A PLANNING application for 200 homes in a village outside of Taunton has been rejected. 

Taunton Deane Borough Council refused permission to Gladman Land Ltd for the homes in a field off Langaller Road, Creech St Michael. 

The land is not allocated in the Deane's site map for development, so the application was rejected on the grounds it would cause an 'unplanned extension' of the village.

Tim Burton, assistant director for planning and environment, said: "The proposed development site lies outside the defined settlement limits of Creech St. Michael.

"It would result in a large scale unplanned extension of the village, preventing a full assessment of the most sustainable options for future growth that would consider a range of factors such as available and planned infrastructure, walking distances to key facilities and provision of services in order to achieve sustainable development.

"The council recognises the aim to boost significantly the supply of housing, but it considers that delivery rates in Taunton Deane remain healthy and there is a substantial pipeline of future sites to meet five year supply requirements across the borough.

"Policies for the supply of housing are therefore not out-of-date and the tilted balance is not invoked.

"A further 200 dwellings being apportioned to the village would not accord with the role and function set for it by the Core Strategy and would actually see it accommodating more new homes than either of the two Major Rural Centres outlined by the Plan thus undermining spatial policy to a serious extent."

Some residents were strongly opposed to the development, with more than 350 signing a petition against the proposal. 

Petition creator, Lynn Gates, said that services in the village were already over-subscribed and that more cars would use the village as a 'rat-run'. 

Mr Burton added: "There is no mechanism in place to secure appropriate affordable housing provision, surface water attenuation and management, children's play facilities and any other wider recreational contributions, a public art contribution or an acceptable travel plan as part of the development.

"The proposal is, therefore, contrary to policy CP4 of the Taunton Deane Core Strategy and Policies A2, D13 and C2 of the Taunton Deane Site Allocations and Development Management Plan."

Gladman Land Ltd is currently undergoing an appeal for a similar situation in Wellington.

The developer was refused permission to build 200 houses in Rockwell Green due to it being outside of the allocated land for developmenet and is currently in a legal battle with TDBC over the decision.