The application to build 4 houses on land adjacent to The Bell public house has been refused. Full details, including the decision by the Planning Inspectorate, can be found on the Somerset Council website (search for application reference 2021/2297/FUL).
Rode Parish Council objected to the original application primarily on the grounds that (a) The development site is on a green field, outside the village development boundary, and is therefore contrary to Mendip Policy CP1 and Rode Neighbourhood Plan Policy; and (b) The development site sits between the two village Conservation Areas, and adversely impacts the distinctive “gap” between the medieval origins of the village and its current core. It is therefore contrary to Mendip Policies DP1 and DP3.
