swamp existing small community unless limited to two or three house - although potential plot could support several times that c) change of use from commercial to residential could add time and cost
| Too remote from the village, Might be considered when all other options have been exhausted | |||
15 | W of A36 - to N of Pipehouse La and E of existing one-time council houses (2 semi-detached) - in SW corner of adjacent field | X | no | no | yes | onto Pipehouse La and then the A36 | as supplies next door semi-detached houses | a) level, open ground would benefit building costs b) within an existing community | a) far from shops and transport b) perhaps less likely to swamp existing small community than other sites because of being nearer the A36
| Too remote from the village, Might be considered when all other options have been exhausted | |||
16 | In field next to Rhanikhet Farm, Park Corner | B
| no | no | yes | onto lane leading to A36 | as supplies to Park Corner | a) adjacent to existing buildings and settled community b) limited but relatively level site | a) access onto narrow and busy road b) subject of a current planning application for a conservation pond | Planners have ruled unsuitable and will not consider until all 'A's have been ruled out | |||
17 | Opposite Jubilee Cottages on Ashes Lane | C | no | no | yes | access onto Ashes Lane | as supplies houses in immediate vicinity | a) site for one house on footprint of long-abandoned cottage b) could be easily absorbed into existing small community | a) site is sloping and small b) access onto Ashes Lane is on a sharp bend. Perhaps no provision for car access can be made. | Too small a site to be economical | |||
18 | Between The Old Parsonage and the Church | X | no | yes | yes | onto track to Combe Bottom and then Church Hill | as supplies houses in immediate vicinity | a) in heart of village b) good access and services supply
| a) difficult to find an architectural style to fit into compact part conservation area b) would close an open green area within a relatively built-up area c) relatively steeply sloped which would raise construction costs | ||||
19 | Fairclose field ( between Inn and Frome River) | X | no | no | yes | onto road opposite Inn, between corner and bridge | as supplies houses in immediate vicinity | a) close to pub and services | a) would close a view which may have a claim to be protected b) would restrict, if not block, access to part of river c) in flood plain | ||||
20 | site of Glebe garages opposite Village Hall | A | no | no | yes | from Freshford Lane via existing drive to garages | extension of Glebe services | a) site for three or maybe more houses b) close to village centre, Memorial Hall and proposed shop and PO | Owned by Somer Housing and all garages let as garages. At present, unwilling to sell | Would object because of loss of existing garaging. Would not have a problem with access onto Freshford Lane which already exists and is used | |||
*Status legend | A - advantages appear to outweigh disadvantages B - advantages and disadvantages appear to be of equal weight C - disadvantages appear to outweigh advantages X - no longer being considered | ||||||||||||