Last Wednesday, Councillors from Midsomer Norton and Paulton took a petition to Westminster voicing concern about the level of unsustainable and opportunistic housing development currently being faced in the area.
At the same time, the three Councillors, Paul Myers and Michael Evans, from Midsomer Norton Town Council, and Bob Piper, from Paulton Parish Council, along with local MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg, met with Nick Boles, Under Secretary of State for Planning.
"Our primary objective in raising the petition and taking it to Parliament was to highlight the current plight of the Somer Valley and to ensure the voice of local residents was heard. With almost a thousand signatures on the petition and the meeting with a senior Government Minister, we certainly achieved this," said Paul Myers, Mayor of Midsomer Norton.
The issue of speculative housing development is well known locally. At the meeting, the Minister highlighted recent planning guidance which offered some hope to the Somer Valley with regards to Councils, like B&NES, who are potentially close to getting their Core Strategies adopted.
"Certainly we had a full and frank discussion with the Minister, but it remains to be seen to what extent B&NES will be able to use the new guidance in planning cases," said Bob Piper, Chair of Paulton Parish Council Planning Committee.
At the same time, there was a broad discussion about the wider impact of housing development on the area – with a lack of employment and investment in infrastructure.
"After listening to our account of the Somer Valley's recent experiences, the Minister agreed to come down to visit the area and see the issues at first hand," said Midsomer Norton Town Councillor and B&NES Conservative Councillor for Midsomer Norton North, Michael Evans.
Overall, the three Councillors came away from Parliament with more optimism that something can be done to secure jobs before housing in the Somer Valley.