A PROPOSAL to build 106 homes on the Wells Rugby Club site at Charter Way was discussed at a meeting of Wells City Council’s Planning & Environment Committee on March 20.
Simon Sharp from Boon Brown architects gave a presentation about the plans on behalf of developer Stonewater. He is also involved in the proposals to relocate the rugby club to a site at Haybridge, and said that planning applications for both schemes had been submitted to Somerset Council.
During public speaking time before his presentation, Tony Hathaway introduced himself as a representative of the Strawberry Line Society, and said that the Strawberry Line currently stops when it gets to Wells leisure centre. He said that there is scope to take it behind the leisure centre and along the northern boundary of the rugby club site, and he asked for that to be considered.
Committee Chair Councillor Denise Denis read out a comment she had been sent from somebody who was concerned about the loss of green open space and potential loss of trees on the site. They believed that the scheme would negatively impact people and wildlife.
Mr Sharp told the meeting that there had been a public drop-in event at the rugby club before Christmas that was attended by more than 100 people; lots of comments were made, some being matters of principle and some specific issues on the site.
He said that Stonewater is a housing association that has a programme of about 1,500 new homes a year in England. The Charter Way proposal is for 106 homes – 76 houses and 30 flats – to be a mixture of social rent and shared ownership homes, all of which “will be affordable at first occupancy”.
He said that the building of the homes and the rugby club move are inextricably linked, and that the homes cannot happen unless the rugby club can be relocated. The Charter Way development has to finance the delivery of the new rugby club and has to be viable, he said.
He said that there has to be 106 homes on the site to make the development deliverable, which would not be possible if there was a 6m ‘easement’ for the Strawberry Line along the boundary, and if all the trees were retained.
People need homes, he said, and without relocating, the rugby club would suffer because the Haybridge proposals include an enhanced clubhouse which would provide an income stream such as from functions, in addition to it being a clubhouse for the rugby club.
“Balances have to be made,” he said, though he added that the developers were receptive to people talking to them if there were strong feelings about certain aspects, and they would see whether any changes could be accommodated.
But he said: “Viability and deliverability are key to this or it won’t go ahead.”
Councillor Louis Agabani asked whether more of the homes could be apartments to allow more space for the Strawberry Line and save the trees. “We’ve got to provide a mix and we feel that mix is spot on according to the need,” said Mr Sharp. He again stressed that the scheme had to be viable, saying that houses provide bigger rents, and shared ownership homes are more attractive to potential occupants.