Planning news in and around Midsomer Norton this week:

In Paulton Conewood Bungalow, on Jubilee Terrace, wants to build a single-storey side extension and convert the loft, details under Ref. 21/05505/FUL

In Radstock 10 Stanley Terrace, has applied to fell their Eucalyptus Gumni, details on the planning portal, 21/05488/TCA

In Compton Martin, Huckleberry, on Undertown Lane, under reference 21/05483/FUL, has applied for a pop-up ceiling vaults with roof lights, new garden door, replacement of all existing windows and bigger garden-facing windows, new pergola, new garden studio in place of existing pergola and internal rearrangements.

Planning decisions made by B&NES include:

Permitted: An application at 5 The Street, in Radstock, (The Castello Restaurant) to allow the building of external stairs and reinstatement of former flat on first and second floor as a manager flat.

Consent given to Parish's House, Hook, in Timsbury, to install a through floor lift from ground floor utility room to small rear bedroom on first floor.

Meantime this from the Local Democracy Reporter about the developer behind homes planned for Midsomer.

"Frome will cease to be Frome" if 180 new homes are built on the town's western edge, local residents have warned.

Gleeson Strategic Land Ltd. submitted an initial inquiry – known as a screening option – to build the homes on the western side of Marston Lane, located off the busy B3090 Marston Road.

The Fleet-based developer has provided few initial details, with Mendip District Council expecting to receive more comprehensive proposals – including access and the layout of the proposed homes – in 2022.

But that hasn't stopped local residents coming out in force against the principle of developing this site, citing traffic issues, flooding concerns and the loss of valuable agricultural land.

Gleeson has had a mixed record of securing developments in Somerset, losing appeals over 68 homes on the edge of Wells and 60 homes on the Manor Farm site in Templecombe.

A further planning inquiry, into 75 homes near Midsomer Norton, is scheduled to get under way on February 22, 2022.

The Marston Lane site is not included in either the council's original Local Plan (which was adopted in 2014) or the additional allocations within the Local Plan Part II – which is due to be adopted by the full council on Monday (December 20).

The site does lie within the parish of Frome, but it lies outside the defined development boundary of the town as set by the council's Local Plan.

Steve Ehrlicher argued the land would be put to better use for either a western relief road or for growing food. He said: "I object to the proposal to use this land for housing. "It is ideally suited to be an extension to a Frome ring road, by creating a sunken road from the west end of the existing ring road through to the Radstock road [the A362 Vallis Road], with the remaining area to be part of the food belt for Frome. "Growing food for our town's[population will be more important as climate changes for the worse."

The developer is expected to submit formal plans for the Marston Lane site by the summer of 2022.