A CONTROVERSIAL planning application for 130 "poor quality, characterless" homes in Wiveliscombe has been rejected.

Several residents submitted comments against the application to Taunton Deane Council, many expressing fears that the schools and GP surgery would not be able to cope with the increase.

The proposals were submitted by Gladman Land, for land just off of North Street of up to 130 homes of varying size and types, including up to 30 per cent affordable housing.

Many residents wrote into Taunton Deane Council, expressing concerns about the plans, including Carolyn Parker from Nordens Meadow.

Mrs Parker said: "There is insufficient infrastructure (eg parking, road capacity) and services (eg school places, NHS provision, public transport) in Wiveliscombe and the surrounding area to support this development, which could increase the population of the town by 15-20 per cent.

Heather Harvey from West Street also objected saying: "As chair of the Wiveliscombe and 10 parishes Business group we object to this development as all building traffic will travel through the centre of Wiveliscombe and cause gridlock.

"The Square already suffers from delays as cars are always parked on the double yellow lines.

"This is dangerous for pedestrians and other road users as site lines are blocked and the dropped kerbs are always obstructed."

So there was sure to be delight when planners at Taunton Deane last week rejected the application on a number of grounds.

In the decision, it said that the site is outside of the defined settlement limit of Wiveliscombe and would result in an unplanned extension of the town.

The application was also criticised as being "poor quality" and a "characterless development", which would have a poor relationship to the surrounding area.

Taunton Deane's decision to reject the plans were welcomed by Wiveliscombe Town Council, who also objected.

The authority had raised concerns that there were insufficient infrastructure and services in the town.

It also said that the development would "add to the existing imbalance between jobs and homes in Wiveliscombe, despite developers stating that financial contributions would have been made to increase capacity in services needed, including schools and the GP surgery.

Chairman of Wiveliscombe Town Council Bryn Wilson welcomed the news and said other developers should take head of the decision.

"The centre of town would not cope with the increase of traffic as the roads are too narrow.

"We are very pleased and Taunton Deane has done exactly what it should have done by rejecting it "Other developers should take head of this decision, we already have the allocated 200 homes for Wiveliscombe until 2028 and already a third of those have been built.

"What we do need is some low cost renters accommodation."

A spokeswoman for Gladman Land said they did not comment on individual applications.