THE developer behind the proposed new school and 160 homes on Wookey Hole Road has said that they are being "incredibly generous" with their plans.
Simon Steele-Perkins, from Strategic Land Partnerships, gave a presentation to the planning committee of Wells City Council in the hope he would win their endorsement to their plans.
Councillors first quizzed Mr Steele-Perkins on why there were plans for a previously undeveloped, greenfield, site.
Mr Steele-Perkins said: "We all know that Wells is an environmentally constrained settlement. There is a chronic undersupply of houses pushing up prices and leading to a labour shortfall. There is a clear need for housing.
"Greenfield sites are needed now – all brownfield developments are well behind schedule and wouldn't meet the shortfall. There is a particular need for affordable housing and this plan would go a long way to improving that."
The committee did not share this view.
Councillor John Osman said: "My firm view is that we need to develop brownfield sites before we develop any greenfield ones. We have plenty of brownfield sites in Wells."
Councillor Danny Unwin agreed. He said: "We are very precious about our green fields in Wells."
The addition of the seven-form primary school to the plans also had councillors in an uproar.
Mr Steele-Perkins said: "The school was demanded by Somerset County Council (SCC) and its size agreed with them through government guidelines."
Mr Osman, who is also the leader of SCC, said: "What alarms me the most is that the first I heard of the plans was when I read about them in the Journal.
"If Mr Steele-Perkins can tell me who he spoke to at county hall I would appreciate it."
Mr Steele-Perkins said that David Clews was the officer involved.
At this Mr Osman produced an email from Mr Clews stating that the first he had heard of the plan was when he read it on wellsjournal.co.uk.
Mr Steele-Perkins said: "He demanded it in the local plan. Somerset realised at the 11th hour that they would need another school. We, incredibly generously, have offered to fulfil the schools requirement for Wells."
The committee voted unanimously to recommend rejection of the scheme.