Radstock and Writhlington residents put forward an urgent plea at the Town Council’s monthly meeting last week to urgently finish its overdue Neighbourhood Plan. Once in place, it will help protect the Town and village from speculative development, which has been brought to the fore recently with the release of Mendip District Council’s Local Plan, which could see up to 455 new homes built on land bordering B&NES.

Mendip are proposing 250 homes at White Post, Stratton-on-the-Fosse, 60 at Underhill Lane, Midsomer Norton and 145 at Writhlington to fulfil its criteria. B&NES Council has already formally objected to the plan, stating there are more sus- tainable locations within Mendip, rather than on the outskirts and citing the impact on local infrastructure.

Writhlington resident, Jane Evans, addressed the meeting, reminding the Town Council of last year’s fight against an application to build 160 homes on agricultural land in the village. A huge campaign was launched by the people of Writhlington, which saw 234 written objections and the plans thrown out by B&NES. She said: “Radstock needs a Neighbourhood Plan, with development guided by local need. We were promised in September 2019 that a local group of volunteers would be organised – and we are still waiting.

“In the past three years, seventy houses have been built in Writhlington. Apart from a small amount of capacity at the local school, all other services are overstretched. Public transport is limited. The majority of people are out-commuting. How do we protect our green fields, farmland and the environment? There will also be increased traffic and rat-running. Will Radstock Town Council strongly object and get its Neighbourhood Plan in place before it is too late?

A Writhlington Action Group spokesperson told The Journal: “This proposal by Mendip shows that no consideration has been given to this very dangerous stretch of road, known by the relevant authorities and local residents as the ‘Radstock Racetrack’.

“B&NES Highways have re- cently assessed the volume

and the speed of the traffic on the A362 Frome Road, follow- ing pressure from local resi- dents in Writhlington and Radstock Town Council. This culminated in a safety camera being installed near the busy five-way junction at Manor Road and Knobsbury Lane.

“Although the camera has had some effect in slowing vehicles down, approaching Radstock, unfortunately travelling towards Frome, approaching the hidden dip, where the proposed access to the site is shown, the traffic is still using excessive speed.

“Consideration must be shown to the high volume of children from St Mary’s and Writhlington Schools, who walk the lanes close by, which vehicles also use as a rat run at dangerous speeds.

“Another major problem is the volume of water that lies in the fields concerned, which flood regularly under normal winter rainfall, let alone in torrential rain and the storms we seem to get on a more regular basis.

“The existing infrastructure will not support high volumes of houses, together with a lack of employment, which will result in people having to travel the already

busy and congested roads outside of this region.

“This is clearly an unsuitable site for more homes and we shall be opposing it very strongly at every level.”

Consultation on the plan runs until Monday, 2nd March. Residents can comment at: www.mendip.gov.uk/pmm