Council facing bill after losing planning appeal

Taxpayers could face a potentially hefty bill after a council lost an appeal over the development of a site near Taunton.

Development at the Grade II listed Woodlands Castle, on Ruishton Lane in Ruishton, Somerset, was rejected by Somerset Council in February 2025.

It argued it would damage the character of both the listed building and the wider village but that decision was overturned by the Planning Inspectorate last month.

Developer Belstone Fox plans to build a new care home within the grounds along with 18 new properties. It also plans to convert the listed building into a residential property which alone is expected to cost nearly £2.3m.

Woodlands Castle can trace its roots back to the 17th Century and previously served as a wedding venue before closing its doors in 2020 during the pandemic.

The building was used as a cannabis farm in 2021 and suffered "significant damage" and vandalism with the developer warning that temporary repairs which were recently carried out would "begin to fail in the near-future".

In a report seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the planning inspector said: "I do not find that the proposal would lead to a significant loss of village identity".

The inspector said the current proposals were the "only viable means of restoring the listed building, otherwise it would continue to deteriorate".

In addition to ruling in Belstone Fox's favour, the inspector also approved its application for costs, meaning that the council would have to pay for some or all of the legal fees associated with the appeal.

The report states that the council had "demonstrated unreasonable behaviour" by providing misleading information during the appeal process.

The precise amount of costs will be settled in forthcoming negotiations between the developer and the council's legal team.

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