One of the important roles of the Parish Council is to comment on planning applications made within the Parish boundary. The process the Council has adopted is as follows:
Sedgemoor District Council pass applications to the Parish Clerk for comment within 21 days. The Clerk passes the application to the PC Chairman who will usually make arrangments to view the property, along with at least one other Councillor.
Comments are then passed back to Sedgemoor Development Control, but only on valid planning grounds; these include traffic generation and road safety, impact on neighbours, effect on landscape, compliance with planning policy, impact on character and appearance of the area and other environmental grounds such as noise.
As the PC only meets quarterly, applications are usually not able to be discussed by the full committee before comments are returned to Sedgemoor. However the outcomes of all applications made in the previous quarter are always reviewed at PC meetings, for the record.
The Parish Council is naturally concerned with maintaining the wonderful rural character and landscape of Broomfield, situated as it is within the Quantock Hills AONB, whilst recognising the needs of local business, in particular the farming community.
However final decisions are made by Sedgemoor District Council and residents are urged to consult with the Planning Officer before submitting applications. Much advice is also available online as well as the status of all applications made in the Parish.
