COUNCILLORS have told Taunton Deane Borough Council it needs to sort out its planning policies quickly before large developers move in with more ‘predatory’ housing schemes for Wellington.

Members of Wellington Town Council were scathing about Taunton Deane’s handling of the Bagley Road housing development which saw the planning authority make a dramatic U-turn on its opposition to the construction of 205 homes and 60 care apartments on land at Rockwell Green.

Cllr Ross Henley, speaking at Monday’s special town council meeting, said it was ‘appalling’ for the planning department to suddenly find its policies were ‘flawed’.

“I agree with the people of Wellington who feel deeply let down,” he said. “It’s clear that policies are deeply flawed and not robust at all.

“How are you – Taunton Deane – going to defend any more predatory planning applications from large developers?”

And the Mayor, Cllr Gary James, said: “This has been a bitter pill for us to swallow. But I hope Taunton Deane’s planning department has learnt a lot of lessons from this.”

From the outset of the planning inquiry into the Bagley Road development Taunton Deane had said the proposed site was ‘outside of the defined settlement limits of Wellington and Rockwell Green’ and conflicted with policies.

But as the inquiry progressed there was a change in Taunton Deane representation at the hearing and a sudden change in thinking – and the previously-expressed views on policy conflict became not applicable.

Tim Burton, Taunton Deane’s assistant director of planning and environment, said there were ‘lessons to be learned’ although he added there were ‘risks to defending appeals’.

He also admitted: “I didn’t think we would win the appeal but I didn’t make that public because it wouldn’t have helped the council’s case.”

Cllr Henley said he was concerned that if the chief planning officer felt in private Taunton Deane would not win the appeal then surely the council policy ‘was not worth the paper it was

written on’.

Mr Burton defended Taunton Deane’s planning performance – despite the controversy over the Bagley Road inquiry.

“Taunton Deane’s record of winning appeals is above average, so I don’t think it’s fair to say it is not fit for purpose because it lost this appeal,” he said.

Cllr John Thorne said: “The planning department has let Wellington down time and time again – I just don’t understand how it can be so poor.

“I just don’t see why the appeal couldn’t be defended. Why couldn’t Taunton Deane show the harm that will be caused to Wellington by this development?"