Conservative councillor Susannah Hart has backed residents calling for a safe crossing of the A371 before plans for 60 new homes in Westbury-sub-Mendip are allowed to go ahead.
Plans have been put forward for 60 homes and a community hub on land south of Roughmoor Lane, close to the A371 between Cheddar and Wells.
The site is allocated for housing, but concerns have repeatedly been raised about how future residents, particularly children, would safely cross the A371 to reach the village's school and other facilities.
Somerset Council's Planning Committee East had already deferred the application once in May over concerns including pedestrian safety, active travel and over-development.
When the plans returned to the committee, Cllr Susannah Hart, Conservative councillor for Glastonbury, questioned why permission should be granted without the land needed to provide a safe crossing.
Cllr Hart said:
“I don't understand why we we're simply not saying: 'We will not give you permission until you acquire the land needed for a safe crossing over that road'.
“Until I hear that the landowner has categorically said 'no', I don't understand why that's not happening.”
Residents had told the committee about their experiences of crossing the A371, with particular concerns raised about children travelling to school and accessing facilities on the other side of the road.
Cllr Hart said:
“If it was your children or your granny in a wheelchair, you would agree with the lived experience of the residents.
“I'm concerned that we're just going 'tick, tick, tick - computer says yes'. No - the computer is wrong, and real-life experience is not wrong.”
Following around two hours of debate, councillors voted by six votes to five, with one abstention, to defer the application for a second time.
An independent road safety assessment will now be carried out to fully assess the impact of the development on pedestrian movements across the A371 before the plans return to the committee.
