MORE than 100 sites for future housing and employment in part of Somerset have been put forward by landowners and developers.

Somerset West and Taunton Council has been reviewing its Local Plan, which dictates how many homes will be built in each part of the district over the next two decades.

Following an initial consultation held between January 13 and March 16, the council has published a list of sites suggested for future development – either for housing, employment land or a mix of different uses.

These sites will be subject to further consultation to determine how many homes or what kind of businesses should be permitted in each locality.

Here’s everything you need to know about where things stand with the Local Plan: What is the Local Plan?

A Local Plan is a series of documents which sets out how many new homes should be delivered in a given area over the next 20 years.

As well as identifying sites for future housing, the plan will also allocate sites for employment, new schools, roads and other infrastructure projects, and will include policies for tackling climate change.

Before the current council was formed in April 2019, both Taunton Deane Borough Council and West Somerset Council both had their own separate Local Plans.

The new Local Plan currently will bring together these existing policies and update both the individual policies and the allocation of sites.

How many homes will end up being built by 2040?

The short answer is: we don’t know yet.

The consultation which concluded in mid-March saw more than 100 sites put forward for potential development, either by individual landowners or by major housing developers like Persimmon Homes South West, Redrow Homes, Taylor Wimpey and Vistry.

While the size of the sites has been stipulated, the policies governing the precise number of homes for each site (or the kind of business that could operate there) will not be set until a later date.

Could other sites be brought forward?

Yes – the sites listed in the current policy documents are not an exhaustive list.

Smaller-scale developments – for instance, a small number of homes in one of the district’s many rural villages – may be brought forward at any time It should also be noted that the list of proposed sites does not include a number of sites which are already being developed.

These include the Comeytrowe urban extension on the western edge of Taunton and the ongoing Jurston Farm development in Wellington.

Which settlement will have to take the most new homes?

Every Local Plan has a settlement hierarchy – a list of the major towns and villages, which are ranked in terms of how much future development they can reasonably be expected to take.

It should come as little surprise that Taunton, already the district’s largest settlement, can expect to grow the most between now and 2040.

In addition to the three urban extensions which are already at various stages of development (Comeytrowe, Monkton Heathfield and Staplegrove), sites have been identified either in the town itself or on its fringes – including land near the M5 and Taunton Racecourse.

Wellington is set to grow by the second largest amount, with sites being identified at Tonedale and along the A38 to the south of the town, as well as in the neighbouring village of Rockwell Green.

Larger villages in the former Taunton Deane area – like Bishops Lydeard and Wiveliscombe – will also be expected to shoulder more housing.

In the former West Somerset area, the bulk of development will be focussed on town and villages on what the council has branded the district’s “coastal strip”.

This includes sites south of the A39 in Minehead, the former paper mill in Watchet, land near the West Somerset Railway in Williton and the Hinkley Point A site near Stogursey.

Where exactly will development happen?

The following sites have been put forward for residential development in the next two decades: Land south of Greenway Farm, Bishops Lydeard Land south of Bishopswood Chapel, Bishopswood Land west of Braeside, Blagdon Hill Land west of Regent Street, Bradford-on-Tone Land north of Ellersdown Lane, Brushford Land north of A39 Main Road, Carhampton Land north of Bowerhayes Lane, Carhampton Land west of Winsors Lane, Carhampton Land north of the White Hart Inn, Corfe Land at Burges Meadow, Cotford St Luke Land north of Dene Road, Cotford St Luke Land south of Dene Road, Cotford St Luke Land west of Creech Heathfield Road, Creech Heathfield Land west of Derham Close, Creech St Michael Land east of Dillons Close, Creech St Michael Land south of Langaller Lane, Creech St Michael Land north of Marsh Gardens, Dunster Marsh Land south of Marsh Lane, Dunster Marsh Land south of Sea Lane, Dunster Marsh Land at Bickley Farm, East Nynehead Land north and south of Haydon Lane, Haydon Land east of Lipe Lane, Henlade Land west of Kingston Road, Kingston St Mary Land south of A39 Hopcott Road, Minehead Minehead Caravan and Motorhome Club site, A39 Hopcott Road, Minehead Land north of Bratton Lane, Minehead Land east of Porlock Road, Minehead Land west of Dyer’s Lane, Monkton Heathfield Land south of Langaller Farm, Monkton Heathfield Land north of Knapp Lane, North Curry Land north of The Fosse, North Curry Land south of Ford Farm, Norton Fitzwarren Land north of Brunel Way, Norton Fitzwarren Land west of Oake Bradford & Nynehead Primary School, Oake Land south of Oake Close, Oake Last east of Church Close, Old Cleeve Land east of Old Cleeve, Old Cleeve Old Cleeve Farmstead, Old Cleeve Land south of Poundisford Road, Pitminster Land north of Exeter Road, Rockwell Green Land south of Payton Road, Rockwell Green Land west of Popes Lane, Rockwell Green (two separate sites) Land south of A358, Ruishton Land at Brookfield Nursery, Ruishton Land east of Bushy Cross Lane, Ruishton Land west of Lipe Lane, Ruishton Land at Woodlands Castle, Ruishton Land east of Woodlands Castle, Ruishton Land at Kibby’s Field, A358 Staplegrove Road, Staplegrove Land north of Cheddon Road, Taunton Land north of Heron Drive, Taunton Land at Higher Comeytrowe Farm, Taunton Land north of Lipe Hill Lane, Taunton Land at Obridge Yard, Taunton Land west of Stoke Road, Taunton Land northwest of Taunton Gateway Park and Ride, Taunton Land west of Taunton Road, Taunton Land at Michael Paul House, Tower Street, Taunton Land at Watcombe House, Railway Street, Taunton Land east of Canonsgrove Halls of Residence, Trull Land south of Church Road, Trull Land west of Honiton Road, Trull Land east of Honiton Road, Trull Land east of Wild Oak Lane, Trull (two separate sites) Land north of A38 Nowers Lane, Wellington Land south of A38 Oldway Road, Wellington Land north of A38 Taunton Road, Wellington Land south of A38 West Buckland Road, Wellington Land east of B3187 Milverton Road, Wellington Cadeside Caravan and Motorhome Club site, Nynehead Road, Wellington Land east of Silver Street, West Buckland Former Vinnicombe Quarry site, West Quantoxhead Land south of A39 Long Street, Williton Land north of Greenway Lane, Wiveliscombe Land east of Nordens Meadow, Wiveliscombe Land east of North Street, Wiveliscombe In addition to these residential sites, the council has identified a number of sites for ‘mixed use’ development – meaning they will deliver a mixture of houses, employment units, leisure facilities and other amenities.

The following sites are earmarked for ‘mixed use’ developments: Land at Glebe Farm, Cheddon Fitzpaine Land east of Haydon Farm, Haydon Land southwest of Haydon Farm, Haydon Land at Haywood Farm, Haydon Land at Tarmac’s Henlade site, A358, Henlade Land north of the M5, Monkton Heathfield Land north of Pen Elm Hill, Norton Fitzwarren Land east of Oake Close, Oake Land east of Taunton Racecourse, Orchard Portman Land at Nerrols Farm, Taunton Land west of Honiton Road, Trull Former Wansborough paper mill site, Watchet Land west of Foxdown Hill, Wellington Land at K. S. Coles Ltd., A38 Taunton Road, Wellington Land north of A38 Taunton Road, Wellington Land west of A38 West Buckland Road, Wellington Land at Tonedale Mills, Wellington (two separate sites) Land west of Manor Farm, Wiveliscombe The council create a local development order (LDO) in late-September, making it easier for small-scale employment developments (such as offices or industrial units) to be delivered.

The following sites have been identified for major employment developments: Land east of Silk Mills Road, Taunton (possible expansion of hospice) Land at Hinkley Point A site, nr Shurton Land west of former Poole landfill site, Wellington Land at Foxmoor Business Park, Wellington Land northwest of Foxmoor Business Park, Wellington Additionally, there is one site put forward for community woodland and open green space: Land to the east of Taunton recycling centre, Taunton The council will announce further consultation on these sites and other policies relating to the Local Plan in the coming months.

For more detail on the sites being proposed, visit www.somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk/planning-policy/adopted-local-plans/local-plan-review-2040.