EIGHTY-ONE new homes could still be built on a brownfield site in Castle Cary after developers lodged an appeal.

Castle Cary (BMI) Ltd applied to convert the former BMI complex on Cumnock Road into 81 new dwellings, comprising 70 new houses and converting the former mill buildings into a further 11 properties.

South Somerset District Council refused the plans in 2019, citing “deficient” parking levels, the high density of housing and the new estate road not being adopted and maintained by the county council.

The developer has now lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate, with a decision expected by the end of the year.

The plans were turned down twice by the district council – first in July 2019 by the area east committee (which makes decisions on major planning applications in Castle Cary) and then by the regulation committee the following month.

Councillor Kevin Messenger, who represents Castle Cary, warned at the first meeting that the layout of the planned development would lead to more vehicles being parked on the road.

Speaking at the time, he said: “All this is going to lead to is people leaving their cars on the main road, and it’s already difficult to get out of that area.

“Speaking as an ex-firefighter, sooner or later there is going to be a loss of life from fire engines or ambulances not getting through.”

Councillor Henry Hobhouse, who represents the same ward, said Castle Cary was already “way over our housing allocation”, meeting the targets for new homes set within the council’s Local Plan.

He added: “I would prefer to see the money and the housing cut back on this site so that there were more parking spaces and therefore wasn’t overdeveloped.”

Matthew Frost of Boon Brown Architects, representing the applicant, said there was a legal precedent for developing the land, due to previous plans for 89 homes on the same site being allowed on appeal in 2004.

He added: “Castle Cary has a high level of self-containment, possessing a good range of services and facilities, which can be accessed from the appeal site by means other than by the private motor vehicle.

“Only 100 houses were completed between 2006 and 2019 within Ansford and Castle Cary, which is 121 dwellings less than the annual target of 221 homes for the town.

“The amount of development proposed is entirely consistent with the expectations of the council’s Local Plan.”

The Planning Inspectorate has not confirmed whether a public inquiry could take place over the plans, rather than making a decision through a site visit and written representations.

A decision on the appeal is expected by the end of the year.