SOMERSET Council’s planning department has come under heavy criticism from local councillors for the way it is handling proposed housing developments in Wellington.

Wellington Town Council’s chief executive Dave Farrow has written to the county planning authority asking for answers on how it is assessing the overall impact of current housing proposals in the town.

Mr Farrow wrote: “As of this date, there are eight separate developments at various stages of the planning process, amounting collectively to about 1,900 new homes.

“Despite the scale of this combined growth, Somerset Council appears to be considering each application in isolation, rather than assessing their cumulative impact on Wellington’s infrastructure, services, environment and overall spatial strategy.

“This fragmented approach is inconsistent with both the statutory plan-led system and the principles set out in the Wellington Place Plan.”

Members of the town council’s policy and finance committee gave Mr Farrow’s letter a big thumbs-up.

Cllr John Thorne said: “It is an excellent letter and needs to be sent. Whether this letter will make any difference at all, who knows? But we definitely do need to send it.”

Cllr Keith Wheatley added: “The letter is very succinct and makes some very good points.”

Town council meetings have often – in recent months – been attended by large groups of local residents concerned about individual planning applications for different housing developments.

People have often said that there seems to be no joined-up thinking by the planning department.

The council’s January meeting was packed with people opposing plans by the Pegasus Group to build 250 homes on the south side of the A38 Oldway Road heading towards the M5.

Campaigners warned that Wellington could become a “concrete urban commuter jungle” if planned large housing developments continued to be given the go-ahead.