Application for 14 light industrial commercial units at Halves Lane, North Coker (24/02237/OUT)

Application Refused On 03.09.25

This application was rejected by the planning office for the following reasons:

 

  1. The proposed screening measure – such as green walls and hedgerow growth, would not integrate the development into the landscape but rather obscure it, creating an articial barrier.

 

  1. The development would cut into the natural topography of the land and disrupt the visual continuity of the ringer and surrounding fields.  

 

  1. The proposal conflicts with several local and national planning:  
  • the East Coker Neighbourhood Plan:  Policies ECCN!-3 emphasise preserving the rural gap and visual quality between settlements;
  • South Somerset Local Plan:  Policies EQ2 and EQ5 require development to conserve and enhance local landscape character and distinctiveness;
  • National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF):  The site’s contribution to scenic quality, rural identity, and recreational value is not adequately addressed.  

 

                Officers conclude that the development would result in signification long term adverse impacts on the rural landscape character and visual amenity of the area.  

In September last year a planning applications was submitted to Somerset County Council for 14 industrial units on a field at the junction of where Halves Lane meets the main North Coker Street opposite the Sawmill site.

The East Coker Parish Council voted to strongly oppose this application for several reasons, including:

  • Safety. Situated between the village hall car park and the East Coker School this stretch of road and junction is already very congested with both cars and pedestrians at school drop-off and pick-up times. This would only be exacerbated by vehicles going to and from a site with 61parking spaces. The surrounding lanes are narrow and often single track, clearly not suitable for increased traffic.
  • Flooding: This area is well known for flooding whenever there is heavy rainfall and despite flood mitigation ideas included in the plans there is strong evidence that they would not be effective.
  • Conservation Areas. The site falls just outside the North Coker Conservation Area and is not far from the East Coker one. It is also close by a Grade 1 listed building (Hymerford House). It is part of the area of green fields between the two villages and it is important to keep this zone undeveloped so they remain distinct.
  • Lack of Requirement. There is clearly no need for more industrial units in a small village which is so close to a large town with a very large number of industrial and business parks which suffer from under-use.
  • Neighbourhood Plan. For many reasons this development runs counter to the East Coker Neighbourhood Plan which was agreed by parishioners in 2018 and is the reference document for any development in the parish.

It has been opposed by a large majority of local residents and many have taken the time and effort to give detailed reasons on the SC planning portal.

Both Unitary Councillors have also registered their objections.

The Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) has submitted a detailed rebuttal.

The status of the application is currently listed as ‘Awaiting Decision’.

If you have views about this application we would urge you to add them to the planning portal.