DOZENS of new homes could be built on the edge of a small Somerset village under revised proposals.
M7 Planning Ltd submitted plans in January for 56 homes and a new convenience store on the B3081 Prestleigh Road in Evercreech, near Shepton Mallet.
These plans – which locals said amounted to “urban sprawl” – were withdrawn by the developer in June 2023 without explanation.
Octavia Land & Planning has now put forward new proposals for the site, which would deliver 40 new homes but no convenience store.
The site lies to the north of the former Greencore factory, which has been the subject of a recent planning inquiry to redevelop the land into new homes.
Access to the new homes would be onto Prestleigh Road, with the majority of the properties being congregated near the existing properties on Maesdown Road.
Of the 40 homes planned for the site, 12 will be affordable – meeting the council’s target of 30 per cent affordable housing for any new development of ten homes or more in the former Mendip area.
To prevent any net increase in phosphates within the Somerset Levels and Moors catchment area, local arable land will be taken out of active use, with new woodland being planted near the development site.
A spokesman for the developer said: “The physically unconstrained nature of the land and its lack of environmental designations allows development to come forward within a short time-frame.
“Through careful design, its visual impact can be managed avoiding significant adverse impact.
“There is an established existing transport network serving the immediate and wider area, including a regular bus service along Prestleigh Road within a short distance.
“To contribute to both water conservation and create opportunities for ecological habitat and biodiversity, an attenuation basin located at the lowest point within the land area to the south west will provide regulated discharge of water from the development.
“The development will positively contribute to the growth of the local economy by delivering new homes.”
The site is not allocated within either the Mendip Local Plan Part I (which was approved in December 2014) or the Mendip Local Plan Part II (which was approved in December 2021 and is currently being revised following a judicial review.
Since Somerset Council does not currently have a five-year housing land supply, national planning policies dictate that any proposed new development should be approved unless council planning officers can demonstrate it would cause significant harm to the community.
The council is expected to make a decision on the proposals by the end of the summer. It is not currently clear whether this will be taken through the dedicated powers of the council’s planning officers or in public by its planning committee east (which handles major applications in the former Mendip area).
The Planning Inspectorate is expected to publish its ruling on the Greencore site later in the year.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here