Plans for a "disproportionate" development in a rural Somerset village have been refused due to concerns about the impact on local roads and amenities.

Gladman Developments put forward plans to build 63 new houses behind the existing properties on Anchor Road in Coleford, located between Frome and Shepton Mallet.

Concerned residents pleaded their case to Mendip District Council's planning board on Wednesday evening (August 26), arguing the new homes would put a strain on local services.

The board narrowly to refuse the plans, despite fears that the developer would lodge an appeal to reverse the decision.

Dawn Wines, who lives in the village, said the development would "destroy" mature hedges and elm trees in the area, as well as damaging local populations of bats and starlings.

She added: "Wessex Water has confirmed the sewers immediately downstream have limited capacity.

"We've just had the wettest winter of all time, causing damage to properties and devastating livelihoods.

"We want to continue to live in a green and rural area. We ask the council to remember its principles of a greener, fairer Mendip."

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Mark Reynolds, representing Coleford Parish Council, said the village had already delivered more homes than had been earmarked within the council's Local Plan.

He said: "This application seeks to exploit the current shortfall of housing within the district – a shortfall which is not long-standing.

"The Local Plan recognises the limited capacity for growth here, giving the lack of public transport connections, the unproven capacity for expansion of the school, and a network of narrow roads which service the village.

"The proposal would be disproportionate for a village of this size."

Councillor Alan Townsend – who represents the Coleford and Holcombe ward – argued the new homes would overwhelm the local road network.

He said: "How many times have we sat in this forum and despaired at the county council's highways team's lack of understanding of our issues?

"It sounds to us like their logic is: 'nobody had died near the site, so there's no problem'.

"There have been 32 separate accidents near there – this cannot be ignored."

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Councillor Philip Ham – who represents the same ward – added: "Coleford is already a large, rurally isolated village, with the highest level of deprivation of any village in Mendip and with little employment.

"The average distance people travel to work from Coleford is ten miles."

Councillor Nigel Woollcombe-Adams said the housing shortfall in the Local Plan was "not actually desperate" and the environmental damage to the site would be significant.

He elaborated: "Residents' amenities are being destroyed – 150 metres of hedgerow are to be grubbed out, and the elm tree is to be chopped down.

"We should do what we are tasked to do, and observe what the locals tell us."

Councillor Matt Martin disagreed, stating: "We have to face up to the reality of things.

"Do I personally want a development in this beautiful village? No. But we have to go with the times – and the times say we need more houses."

Despite concerns about a possible appeal, the board voted to refuse the plans by a margin of six votes to five, with two abstentions.