SOMERSET Heritage Centre has said the proposed development at Jurston Farm in Wellington should not take place until an archaeological excavation of the site has been completed.

A planning condition has been attached to the application to build 650 homes on the site but no date has been set for a decision on the development.

Steven Membery, senior historic environment officer at Somerset Heritage Centre, wrote to Taunton Deane Council after being consulted on the application and said an excavation was required because of ‘heritage assets’ in the area.

His comments, published on the Taunton Deane Borough Council planning portal website said: “The archaeological evaluation has shown that there are heritage assets within the development area.

“These assets are of local significance and should be excavated and recorded prior to being impacted by development.

“For this reason I recommend that the developer be required to archaeologically excavate the heritage assets and provide a report on any discoveries made as indicated in the National Planning Policy Framework. This should be secured by the use of model condition 55 attached to any permission granted.

“No development hereby approved shall take place until the applicant, or their agents or successors in title, has secured the implementation of a programme of archaeological work in accordance with a written scheme of investigation which has been submitted by the applicant and approved by the local planning authority.”

A spokesman for the Save Wellington campaign group, which is fighting the development, said: “We have been saying since the plans were revealed that this unwanted influx of even more homes will have a detrimental effect on our town’s future. Now it would appear the construction could even affect Wellington’s historic past.

“How many more reasons does Taunton Deane Council need to turn down this proposal once and for all?”

A formal objection to the development failed to find any support at a meeting earlier this month – and Wellington Town Council emphasised again its longterm objection to the development on the site but recognised that the land had already been allocated within Taunton Deane’s Core Strategy.

Mayor David Mitton passed a resolution which urged Taunton planners to assess a number of factors before granting permission.