MORE than 100 residents turned out on a Friday night to fight a speculative development of 200 homes on land at Creech St Michael.

Residents gathered for a special meeting at the Village Hall as concerned residents who have formed an action group were joined by parish, Taunton Deane and Somerset County councillors who were all united in their objections to the development plan put in by Gladman Homes.

The homes are planned for land off Langaller Lane, between the edge of Creech St Michael and the motorway, however no representative from Gladman Homes was there to defend the application, which they would have put in on behalf of the landowner.

Charlie Cudlip, one of the organisers of the resident's action group, said: "We must act to stop the likes of Gladman taking away the identity of this and other surrounding villages, and we need to take this seriously."

A leaflet was handed round to all attendees suggesting material reasons for objecting to the development, including a lack of infrastructure, increased traffic congestion, over-subscribed schools and doctors surgery, loss of green wedge land separating the community and removing hedgerows which will damage wildlife habitat.

Cllr Roger Habgood attended as portfolio holder for planning at Taunton Deane Borough Council, and said that as the site was outside the council's agreed development plan, it offered good protection for the committee to turn it down.

"If a plan like this was allowed, it would be saying all these policies we have made by carefully consulting with the community are worth nothing," he said.

Cllr Habgood told the residents that their objections would have more weight with the council if they were individual responses. He said this was also important for the planning inspector to see should Gladman's appeal the decision if Taunton's Deane's planning committee were minded to reject it.

"Gladman's are putting in theses sorts of applications all over the country and they only need one in 10 to come off for it to be worth their while. They know the rules and they are good at trying to find a way through them," Cllr Habgood said.

Cllr David Fothergill added: "It is important we win this, because other developers will be watching this, and if they see the strength of feeling of 100-200 objections they may be put off putting in further speculative applications."

To view the full planning application visit the Taunton Deane Borough Council website and search for application 14/17/00033.