Somerset planning committee decisions
58 decisions from the committee's minutes, 1 Sep 2025 to 15 Sep 2026. Each sets out what was proposed, what officers advised, what was said and how the committee decided.
1 in 12 decisions went against officer advice
Below the rate across all 376 councils with committee decisions on Plota (9.7%), 106th highest of 245 councils with at least 15 decisions.
- Decisions
- 58
- Approved
- 82.8%
- Against officer advice
- 8.6%
- Unanimous
- 48%
How Somerset compares
Share of decisions against officer advice at the 245 councils with at least 15 decisions on Plota. Each dot is a council.
More or less favourable than its officers?
Somerset's committee is less favourable to applicants than its officers. Officers recommended approval in 92.9% of these decisions; the committee approved 82.1%, 10.7 points fewer.
Across all 376 councils, committees approve 2.7 points fewer than their officers recommend, so Somerset leans further against applicants than most.
Over the 28 decided applications with a clear officer recommendation.
Source: Plota analysis of Somerset's planning committee minutes and officer reports.
What it decides
82.8% approved and 15.5% refused. Of 50 decisions with a recorded vote, 24 were unanimous.
Show as a table
| Month | Approved | Refused | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 25 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Dec 25 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Feb 26 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Mar 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 26 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| May 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 26 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 26 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Aug 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 26 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Source: Plota analysis of Somerset's planning committee minutes.
When it overrules its officers
5 of 58 decisions went against the planning officers' recommendation.
Which way
What kind of application
From the 5 of 5 with a recorded application type; one application can count under more than one.
Source: Plota analysis of Somerset's planning committee minutes and officer reports.
Recent decisions against officer advice
- 24 homesButts Way, MilvertonOfficers advised approval because housing benefits outweighed the identified harms, subject to planning obligations and conditions.Refused
- 6 to 8 bed HMO9 Rhode Lane, Bridgwater, SomersetOfficers advised the lawful 6-bed HMO use already carried weight and that refusing on parking or amenity grounds was unlikely to be defensible.Refused
- Single-storey dwellingLand At 351760 146753 Mount Pleasant Pilton Shepton Mallet SomersetOfficers found the harm did not outweigh the benefits and recommended approval despite objections on overdevelopment and design.Refused
- Self-build houseQuercus Common Lane Holcombe Radstock SomersetOfficers found the site outside the settlement limits and recommended refusal, as rural character harm would outweigh any benefits.Approved
- Housing near pig farmLand At 364558 139409 Prestleigh Road Evercreech Shepton Mallet SomersetAfter new odour evidence, officers recommended approval as a departure from the development plan.Refused
Latest decisions
Newest first. Each links to the full write-up: the proposal, the officers' advice, what was said and the vote.
September 2026 5
- Silk factory dwelling conversionGants Mill Gants Mill Lane Bruton SomersetApproved
- Mill conversion to dwellingGants Mill Gants Mill Lane Bruton SomersetApproved
- Up to 150 homesLand North Of, Cossington Lane, Woolavington, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA7Approved
- 750-home mixed developmentLand East of, Bower Lane, East Bower, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6Approved
- Five-bedroom dwellingRubbery Farm Rubbery Lane Lydford On Fosse Glastonbury SomersetApproved
August 2026 1
July 2026 4
- 150-home housing schemeLand Off Broadway Hill Horton Ilminster SomersetRefused
- 252-home development changesLand Os 3400 North Of Mudford Road Yeovil SomersetApproved
- Dock restoration and mooringsBridgwater Docks, Docks, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6Approved
- 38 homesLand North of the A372 and East of New Road, Othery, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA7Approved
Other committees nearby
- Bath planning committee
- BCP planning committee
- Bristol planning committee
- Cheltenham planning committee
- Cornwall planning committee
- Cotswold planning committee
- Dartmoor planning committee
- Dorset planning committee
- East Devon planning committee
- Exeter planning committee
- Exmoor planning committee
- Forest of Dean planning committee
- Gloucester planning committee
- Mendip planning committee
- Mid Devon planning committee
- North Devon planning committee
- North Somerset planning committee
- Plymouth planning committee
- Sedgemoor planning committee
- South Gloucestershire planning committee
- South Hams planning committee
- South Somerset planning committee
- Stroud planning committee
- Swindon planning committee