A “species-rich” hedge along one of Castle Cary’s main roads has been ripped out to make room for a planned new housing development.
Persimmon Homes Severn Valley secured outline permission from South Somerset District Council in June 2016 to deliver up to 165 new homes on the B3152 Station Road, with land being set aside within the site for a brand new primary school.
The developer put forward a reserved matters application (detailing the design and layout of the new homes) in June 2019, with the number of planned homes being reduced down to 162 following discussions with planning officers.
The Bristol-based development has removed a lengthy section of hedgerow from Station Road where the new access to these homes is planned to go, prompting outcry from local residents.
Both the developer and Somerset Council have stated that this activity is in line with the outline planning permission and the work was undertaken outside of nesting season to reduce the impact on local wildlife.
Under the Hedgerow Regulations 1997, hedges in the countryside cannot be removed (in a process knowing as grubbing) without receiving permission from the local planning authority, and any removal must not be carried out between March 1 and August 31, in order to allow birds time to nest.
The outline planning permission for the Persimmon site also dictates that details of the “appearance, landscaping, layout and scale” of the development must be approved in writing by Somerset Council before any construction can begin.
Castle Cary resident Robert Brown raised the issue with the council’s enforcement team in early-February and was informed that “no breach has occurred” – a response he described as “absolutely, categorically and demonstrably incorrect.”
Persimmon has responded that it did have “the necessary approval” to remove this section of hedge, and the work was not being done to expedite a decision on the reserved matters application.
A spokesman said: “These works, which were undertaken to facilitate site access and have the necessary approval, were completed before bird nesting season and are separate from the live planning application for the potential development of the site.
“We will continue to collaborate positively with Somerset Council and local stakeholders to secure approval for our reserved matters application, which aims to deliver much-needed quality homes for local families.”
Somerset Council clarified that Persimmon had not given its officers notice of the hedgerow removal, but added that there was provision for this within the outline planning permission and therefore no enforcement action would be necessary.
A spokesman said: “There is detailed consent for an access with an appropriate visibility splay in the location where the hedgerow has been removed. This was granted planning permission through the outline application.
“The removal of the hedgerow aligns with the location of the access point and visibility splay. The works were undertaken outside of nesting season. There is no breach of planning control as the location of the access has detailed consent through the outline planning permission.”