B&NES Councillors for Paulton, Liz Hardman and John Bull, say the fight is now on to resist another 74 new houses being built on the Purnell/Polestar site, in addition to the 600 already occupied or under construction.
Liz Hardman explained: “This part of the site originally had permission for a Care Village, comprising of a care home and sheltered housing.
“Now the developers are claiming that no one has come forward to build this facility, and want to put up 74 houses in its place.
“However, we have put B&NES’ planners in touch with a care home owner who has shown an interest in this site.”
Fellow Councillor, John Bull, added his concerns. “More houses here will increase traffic and infrastructure problems. Crucially, they will add to the strain on Paulton’s Infant and Junior Schools, which have already had to be expanded to accommodate children from the houses already built.
“If this application goes ahead, it may no longer be possible to guarantee every Paulton child an education in the village.”
This week, B&NES’ planning officers will be deciding whether to approve the proposed new housing. John Bull and Liz Hardman have asked for the application to go to the full Development Management Committee to make the final decision if the Council officer’s recommendation is for approval.