Plans to relocate a cattery to a farm in Cocklake have been refused by Sedgemoor District Council.

A planning application for the formation of a concrete base and a range of wooden temporary cat chalets to be built to house cats with 36 enclosures, an office and store room at Withypool Farm, Barrows Drove, Cocklake, was submitted by N J and R S Hector.

Despite support from Wedmore Parish Council, the district council turned down the plan this week, saying the proposed development was incompatible with being on a flood plain.

Withypool Farm currently runs a cattery in Blackford, and through the plans was seeking to relocate it to the 183-acre farm site in Cocklake.

The cattery is part of a diversification plan to run alongside the existing farming enterprise which is made up principally of approximately 120 cattle which are suckler cows with calves at foot, beef cattle and approximately 50 dairy replacement heifers.

In addition to the cattle, there is a small flock of pedigree Charolais sheep, there are at least 20 pigs for fattening on the farm at any given time and approximately 600 to 800 turkeys are reared for Christmas.

However, the planning report states that planning policy is to only allow developments that could remain safe and operational in times of flood, or essential infrastructure, to be built on a flood plain.

The Environment Agency objected to the cattery development on these grounds, and the council has agreed and turned down the proposals.