Click here to read the latest on the Sheltered Housing debate.

The Parish Plan was published in February 2004, and was formally adopted by Wedmore Parish Council. Follow the link on the menu bar to read it or download it (300KB file size) to your computer as a PDF document.

The Silverwood Partnership wanted to build 24 sheltered homes on land off Cheddar Road. It pledged to sell the properties at 80 per cent of their market value to villagers.

Silverwood senior partner Kevin Bird gave the parish council an ultimatum in January to back the scheme or lose it.

But at a meeting packed with elderly residents on Wednesday, concillors voted infavour of a proposal from Councillor Richard Burden to reject the scheme.

Councillors voted seven to five against the scheme, with two abstentions. The authority decided to carry out a survey on whether the village needs sheltered housing.

The Silverwood Partnership carried out its own survey of elderly residents in September 2005 which it said showed an overwhelming need for sheltered housing in the village.

The land it wanted to build on is considered one of the few, if not the only, site in the village where sheltered housing could be built on such a scale.

Report by JACK HUNTER

Kevin Bird said: "The vote was very close, but so be it.

"I was extremely confused by the fact the council is going to spend money on a survey to ask if sheltered housing is needed in Wedmore. That's like asking if water is wet.

"If we don't have the parish's support we won't chase after it. We will not submit a scheme."

He said the firm has spent about £35,000 trying to get planning permission for sheltered housing in Wedmore.

Councillors were not considering a planning application this week, just a proposal from Silverwood to build 24 sheltered homes.

Before the meeting opened several elderly residents spoke in support of Silverwood's scheme.

Pauline Brookes said: "In this village, as far as I’m aware, sheltered housing is not just inadequate, it's virtually non- existent.

"If the Silverwood development happened it would enable elderly people to remain in their own homes much longer than would otherwise be the

Vice chairman Clir John Sanderson said: "Everyone knows the answer to whether we need a sheltered housing project or not. Discussing it would be useless.

"We have the option to support in principle, without prejudice, any proposal that's made. When detailed plans are entered there will be no attachments."

Clir Burden said: "There are distinct planning objections to the site which makes it very unlikely that Silverwood would ever get permission."

Cllr Muriel Welch said: "We hadn't asked for sheltered housing until this was thrown -into our laps by this developer."

Cilr Joan Bessex: "If he's a developer, he should put his plans in front of us for discussion."

After voting the scheme down, Cllr Sanderson- said: "The onus is on the parish council to get through a survey or questionnaire.

"We've got to do it because there's a section of the community suggesting there's a need for it. We need to do it quickly and take professional advice."