Nearly 100 new homes could be built a short distance from a Somerset railway station as part of the first phase of a major new development.

James Tizzard of Land Value Alliances LLP applied to build 150 homes between Kithill and the railway line at the southern edge of Crewkerne.

South Somerset District Council twice refused the plans in mid-2019, but these decisions were subsequently overturned following a successful appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.

Tilia Homes Ltd. has now put forward detailed proposals for the first phase of the development, involving the creation of 89 homes – with a council expected to make a decision on the plans before Christmas.

The site lies north of the railway line and a short distance from Cathole Bridge Road – which forms part of a rat run between the railway station and the A30 to Chard, and has been branded a “death trap” by district councillors.

Access to the new homes would be from Lang Road, with a new junction being created opposite the existing access to Manor Road.

The existing public footpaths between Lang Road and the A356 Station Road will be maintained, providing the new residents with a direct pedestrian link to the railway station, which has hourly services to Yeovil and Axminster.

A new play area will be created at the eastern edge of the first phase, with a large amount of green space being left around the edge of the development.

Of the 89 homes planned within the  development – on what has been dubbed the Kithill site – 18 will be affordable, far below the council’s 30 per cent target for any new development of ten homes or more.

A spokesman for Grainge Architects (representing the applicant) said: “The proposals have been designed to create a development that sits comfortably on the threshold between the town and the countryside, while integrating into the immediate context.

“The structure of the layout has been established to ensure that appropriately sized development sub parcels can be brought forward in phase two.

“Phase one is defined by the linear route through the site, which has been set out to offer an appropriate development offset from the existing dwellings on Henley View and Cowen Court.”

Tilia Homes Ltd. is currently constructing the Snowdon Grange development of 200 new homes on the A358 Tatworth Road in Chard, which forms part of the Chard Eastern Development Area (CEDA).

Crewkerne is identified as one of the principle market towns within the council’s Local Plan – and is therefore expected to accommodate significant housing growth within the coming years.

The Crewkerne Key Site, which lies between Station Road and the A30 Yeovil Road, will eventually deliver 635 new homes along with employment units, a care home and a new relief road to take the pressure off the town centre.

Planning permission for the first phase, comprising 110 homes, was granted to Taylor Wimpey Exeter in March 2021, with construction getting under way before the end of that year and the developer publishing proposals for the remaining 525 homes in April 2022.

A further development of up to 350 homes opposite the entrance to the railway station could be brought forward in the coming months, with Place Land Ltd. indicating in July 2021 that it “remains committed to promoting this site for development”.

A decision is also pending on Gleeson Strategic Land Ltd’s proposals for 85 homes on Ashlands Road, a short distance from Wadham School.

The council is expected to make a decision on the Kithill site proposals before Christmas. Plans for the remaining 61 homes within phase two are expected to come forward following this decision.