A 35-home development earmarked for the edge of the Mendip Hills which locals warned would cause “conflict and chaos” has been turned down.

Strongvox Homes had hoped to build the homes off Mead Lane, in Sandford, in a field next to the Strawberry Line cycle path. But North Somerset Council’s planning committee went against the advice of their own officers to reject the plans.

There are currently around 20 homes on Mead Lane and Neil Richardson, who lives locally, warned the planning committee at their meeting on June 12 that it was a “very narrow” 70-metre lane without passing places that was “blind at each end.”

He said: “This will create conflict and chaos and it’s likely to result in a tail onto the A368.”

Chris Marsh, of Strongvox Homes, said the development would deliver “numerous benefits,” including a new public open space and 11 affordable homes.

He said: “Strongvox will deliver a high quality scheme for this site.”

Council officers recommended the plans be approved, warning that there was a “high bar” for planning applications to be turned down over traffic impact concerns. They added that additional traffic created by the site would be less than one car every three minutes.

Councillors voted 6-1 to reject the plans.

Archie Forbes, the chair of Winscombe and Sandford Parish Council, said: “I think that decision is absolutely right. The lane is only three metres wide in places and its completely unacceptable to have a lane of this width servicing 35 houses.”