CONTROVERSIAL plans to build 25 new homes in the village of Ashill have been approved, despite councillors wanting them to be rejected.

The plans will see the population of Ashill increased by more than 10 per cent

Following the decision, Margaret Harper, an Ashill resident, said: “There was a strong opposition from the village.

“We had four villagers give three minute presentations, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) spoke against it, and our councillor Linda Piggot-Vijeh spoke against it.

“The view was taken that more houses are needed, and despite the fact that Ashill has no shops, post office, doctors, and one bus once a day into Ilminster, the chairman believed that it was a good thing to build more houses.

“He said that villages need growth, and any flooding issue can be dealt with in the development.”

Plans to build the 25 homes in Ashill made the news last month after councillors refused them and labelled the village ‘unsustainable’.

At the time, Cllr Piggott-Vijeh said: “There are just over 200 houses in Ashill at the moment.

“This would add 10 per cent more houses to the village, but when you look at where it is placed, the impact on that particular area is more likely to be 30 or 40 percent.”

“If anything, the community is becoming increasingly unsustainable, almost day by day.”

However, the SSDC regulation committee took a different view and approved the planning application.