ILMINSTER-BASED industrial heating company Powrmatic has been granted outline permission to build 72 homes on its old factory site.

South Somerset District Council has given the green light for the homes along Winterhay Lane.

The scheme had previously been thrown out due to the loss of vital employment land to the town but a revised application was submitted with an allocation of land for business use.

The development will now be made up of a mix of two-, threeand four-bedroom homes, as well as two two-storey units of office accommodation.

The land, currently lying vacant, was used to house industrial sheds associated with the site’s former use as a manufacturing plant before its relocation to Hort Bridge in 2007.

Local residents made representations to the district council raising concerns over the lack of parking spaces, the impact on Winterhay Lane and the loss of employment land, despite the revised application.

It was also suggested that the site might be better used for a new junior school for the town, while further concerns were raised over the number of houses in total being allowed in Ilminster.

In his report recommending the development for approval, case officer Andrew Gunn said: “Since the refusal of the earlier application, there have been a number of discussions with the applicant and council officers in respect of a mixed used scheme comprising residential use and employment provision.

“Following an economic survey and follow up interviews by officers with local businesses, it was clearly established that there is proven demand for small scale employment units. This demand equated to 600sqm of floorspace – this is the amount proposed as part of the planning application.”

A noise impact assessment was carried out to assess the levels of noise coming from nearby firm Daido, which includes a building where steel sheets are pressure tested. Despite the nearest house being 25 metres from the building, the levels of noise were deemed acceptable.

Mr Gunn added that, while the idea of a new junior school may be a “reasonable suggestion”, the local planning authority had a duty to assess each application on its own merits.