Council chiefs have hit out at plans to build 450 houses just over the border from Midsomer Norton.

The homes were a late addition to Mendip District Council’s Local Plan and they said that gives those affected little chance to comment.

The development blueprint now proposes 250 houses at White Post, 60 in Underhill Lane and 145 east of the A367.

In their formal objection, Bath and North East Somerset Council officers said: “It is unclear that this housing is required to meet Mendip’s needs; there are more sustainable locations within Mendip to meet their communities’ needs; and there has been insufficient assessment of the impacts of allocation of sites adjoining Midsomer Norton, including in relation to the town’s infrastructure.

“Introducing such a significant change – allocating an additional 450 dwellings adjacent to the B&NES Council boundary on the edge of Midsomer Norton – at this late stage in the plan-making process fails to allow sufficient time to assess the impact on the local communities and the services and facilities and infrastructure of the town.”

Westfield Parish Council has also objected, saying the proposed developments were “clearly not sustainable” and would cause “long-term hardship” in the parish.

The Local Plan, which sets out where housing will be built across Mendip up to 2029, is set to be adopted in May.

The changes were made after a planning inspector said more housing was needed in the north and north east of the district. Officers interpreted that as a “strategic expectation”.

They said any resulting impact on education, transport or community facilities in B&NES would be addressed through funding from new developments in Mendip.

Consultation on the changes runs until March 2nd. Visit: www.mendip.gov.uk/pmm to comment. Stephen Sumner, LDRS