Paulton’s Labour Ward Councillors, John Bull and Liz Hardman, say they are delighted at B&NES planners’ recent decision to refuse two applications for extra housing on parts of the old Polestar/Purnell site.

The sites were originally given permission for a care village, comprising a care home and sheltered housing, and a family pub. Reasons for the refusal include the lack of affordable housing, the change from a mixed-use site with employment opportunities, and the lack of places at local schools.

Councillor Liz Hardman said: The Purnell/Polestar site was approved for mixed use, but the developers are now trying to withdraw from this and turn it it into an even bigger housing estate, by building 74 dwellings where the care village was intended to go and another ten on the site approved for a family pub. The result would have been a giant estate, with no facilities or opportunities for local employment.”

Councillor John Bull added: “An important reason for our objection was the fact that Paulton Schools have been expanded already to cope with the existing estate. To add more dwellings would eventually have meant Paulton children having to travel outside the village for their education.”

Midsomer Norton has also seen similar with the development at the back of Charlton Park, where the developers argued that there was no commercial interest in a care home and applied for planning permission for extra housing instead.