A THREE-week extension has been granted to allow more public comments to be made on controversial plans for a housing estate in fields to the south of Wellington Relief Road.

Somerset Council initially refused to treat the proposed 250-home development as a major application which would usually see a 13-week consultation period.

Instead it only allowed a legal minimum of 21 days, the same as for people wanting to add an extension to the rear of their home.

That deadline ran out on Friday (January 16), but now the council has relented and will accept comments until February 6, the same cut off point which applies also to Wellington town and Wellington Without parish councils.

More than 150 people have so far written to Somerset Council, which has set itself a March 19 target for taking a decision on the plans.

Now, residents action group Wellington Protect, which has formally objected to the Pegasus development, is urging more people to submit their views during the extension period.

A spokesperson for the group said there were concerns about the loss of productive farmland, flooding, sewage capacity, traffic congestion, and pressure on infrastructure and local services in the town.

They said the site near Middle Green Farm was outside any of the areas identified for housing growth in Wellington’s adopted local place plan, and approval would undermine the plan-led planning system while setting a precedent for speculative development on unallocated greenfield land.

There were environmental concerns as the site formed part of the countryside edge around Wellington and provided habitat value for local wildlife.

Members feared development would result in habitat loss, increased disturbance, and fragmentation of the natural environment.

The group pointed to an increased risk of surface water run-off associated with new housing and hard surfacing, particularly given existing drainage pressures in and around Wellington and the increasing frequency of heavy rainfall events.

Wellington's sewage and wastewater infrastructure was already under strain due to increased housing development, with higher residential density generating wastewater volumes which at times exceeded the network’s intended capacity.

The spokesperson said: “This has increased the risk of overflows and system failures, highlighting the need for infrastructure upgrades to support continued growth.”

Traffic and highway safety were also highlighted with the A38 relief road and surrounding routes already experiencing congestion, particularly at peak times.

Protect Wellington said extra traffic from the proposed Pegasus development would worsen congestion and increase safety risks for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.

Town councillors have unanimously objected to the plans, citing many of the reasons raised by Wellington Protect, and also concern that breaching the relief road boundary of the town for the first time would set a precent for development to extend all the way along its south side.

Wellington Without councillors will discuss and agree their formal response to the application when they next meet on Tuesday, February 3, three days before the extended deadline.

Pegasus has argued its application should be approved because Somerset is currently facing a shortage of new homes.