NEIGHBOURS of a field that is being turned into a 75-home development fear they could be subjected to noise from builders working all hours.

Persimmon Homes was given outline permission for the development at Kinglake, Bishop's Hull, at Taunton Deane Borough Council's planning meeting last night (Wednesday, April 27).

But a request to limit the hours construction staff could work on the site so as not to disturb neighbours was thrown out by councillors.

The meeting heard opposition from a number of villagers and councillors.

Cllr Simon Nicholls said the number of developments being approved will make traffic congestion in and around Taunton even worse than it already is.

John Hamer said the site is a special landscape feature and a decision should not be made until an inspector rules on whether it should have that designation removed.

Cllr Danny Wedderkopp said it was likely that around 50 secondary school age children would live on the development.

And they will have to be driven across town to the Taunton Academy, the town's only school with vacancies for students.

Councillors voted eight to four, with one abstention, to grant conditional planning approval, but they declined to impose a limit on the working hours on the site once development starts.