Minehead new homes to be protected from stray cricket balls

New homes being built next to a cricket club will be "adequately protected" from stray balls, it has been said.

Somerset Council is overseeing the Rainbow Way development on Seaward Way, which neighbours Minehead Cricket Club.

The plans include 54 low-carbon council properties, and a pedestrian link to the town centre and seafront.

Planning committee members voted unanimously to install "rebound mesh fencing" on the development to prevent windows being broken by cricket balls.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said when the original plans were formally signed off in July 2021, it was expected that fencing would be built on the cricket club's land.

But the council said it had "not been possible to agree a position" with the club.

Instead, the fencing will be placed along the housing development's south-western boundary.

It will be almost 16ft (4.8m) high along six of the properties nearest the cricket club, dropping to 12ft (3.6m) high along four houses which are further away from the central pitch.

Speaking at the committee meeting in Taunton on Tuesday, Councillor Andy Hadley said he could understand the reasons why the cricket club did not agree to install the fence on their land.

"They obviously don't want the maintenance issues and to be lumbered with a liability.

"But it is a shame, considering we actually give them specific access to their cricket club - which they didn't have before - across our land as part of this application in the first place.

"With a little bit of give and take, this could have been worked out and made it a little easier for the home-owners, who would not have had the fence so close to their properties."

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