3 market dwellings at The Chapel House, Fiddington, Bridgwater
Summary of planning committee decision
Decided by Sedgemoor North on 14 Oct 2025.
No officer report was published for this decision; this summary is from the committee minutes.
Objectors repeated earlier concerns
Objectors raised the same points as a companion application and noted a previous refusal for a similar development in 2023.
“Objectors expressed the same points as Planning Application 28/23/00001 and that they had no additional points to add.”
“Highlighted a previous refusal for a similar development from 2023.”
Minutes
Supporters argued for approval
Supporters said the site was not overdeveloped, that the committee had approved a similar self-build scheme, and that refusing would only delay self-build homes becoming open market dwellings.
“The Committee were addressed by two supporters whose comments included:”
“Highlighted the site could accommodate more than three houses and did not consider it overdeveloped. • Expressed how there was separation between properties which would limit the overshadowing concerns and highlighted how the proposal was infill. • Highlighted how the Committee approved the previous application. • Highlighted how after three years self-build homes could be sold as open market dwellings without any Community Infrastructure Levy being owed to the Council.”
Minutes
Self-build policy versus market housing
Councillors said local policy only supported self-build or custom-build in the countryside, and worried that approving market dwellings would set a precedent undermining that policy.
“Councillors focused on the distinction between self-build and market dwellings. Highlighted how Local Policy (CO2 and D9) only supported self- build or custom-build as exceptions for Countryside development. • Councillors expressed how Somerset’s Policies were different to those in North Essex and that local context and policy must guide their decision.”
Minutes
Councillors voted to refuse
Councillors proposed and seconded refusal, in line with the officer recommendation, which the committee carried unanimously.
“After deliberations Councillor Filmer proposed to refuse permission in accordance with Officers’ recommendations. This was seconded by Councillor Martin.”
“Having been duly proposed and seconded the Planning Committee resolved that the Planning Application be REFUSED planning permission in line with the officer recommendation.”
Minutes
Sources
- Sedgemoor North minutes, 14 October 2025
- Agenda and papers (council website)
Source: Plota analysis of Sedgemoor's committee minutes. Quotations are the council's own words; headings and summaries are Plota's.
Committee decisions and nationwide planning applications, in one API
The Plota API returns planning applications from every council we cover, each with its decision, whether a committee or officers decided it, and the committee date. Build it into your own tools.
See the API →At the meeting
- Committee
- Sedgemoor North
- Council
- Sedgemoor
- Date
- Tuesday 14 October 2025
- Committee decided
- Refused
- Vote
- Unanimous
- Minutes
- The council's minutes
- Meeting
- Agenda and papers (council website)
- Application
- The application (council website)
- All decisions
- Sedgemoor committee decisions →
This committee's year
8 decisions in the 12 months to this meeting.
Source: Plota analysis of the committee's minutes.