SHOCK force fights against 'poor planning'

RURAL

- DANIEL MUMBY Local democracy journalist

Members of SHOCK near the planned site of 100 homes on the B3153 High Street in Keinton Mandeville

Somerset communities are taking a stand against “poor planning” by their unitary council in the face of government housing targets.Aggrieved residents of the small village of Keinton Mandeville, near Somerton, forced the campaign group SHOCK (Stop Housing Obliterating the Character of Keinton) in the aftermath of Somerset Council approving outline plans for 100 new homes on the western edge of the village in June 2025.

The group has been enthusiastically crowdfunding to raise £70,000 to bring a judicial review against the council, which if successful could overturn this decision.

Now SHOCK is joining forces with other parts of Somerset which are “threatened with large-scale housing development” to create Somerset Communities Raging Against Poor Planning (SCRAPP) - with its inaugural meeting being held in late-January.