Claverham Future 'Is Our Concern'

Object to the Wain Homes Planning Application

Application 26/P/0872/FUL  ·  Land North of Claverham Road  ·  100 dwellings
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Every member of your household can submit their own letter
Each person's objection is counted separately — there is no limit per household and no minimum age in planning law. Older children and teenagers can submit their own letter; younger children should ask a parent or guardian to help. A household of four submitting individually means four entries on the planning file, not one.
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How this works
Fill in your details below, select your grounds, and we'll generate a unique objection letter for you. You then submit it directly to North Somerset Council — takes about 5 minutes in total.
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✓ What helps

  • Things you've personally seen — flooding, wildlife, traffic, the footpath
  • Concerns about roads, ecology, drainage, or the impact on the village
  • The fact that Wain Homes' own report admits significant harm
  • The recent appeal decision that dismissed a nearly identical application next door

✗ What doesn't count

  • Worrying about your property value — councils can't consider this
  • Losing your view — that's not a planning matter either
  • Disliking the developer
The tool generates a unique letter for each person — so even if your whole household objects, every letter will read differently.
⚠️ Important — Please Read
The objection grounds in this tool are based on Claverham Future's analysis of the planning application. They do not represent professional planning advice, there may be relevant considerations not reflected here, and you are entitled to reach your own view. Please read your letter carefully before submitting it — you can add to or amend it to reflect your own perspective.
1
Your Details

North Somerset Council requires your name and address so your representation can be registered and you can be notified of the decision and any committee hearing. Your details will only be visible to the planning authority.

2
Your Connection to the Site
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Objection Grounds
Over recent months Claverham Future has been collecting evidence on grounds for objection. These are listed below in order of the strength of the objection on planning grounds.
Wain Homes' own report admits Major Adverse, Significant harm to Claverham Road residents Critical
Wain Homes' own Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (Gillespies, March 2026) states at paragraph 7.8 that the significance of effect on residents of Claverham Road adjacent to the southern site boundary "was found to be Major adverse at Completion and is considered to be Significant due to the proximity and degree of change in the immediate views, this reduces to Moderate adverse by Year 15 due to the proposed mitigation tree planting along the site boundary but is still considered to be Significant." This is the applicant's own professional assessment.
Protected bats & North Somerset SAC — Taylor Wimpey appeal dismissed June 2025 Critical
The Planning Inspectorate dismissed a nearly identical application just 11 months ago for a site immediately next door, on the same bat protection law. Under the Habitats Regulations, national planning policy's "tilted balance" in favour of development does not apply — making this a potential outright stopper. Wain Homes' bat surveys are less compliant than the Taylor Wimpey surveys that still failed.
Great Crested Newt surveys not done — application is premature Critical
The required pond surveys for this European Protected Species have not been carried out. The site is in the Amber Risk Zone and the applicant's own ecologist says the site "is considered likely to support great crested newt." North Somerset Council's own ecology officer formally recommended refusal of a previous Claverham application in 2015 on exactly this basis. The application cannot be lawfully determined until these surveys are complete.
Bat monitoring below North Somerset Council's own required standard Critical
The council's Bat Mitigation Strategy SPD requires a minimum of 50 automated detector nights per survey location. Wain Homes have not met this standard at a single location. Protected species including Greater Horseshoe Bat, Lesser Horseshoe Bat, and Barbastelle are all recorded on the site — all within the SAC consultation zones. The shadow Habitats Assessment is built on non-compliant data.
Habitat destroyed before the application was submitted Critical
Before applying, the developer cleared 0.32 hectares of broadleaved woodland, scrub, and four hedgerows totalling 390 metres from the site. This manipulates the biodiversity baseline — the scheme's claimed Biodiversity Net Gain is measured against already-damaged land. Removal of the hedgerows may also constitute a breach of the Hedgerow Regulations 1997.
Conflicts with Claverham's Neighbourhood Development Plan — infill village designation Critical
Claverham's adopted Neighbourhood Development Plan (February 2018) designates Claverham as an "infill village" — meaning only small, gap-filling development is appropriate. This proposal, combined with the recently consented Court de Wyck development, would expand the actual historic housing stock of the village by nearly 38% within a decade. That is the opposite of infill, and directly contradicts the statutory development plan.
Unsustainable location — fails all three NPPF sustainability dimensions Serious
The NPPF requires development to be sustainable across three dimensions: economic, social and environmental. Claverham has no GP surgery, no pharmacy, no secondary school and no supermarket — all meaningful services require a car journey to Yatton or beyond. The only bus runs 8 times per day with no Sunday service. NSC's own highways officer concluded in writing in 2015 that the bus links "will result in a high proportion of car-borne trips." This development fails all three sustainability tests.
Agricultural land quality not established — may be Best & Most Versatile farmland Serious
The site is classified as Grade 3 agricultural land on national mapping, but the developer has not submitted a formal Agricultural Land Classification survey to confirm whether it is Grade 3a (Best and Most Versatile, protected under the NPPF) or Grade 3b. Wain Homes' own Local Plan representations challenge the council's BMV land protections — an implicit admission the site may qualify as BMV.
Foul sewer on Claverham Road is too small for 100 additional homes Serious
The existing sewer on Claverham Road is a 150mm diameter pipe — a standard residential connection already serving existing properties. Wessex Water has not confirmed it can handle 100 new homes on top of the already-consented Court de Wyck development. No planning permission should be granted until capacity is confirmed in writing and secured by condition.
Construction HGVs from 7:30am on a council-designated Safe Route to School Serious
The construction plan allows HGVs on Claverham Road from 07:30 — before children start walking to school. Claverham Road is designated by North Somerset Council as a Safer Active Route to School. Community surveys recorded 303 pedestrian crossings at the key junction in morning peak times, with no controlled crossing. Speed Watch data confirms persistent speeding on the route.
Protected wildlife on and adjacent to the site — otter, badger, Red List birds Moderate
Otter has been confirmed just 20 metres from the site — a European Protected Species. Two active badger setts are located on the site itself. Red List breeding bird species including house sparrow and greenfinch have confirmed territories in the habitat that would be destroyed. Nest box proposals are inadequate mitigation for confirmed territory loss under the NPPF.
Groundwater risk not assessed — required hydrogeological study not submitted Moderate
Victorian Ordnance Survey maps record multiple wells and pumps throughout Claverham, including directly on Claverham Road — evidence of persistently high groundwater levels. North Somerset Council's own flood risk policy and Strategic Flood Risk Assessment require a hydrogeological study in these conditions. The applicant has not provided one.
Flood risk and drainage — Sequential Test not met; drainage strategy does not fully demonstrate compliance with National Standards for SuDS Strong
The site is identified as having a 1 in 200 annual flood probability (0.5% AEP) under climate change allowances on North Somerset Council's own flood risk mapping. The NPPF requires development to be steered to areas of lowest flood risk; the applicant has not demonstrated the Sequential Test is met, and a failed Sequential Test is itself sufficient grounds for refusal. Professional review has also identified specific gaps in the drainage strategy against the National Standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems (June 2025), including deferred SuDS design, unconfirmed rhyne discharge consent, inadequate exceedance routing information, and deferred maintenance arrangements.
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Your Objection Letter — Please Read Before Submitting
⚠️ Please read your letter before submitting. It has been generated specifically for you based on the grounds you selected. You may wish to add any further personal detail before submitting.

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